The Union times. [volume] (Union, S.C.) 1894-1918, 1905-04-07

the proprietor alternately pleading
win the knaves to save the tavern and
eXecrating him who had applied the
torch.
Cap de Dieu, the landlord will snare
no more Travellers" said Caillette "AIy
morse had become road worn and per.
horce had tarried there sufficient
whlie TO know the company and the
nose. When you walked in with this
Ialr maid L could hardly believe my
eyes. Twas nice trap, and the land
Iord an unctuous fellow for villain.
Assured that YOU could not 20 out ns
you came, cen prepared n less con-
Fentional means of exit"
He had scarcely finished this expIa-
nation when, with n shower of sparks
and mighty crash, the heavy roof fell.
1T Is over" murmured Caillette, and,
as they touched their horses, leaving
the smo!dering ruins behind them. he
added: But how came the scamp
student to serve you? I was watching
closely and listening, too, so caught
how twas DONE"
II spared his life once" answered the
| Jester.
And he remembered? 'Tis passing
strange from such q rogue. A clever
ueVlce to warn you in Latin that bis
friends intended to kill one or both of
you for the jeweled sword"
why spoke up the young girl. her
attention sharply arrested, was it not
/ mere discussion Of some kind? And
the quarrel?'
"A pretcnse OH the rogue's part TO
hn ;,,s4 80
the boar. 1 could but marycT'-to the
jester-'at your forbearance."
Il fear me Jacqueline had the right
TO u poor opinion of her squire" re-
piled the dukes fool "Nor do I blame
her. he laughed, "in esteeming a stout
bolt more protection than craven
blade"
But the girl did not answer. Through
her brain flashed the recollection of her
cold disdain, her scornful words, her
prompt dismissal Of the jester ut her
door. Weighing what she had said and
done with what he had said and done.
she turned to him quickly impulsively.
through the semidarkness she saw the
smile around his mouth and the quiz
zlcal look with which he was regard
ing her, whereupon her courage fail
ell. She bit her lip and remained silent.
They had now passed the brow of the
hill; on each side of the highway the
forests parted wider and wider. and
the thoroughfare was bathed in
white light.
AS they rode along on this clearly II.
lumined highway Caillette glanced in
terrogatively at the plaisant. The out
come Of his journey-should he speak
now or later, when they were alone?
The answer of the dukes fool to his
companions glance was n direct IN.
quiry.
you found the emperor7" he said.
Yes. and presented your message
With some misgiving."
"And did he treat it with the scapt
not once, but twice, and changed col.
or"
And then?"
whatever magic your letter con-
tained," replied Caillette, lit seemed
convincing to Charles. My brother
Francis must be strangely credulous
to be so coZened by an impostor,'
quoth he, with Il CLEAN of humor in his
gaze
"ImpoStor!' 1t was the young girl
who spoke, interrupting in her sur
prise the troubadour's story.
"You did not know, mistress" said
Caillettc.
closer.
"When 1 left, two messages the en-
peror gave me-" went OH the other,
lone for the king, the other for you"
And, taking from his doublet Il docu-
ment weighted with a ponderous disk,
the speaker handed it to the dukes
fool, who silently thrust 1t in his
breast. Moreover, unexpectedly, but
as good fortune would have 1t, his
majesty was even then completing
preparations for journey through
Franco to the Netherlands, owing to
unlocked for troubles in that part Of
his domains, and had already dis
patched his ENJOYS to the king. Charles
| assured me that he would still further
hasten his intended visit to the Low
Countries and come Mt once. Mean
| while his communication to the king"
| tapping his breast, will Mt least delay
the nuptials, and, with the promise of
the emperor's immediate arrival, the
marriage cannot occur"
"It has occurred" said the Jester.
The other uttered a quick exclama-
ton. "Then have I failed in my er-
rand" he muttered blankly. But the
king! Had he no suspicion?"
"It was through the Countess
d'Etampes the monarch was led to
change the time for the festivities"
spoke up Jacqueline involuntarily.
| "Shev' exclaimed the poet, with q