The Richmond palladium. (Richmond, Ind.) 1906-1907, 1906-12-28

/ these long years. the jewels the pearls,
/ the gold. the vases. the pictures, the
crucifixes. the watches. the trinkets-
together they represented many mil
/ lions of lfvres With her own hands
she packed away the most precious and
/ portable ri them. while she arranged
with her brother for the safe keeping
OF the others. BY evening all was
I ready. aud she had arranged that her
! property should be sent after her to
/ Petit Bourc. TO which castle she in
/ tended TO retire.
| 1t wanted half an hour of the time
/ fixed for her departure when young
| cavalier whose face was strange to her
was ushered into her room.
He came with message from her
brother
M. de Nivonne regrets. madame.
that the rumor of your departure has
got abroad among the court"
What do care for that, monsieur
she retorted.
HE says, madame, that the courtiers
may assemble at the west gate to see
you go; that Nine. de Neuilly will be
there and the Duchesse de Chambord
and
thought of such an ordeal. To drive
away from the palace where she had
been more than queen under the scorn-
full eyes anu bitter gibes of personal
enemies.
Tell my brother, monsieur, that
should be obliged if he would make
fresh arrangements"
HE bade me say that he had done
so, madame
'Ah. At what hour, them
"Now. As soon as possible
Il am ready At the west gate.
them
mo. At the east The carriage
waits
land where is my bpother:'
eve are to pick him up at the park
gate He is watched, and were he
seen beside the carriage all would be
known"
Every good Then, monsieur, if you
will take my cloak and this casket we
may start at once"
They made their way by a circuitous
route through the less used corridors.
she hurrying on like a guilty creature.
n hood drawn over her face and her
heart in II fiutter at every stray foot
GALL. But fortune stood her friend.
She met no one and soon found her.
self at the eastern postern gate. A
couple of phlegmatic Swiss guardsmen
leaned upon their muskets upon either
side, and the lamp above shone upon
the carriage which awaited her. The
door was open. and tall cavalier
swathed in a black cloak handed her
into it. He then took the seat opposite
20 ner, siamreed the door, .1u the
caleche ratified away down the main
drive
1t had not surprised her that this man
should join her inside the coach, for it
was usual to have n guard there, and
he was doubtless taking the place
which her brother would afterward oc-
cupy. That was all natural enough.
But when ten minutes passed by and
he had neither moved nor spoken she
peered at him through the gloom with
some curiosity. At last the silence i'm
pressed her with a vague uneasiness.
1t was time to bring it to an end.
A thrill ran through her nerves. Who
or what could he be. this silent man?
Then suddenly it struck her that he
might be dumb.
Perhaps monsieur is afflicted she
said. perhaps monsieur cannot speak
If that be the cause of your silence.
will you raise your hand, and I shall
understand He sat rigid and silent.
Then sudden mad fear came upon
her, shut up in the dark with this
dreadful, voiceless thing. She screamed
in her terror and strove to pull down
the window and open the door. But
grip of steel closed suddenly round
her wrist and forced her back into her
seat. They were already out on the
country roads far beyond Versailles.
1t was darker than before. heavy clouds
had banked over the heavens and the
rumbling of thunder was heard low
down on the horizon.
The lady lay back painting upon the
leather cushions Of the carriage. She
was a brave woman, and yet this sud
den. strange horror coming upon her at
the moment when she was weakest had
shaken her to the soul. She crouched
in the corner. staring across with eyes
which were dilated with terror at the
figure on the other side. If he would
but say something. Any revelation,
any menace, was better than this 81
lence.
Sir said She there is some mis-
take here. / do not know by what
right you prevent me from pulling down
the window and giving my directions
to the coachman.
He said nothing.
Il repeat, sir, that there is some mis-
take. This is the carriage of my broth
er. NJ. de Vivonne, and he is not man
who will allow his sister to be treated
few heavy drops of rain splashed
against one window. The clouds were
lower and denser. She had quite lost I
sight of that motionless figure, but it /
was all the more terrible to her now
that it was unseen. She screamed |
with sheer terror.
Sir" she cried, clutching forward |
with her hands and grasping his sleeve. |
you brighten me. You terrify me. l |
have never harmed you. Why should /
you wish to hurt an unfortunate wo |
man? oh, speak to me, for Gods sake, |
speak,
Still the patter of rain upon the win |