Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1906-01-02
WEYMAN

sold salvation for them. But Berarlt
his homer? No! was tempted. but
not for long. Thank God. a man may
be reduced to living by the fortunes
OF the dice and may even be called by
woman spy and coward without be-
coming thief. The temptation soon
left mel take credit for it-and / fell,
to thinking of this and that plan for
making use OF them. Once it occurred
to me to take the jewels to the cardi-
nal and buy my pardon with them;
again, to use them as trap to capture
Cocheforet; again to-and then about
I'VE in the morning, as sat up on my
wretched pallet, while the first light
stole slowly in through the cobwebbed,
hay-stuffed lattice, there came to me
the real plan, the plan Of plans, on
which I acted
1t charmed me. / smacked my lips
over 1T and Rugged myself and felt my
eyes dilate in the darkness, as conned
it. 1t seemed cruel, It seemed mean;
cared nothing. Mademoisellc had
boosted of her victory over me. of her
woman's wits and her acuteness; and
Of my dullness. She had said her
grooms should fog me, she hssl rated
me as If l had been dog. Very we'll;
we would see now whose brains were
The better, whose was the master mind,
whose should be the whipping.
The one thing required by my plan
was that should get speech with her.
that done, could trust myself and my
new-found weapon for the rest. But
that was absolutely necessary; and
seeing that there might be some diff
Guilty about it, determined to descend
as If my mind were made up to go;
then. on pretense of saddling my horse,
| would slip away on foot and lie in
wait near the chateau until saw her
come out. Or if could not effect my
purpose In that way-either by reason
of the landlords vigilance, or for any
other cause-my course was still easy.
would ride away and when had pro.
ceeded mile or so, tie up my horse in
the forest and return to the wooden
bridge. Thence could watch the gar
den and front of the chateau until time
and chance gave me the opportunity l
sought.
So / saw my way quite clearly; and
when the fellow below called me, re-
minding me rudely that must be go
ing and that it was six o'clock, was
ready with my answer. 1 shouted
sulkily that was coming, and, after a
decent delay, l took UP my saddle and
bags and went down.
Viewed by the cold morning light.
the inn room looked more smoky, more
grimy, more wretcEed than when l had
last seen 1t. The goodwife was not
visible. The fire was not lighted. No
provision, not so much as stirruD-cup
or bowl of porridge cheered the heart.
l looked around, smiling the stale smell
of last nights lamp and grunted. "Are
you going to send me out fasting?"
said, affecting worse lumor than I
felt.
The landlord was standing by the
window, STOPPING over great pair of
frayed and furrowed thigh-boots, which
he was laboring to soften with copiou.s
grease. "Mademoiselle ordered no
breakfast" he answered, with ma.
licipus grin.
well. it does not much matter" l
replied grandly. Il shall be at Auch
by noon."'
THAT is as may be-" he answered,
with another grin. did not UNDER
stand him, but had something else to
think about, and opened the door and
stepped out, intending to go to the
stable. Then in second compre-
hended. The cold air laden with wood
land moisture met me and went to my
bones; but 1t was not that which made
me SILVER. Outside the door, in the
road. sitting on horseback in silence,
were two men. One was Clon. The
other, who held spare horse by the
rein-my horse-was man | had seen
at the inn. rough, shocl-headed,
hard bitten fellow Both were armed
and Clon was booted. His mate rode
barefoot, with a rusty spur strapped
to one heel.
The moment saw them sure and
certain fear crept into my mind; 1t
was that made me shiver. But did
not speak to them 1 went in again
and closed the door behind me. The
landlord was putting On the boots.
what does this mean?" said hoarse-
ly. had a clear prescience of what
was coming. why are these men
here?"
Orders, he answered laconically.
Whose orders?" retorted.
''Whose?" he answered bluntly.
well, Monsieur, that is my business.
Enough that we mean to see you ont
of the country, and out of harms way."
"But if will not go?" l cried
Monsieur will CO." he answered
coolly. There are no strangers in
the village to-day" he added, with a
significant smile
do you mean to kidnap me?" I re-