Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1906-03-13

nad stood at st. Sulp1ce's-borrowin
ten crowns the same day, remem
ber-came shyly to play with my
! sword-hilt. $50 you expected me
back when you heard the news, Fris
on, did your" said, taking the lad
on my knee.
To be sure, your excellency," he
answered, peeping into the black poi
before he lifted 1t to the hook.
Very good Then, now, let us hear
what the news was" said dryly. r
"Of the cardinal, M. de Berault"
"Ah? And what?"
He looked at me, holding the heavy
| pot suspended in his arms. "You have
| not heard?" he exclaimed, his Jaw
falling.
mot title. Tell 1T me, my good
fellow"
"You have not heard that His
Eminence is disgraced?"
l stared at him. mot word" ]
said.
He set down the pot. "Your excel
lency must have made very long
journey indeed, then" he said, with
conviction. "For it has been in the air
a week or more and thought it had
brought you back. A week? A month,
dare say. They whisper that it is tho
old Queens doing. At any rate, it is
certain that they have cancelled his
commissions and displaced his officers.
There are rumors of immediate peace
with Spain. His enemies are lifting
up their heads and hear that he has
relays of horses set all the way to the
coast, that he may fly at. any moment
For what know he may be gone al
ready
"But, man." I said-'tthe king! You
forget the king. Let the cardinal once
pipe to him and he will dance. And
they will dance, tool" added grimly
EYES," Prison answered eagerly.
"True, your excellency, but the king
will not see him. Three times today
as I am told, the cardinal has driven
to the Luxem bourg and stood like any
common man in the ante-chamber, so
that hear 1t was pitiful to see him.
But His Majesty would not admit him.
And when he went away the last time,
| am told that his face was like death!
Well, he was great man and we
may be worse ruled, M. de Berault,
saving your presence. If the mobiles
did not like him, he was good to the
traders and the bourgeoisie and equal
to all"
Silence, man! Silence and let me
think" I said, much excited. And
while he hustled to and fro, getting my
supper, and the freight played about
the snug, sorry little room and the
child toyed with his plaything, / fell
to digesting this great news and pom
dering how I stood now and what
ought to do. AT first sight l know
it seemed that had nothing to do but
sit still. In few hours the man who
held my bond would be powerless and
I should be free. In few hours
might smile at hip. To all appear
ance, the dice had fallen well for me.
l had done great thing, run great
risk, won woman's love and after
all was not to pay the penalty!
But word which fell from Prison
as he fluttered round me, pouring out
the broth and cutting the bread, drop
ped into my mind and spoiled my sat
isfaction. eyes, your excellency," he
exclaimed, confirming something he
had said before, and which / lad
missed, "and am told that the last
time he came into the gallery there
was not man of all the scores who
attended his levee last Monday would
speak to him. They fell off like rats
just like rats-until he was left stand
ing all alone. And have seen him!"
Prison lifted up his eyes and his hands
and drew in his breath. "Ah, have
seen the king look shabby beside him!
And his eye! I would not like to meet
it now"
"Pish!" growled. "some one has
fooled you. Men are wiser than that"
$50? Well, your excellency under
stands. But-there are no cats on a
cold hearth"
! told him again that he was fool.
But withal l felt uncomfortable. This
was great man if ever a great man
lived and they were all leaving him;
and well. had no cause to love
him. But had taken his, money, I
had accepted hts commission and had
betrayed him. Those three things be-
Ing so, If he fell before could-with
the best will in the world-set myself
right with him, so much the better
for me. That was my gain, the fortune
OF war. But if lay hid and took time
for my ally, and being here while he
stood still-though tottering
until he fell, what of my honor then?
What Of the grand words 1 had said
to mademoiselle at Agen? should be
like the recreant in the old romance,
who, lying in the ditch while the battle
ragged, came out afterwards and boast
ed of his courage.
And yet the flesh was weak. A day.
"a hours, two days, might make the
difference between life and death. At
last / settled what I would do. At
noon the next day, the time at which