Reporter and farmer. [volume] (Webster, Day County, Dakota [S.D.]) 188?-1946, 1907-02-28
CHAPTER XIV.

she wished to disarm the an
ger of the king. But now
she knew what it was to have the
senses struck out of her by a word.
She could not doubt the truth Of what
she heard. There was that in her rivals
face, in her steady eye, in her quiet
voice, which carried absolute convic-
ton with 1t. She stood Seunned for an
instant, painting, her outstretched hands
feeling at the air. her defiant eyes dull
ing and glazing. Then with a short
sharp cry, the wall of one who has
fought hard and yet knows that she
can fight no more, her proud head
dropped and she fell forward senseless.
Nine. de Maintenon stopped and
raised her up In her strong white
arms. There were true grief and pity
In her eyes as she looked down at the
snow-pale face which lay against her
bosom, all the bitterness and pride
gone out of it and nothing left save the
tear which sparkled under the dark
lashes and the p%etulant droop of the
lip, like that Of a child which has wept
itself to sleep. She laid her ON the
ottoman and placed a silken cushion
under her head. Then she gathered
together and put back into the open
cupboard all the jewels which were
scattered about the carpet. Having
locked it and placed the key on a table
where its owners eye would readily
fall upon it, she struck a gong which
summoned the page.
"Your mistress is indisposed," said
she. go and bring her maids to her"
And so, having done all that lay with
her to do, she turned away from the
great silent room where, amid the vel
vet and the gliding, her beautiful rival
lay like a crushed flower, helpless and
hopeless.
Helpless enough, for what could she
do? And hopeless, too, for how could
fortune aid her? The instant that her
sense had come back to her she had
sent away her waiting women and lay
with clasped hands and a drawn face
planning out her own weary future.
She must go, that was certain. Her
spirit was broken at last. She must
accept defeat, and she must go.
She rose from the couch feeling that
she had aged ten years In an hour.
There was n4lch to be done and little
time In which to do 1t. She had cast
down her jewels when the king had
spoken as though they would atone for
the loss of his love. But now that the
love was gone there was no reason
why the jewels should be lost too. If
Il - 5000 - ~ hx xoNk 1@x,~
full, she might still be the richest wo-
man in France. There was her pen
sion, of course. That would be a mu-
nificent one, for Louis was always
generous. And then there was all the
spoil which she had collected during
these long years, the jewels, the pearls,
the gold, the vases, the pictures, the
together they represented many mil
lions Of livres. With her own hands
she packed away the most precious and
portable of them, while she arranged
with her brother for the safe keeping
Of the others. BY evening all vas
ready, and she had arranged that her
property should be sent after her to
Petit Bourg, to which castle she in
tended to retire.
1t wanted half an hour of the time
fixed for her departure when a young
cavalier whose face was strange to her
was ushered into her room.
He came with a message from her
brother.
IN. de Vivonne regrets, madame,
that the rumor of your departure has
got abroad among the court"
what do l care for that, monsieur
she retorted.
"He says, madame, that the courtiers
may assemble at the west gate to see
you CO.; that Nine. de Neuilly will be
there, and the Duchesse de Chambord
and
The lady shrunk with horror at the
thought of such an ordeal. To drive
away from the palace where she had
been more than queen under the scorn-
full eyes and bitter gibes of personal
enemies!
'Tell my brother, monsieur, that l
should be obliged If he would make
fresh arrangements"
she babe me say that he had done
80, madame"
"Ah! At what hour, them"
snow. AS soon as possible"
II am ready. At the west gate,
henf"
"No. At the east. The carriage
waits"
"And where is my brotherT
1--WE are to pick him up at the park
gate. He is watched, and were he
seen beside the carriage all would be
known"
"Very good. Then, monsieur. II you
viii 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,
a hood drawn over her face and her
heart in a fiutter at every stray foot
fan. 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 a tall cavalier
swathed In a black cloak handed her
into 1t. He then took the seat opposite