Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1906-02-20

i
HE READ THE SIGNATURE.
rehearsed this pretty scene dozen
times. The only word it seems to me,
Is, Quick March, back to Quarters"
I found myself driven to play my
last card-much against my will. mot
So" l said; II have my commission"
Produce It'll" he replied brusquely.
do you think that carry 1t with
me?" / said, in scorn. do you think
that when / came here, alone, and not
with 80 dragons at my back, car
ried the cardinals seal In my pocket
for the first lacley to find?- But you
shall have 1t. Where is that knave OF
mine?"
The words were scarcely out of my
mouth before his ready hand thrust a
paper into my fingers. 1 opened it
slowly, glanced at 1t, and amid pause
of surprise gave 1t to the lieutenant
He looked for moment COMPOUNDED.
He stared at 1t, with his jaw fallen.
Then with%a last instinct of suspicion
he babe the sergeant hold up the Ian
thorn and by its light proceeded to
spell out the document.
Umph!' he calculated, after a mo-
ments. silence; and. he cast an ugly
look at me. II see.' And he read it
aloud.
BY these presents command and en-
power GILES de Berault sieur dc Berault,
to seek for, hold. arrest, and deliver to
the governor Of the Bastile the body OF
Henri de Cocheforet, and to do all such
acts and things AS shall be necessary to
effect such arrest and delivery, for which
these shall be his warrant
"(signed RICHELIEu, Lieut.. Gen"
When he had done-and he read the
signature with peculiar information
some one said softly, "Yive le roil,'
and there was moments silence
The sergeant lowered the lanthorn. els
1t enough?" said hoarsely, glaring
from face to face.
The lieutenant bowed stif1y. For
mel" he said. quite, Monsieur. l
beg your PARTON again. I find that
my nrsr Impressions were the coTrecr
ones. Sergeant, give the gentleman
his paper" And turning his shoulder
rudely, he tossed the commission tow
ards the sergeant, who picked 1t up
and gave 1t to me grinning.
/ knew that the clown would not
fight, and he had his men round him;
and l had no choice but to swallow
the insult. As put the paper in my
breast, with as much Indifference as
could assume, he gave sharp order
The troopers began to form on the
edge above, the men who had de-
scended, to climb the bank. AS the
group behind him began to open and
melt away, caught sight of a white
robe in the middle of It, The next
moment, appearing with suddenness
which was like blow on the cheek to
me, Mademoiselle de Cocheforet glided
forward and came towards me. She
had a hood on her head, drawn low;
and for moment I could not see hel
face. forgot her brothers presence at
my elbow; from habit and impulse
rather than calculation, took stel
forward to meet her-though my
tongue cleaved to the roof Of my
mouth and was dumb and trem-
bling.
But she recoiled with such a look
of white hate, Of staring, frozen-eyed
loathing, that | stepped back as If she
had indeed struck me. It did not need
the words which accompanied the look
the do not touch mel" which she
Kissed at me as she drew her skirts
together, to drive me to the farther
edge Of the hollow; there to stand with
clenched teeth and nails driven into
the flesh while she hung, sobbing tear.
less sobs, on her brothers neck.