Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1905-04-27
By FREDERIC S. 1sHAM,
Author Of THE Stsollers

q peculiar smile.
a look Of impatience crossed her face.
but she gazcd nj him intently and her
eyes held his from the floor, where they
would have strayed.
Are you stupid. or do you but pro-
fess to beT' she demanded. Before
the tilt noticed the duke and his
trooper talking together. When they
separated. the latter. unobserved, as
he thought. struck the point Of his
weapon against his stirrup. The disk
fell to the ground
"Your glance is sharp. JacQueline."
he retorted slowly. THANK you for
the information"
Her eyes kindled. An angry retort
seemed about to spring from her lips.
1t was with difficulty she controlled
herself to answer calmly moment
later.
You mean ii can serve you nothing:
Perhaps you are right. Today you were
lucky Tomorrow you may be-what?
Today you defended yourself well. and
1t was n good lance you bore. Had 1t
been any other jester the king would
have praised him. Because it was you
no word has been spoken. n anything,
your success has annoyed him. Several
Of the court spoke of it. He answered
not. IT'S the signal to ignore 1t and
your
"Then are you courageous to brave
public opinion and hold converse with
me?" he replied. with smile.
public opinion" she exclaimed, with
flashing eyes What would they say
of a jestress? Who is she? What is
she?'
She ended abruptly. bit her lips,
showing her cleaning white teeth.
Then some emotion more profound
swep. over her expressive face. She
looked at him silently. and when she
spoke her voice was more gentle.
II cannot believe" she continued
thoughtfully. that the duke told his
trooper to do that. 'Tis too infamous.
The man must have acted on his own
responsibility. The duke could not.
would not countenance such haseness.'
"You have good opinion of him,
gentle MISTRESS he said in tone that
exasperated her.
"Wlo has not?' she retOrted sharply.
"He Is MS brave ms he is distinguished
Farewell. If you served him better
and yourself less you
Would serve myself better in the
end?" he interrupted satiricaly
Thanks. good Jacqueline. woman
makes an excellent counselor"
Disdainfully she smiled. Her face
grew cold Her figure looked never
more erect and inhexible.
why" she remarked. there am
wasting time talking when the music
is playing and every one is dancing.
Even now see a courtier approaching
who has thrice importnned me-" And
the iestress vanished in the throng as
abruptly as she had appeared.
Thoughtfully the dukes fool looked.
not after her. but toward far end Of
the pavilion where he last had seen
the princess and her betrothed.
"Caillette should now be we'll Oh his
way" he told himself No one has
yet missed him. or II they do notice
his absence they will attribute it to his
injuries
Around him. carminc. blood warm
flowers eXhaled cOnmngling redo
lence: near him tOy-like fountain
whispered very softly and confidential
ly. Through the foliage the figures
moved and moyed; OH the air the music
fell and rose. thin in orchestratiOn, yet
brightly penetrating in sparkling de-
tail Buoyant were the violins. spor
tive the flutes. all alive the gitterns,
blithesome the tripping arpeggios that
crisply fell from the strings of the joy
GUS harps.
him he was not alone. and. looking
around amid the crimson flowers, 10
his startled gaze appeared the face Of
her Of whom he was thinking: above
the broad. white brow shone the radi-
ance Of hair, Il gold that was almost
bronze in that dim light; through the
green tangle of shrubbery, silver slip
per.
"Ah. 1t Is you. FOOL" she said Ian
guidly. 1t may be he cOntrasted the
Indifference OF her tones now with the
| unconscious softness Of her voice when
she had addressed him on another &C.
casion-in another garden-for his face
flushed and he would have turned
abruptly when
"Oh, you may remain" she added
| carelessly. THE duke has but left
me. He received message that the
man hurt in the lists was most anxious
to see him."
Into the whirl of his reflections her
words insinuated themselves. Why had
the free baron gone to the trooper?
What made his presence so imperative
at the bedside OF the soldier that he
had abruptly abandoned the festivities
Surely more than mere anxiety for the
mans welfare. The Jester looked at
the princess for the answer to these
questions, but her face was cold. smil-
ing. unrespOnsive. In the basin OF
the fountain tiny fish played and dart
ed, and as his eyes turned from her
to them they appeared as swift and H.
lusive as his own surging fancieS
"The-duke. madam, Ia most solicit
Gus about his men," he said In voice
which sounded strangely calm.
"A good leader has always in mind
the welfare of bis soldiers" she replied
briefly.
Her hand played among the bios
SONS. Over the flowers she looked At
| hi 90 ts,vn nd nj