Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1906-03-06

planned the place and time and mode
and tried to occupy myself wholly with
1t. But the price? Alas, that would
!, intrude too and more as the evening
waned: so that az passed this or
that thing on the road. which I could
recall passing on my journey south
with thoughts SO different, with plans
that now seemed SO very, very old
asked myself grimly If this were really
I, If this were Gil de Berault, known al
Zaton's premier joueur; or some Don
Quichotte from CASTLE, fitting at wind
mills and taking BARRIERS bowls for
gold.
We reached Agen very late In the
evening after cropping through by
way near the river set with holes and
wfllow-stools and frog-spawns-a place
no better than slough. After it the
great fire and the lights at the Blue
Maid seemed like glimpse of new
world and in twinllling put some
thing Of life and spirits into two at
least Of us. There was queer talk
round the hearth here Of doings in
Paris-of a stir against the cardinal,
with the Queen-mother at bottom and
OF grounded expectations that some
thing might this time come Of it. But
the landlord pooh-poohed the idea and
] more than agreed with him. Even M.
| de Cocheforet, who was for moment
inclined to build on 1t, gave up hope
when he heard that 1t came only by
way Of Montauban: whence, since its
reduction the year before, all sorts of
canards against the cardinal were al
ways on the wing.
They kill him about once a month, :"
our host said, with grin. Sometimes
it is monsieur who is to prove match
for him., sometimes Cesar Monsieur
the Duke Of Vendome, you understand
and sometimes the Queen-moth her
But since M. de Chalais and the mar
shall made mess of it and paid forfeit,
pin my faith to His Eminence that
Is his new title, they tell me-
Things are quiet round here?" I
asked.
Perfectly. Since the Languedoc
/ business came to an end, all goes well, ;"
he answered.
Mademoiselle had retired on our ar
rival, so that her brother and were
for an hour or two thrown together.
left him at liberty to separate himself
| If he pleased, but he did not use the
opportunity. A kind of comradeship,
rendered piquant by our peculiar re-
lations, had begun to spring up be-
tween u.s. He seemed to take pleasure
in, my company, more than once raj
lied me on my post Of jailer, would ask
humorously if he might do this or that
and once even inquired what I should
/ do II he broke his parole.
Cor take it this way" he continued
fippantly. Suppose had struck you
in the back this evening. in that cursed
swamp by the river, M. de Berault:.
What then? PArdieu! am estonished
at myself that did not do II. could
have been in Montauban within 81
hours and found 80 hiding places
and no one the wiser"
1. Except your sister," said quietly.
He laughed and shrugged his shoul.
ders. EYES," he said, II am afraid I
must have put her out Of the way too.
to preserve my self-respect. You are
right" And on that he fell into q
reverie which held him for few
minutes. Then I found him looking
at me with kinN of frank perplexity
that invited question.
What is it?" said.
"You have fought a great many
duels?"
EYES," said.
did you never strike foul blow in
one of them?"
Never Why do you ask"
''Well-I wanted to confirm an i'm
preston" he said. ITO be frank, M. de
Berault, I seem to see in you two men,
Two mem"
Eyes, two men," he answered. cone
the man who captured me; the other
the man who let my friend go free to-
day."
4. ..It surprised you that let him go:
That was prudence, NJ de Cocheforet,"
replied, nothing more. 1 am an old
gambler know when the stakes are
too high for me- The man who caught
lion in his wolf-pit had no great
catch"
"No, that is true" he answered
smiling And yeti find two men In
your skin"
/ 81 dare say that there are two In
most mems skins" I answered, with
a sigh, "but not always together
Sometimes one is there and sometimes
the other"
"How does the one like taking up the
Others work." he asked keenly.
| shrugged my shoulders. THAT Is
as may be-" 1 said. You do not take
an estate without. debts"
He did not answer for a moment ani
! fancied that his thoughts had re
verified to his own case. But on a sud
den he looked at me again. will yor
answer me question, M. de Berault?'
he said, with a winning smile.
Perhaps" / said.
"Then tell met is a tale that is.