The Lehi banner. [volume] (Lehi, Utah) 1891-1917, 1908-01-23
THE COWARD
BY EDWARD F. ROBERTS.

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Copyright, 1897. by Daily story Pub. Coz
MIA fol! My dear count For
tune will not smile on YOU tonight"
The speaker was a short man with
q great fat face in which were set
two small, bright, piggish eyes which
twinklcd with sinister sort Of
humor. His corr anton. who had
just risen from the gambling table,
offered striking contrast. His fig
urc was slight, but graceful, and his
pale dissipatcd face showed the oval
contour and regular features of the
hereditary aristocrat.
He was dressed in the height Of
fashion, as nobleman of the court
of Louis XVI.
my dear Quesney," he said, Of
fcring the fat man a beautifully
icwclcd snuff box with careless
gesture, lit is scarcely worthy of re-
mark, you may as well have my few
remaining crowns, as the fair Lucille
who has been expecting TO lay her
small but yoracious hands upon
them. Faith she will not love you
or me the better when she learns
which way they have gone"
Monsieur lie Comtc dc Beautenil
may learn that there is to be an
other hand in the sharing of the
spoiIs."
The remark was drawled cut by a
dark man who turned from the table
and loungcd forward with a bored
air. As he spoke he made a gesture
toward the window, through which a
hoarsc, sullen murmur was begin
ming to rise.
Bah The cursed canaille," ex-
claimed the Comte de Beautcnil,
Struggling his shoulders, but at the
same time letting his hands fall on
his rapicr while his face turned a
shade whittier.
The murmur outside rapidly rose
10 a mcnacing roar, while loud above
the sound of the tramping of feet
and hoarse shouts was heard the
fearful cry, "A la lanterne."
Suddenly high above the tumult
rang out a woman's scream.
The party around the table sprang
TO their feet. They all were men
high in rank and place who amid
their many vices had still kept I'M
furnished that reckless courage fnr
which that race was famed, and that
spirit of chivalry which had made
thcir ancestors for generations hold
their lives cheap at a woman's bid
ding. Drawing their rapiers the
mobiles dashed towards the stairs
headed by young d'Argenson, who
shouted as he ran:
Gentlemen of France, forward !!
4 woman needs us
Carried along with the food went
Bcautenil with fear gripping his
cowardly heart.
Eager hands wrenched away the
great cross beam. The door swung
violently inwards, dashing to the
ground Bcautcnil, who had been ac-
cidcntally forced into a very much
mdcsred prominence.
The mobiles paused at the sight of
their enemy, not from fear, but from
a feeling akin to repulsion. As far as
they could see the narrow stroo' was
filled with a sccthing mass of men
and women who seemed scarcely
human, The great social pot of
Paris had commenced to boil and
thc scum had come to the top.
Grim scarccrows, these, with their
cmaciatcd limbs showing through
scanty rags. Gamt disheveled heads
and faces now lit with demoniacal
lust and rage from which namelcss
vices and want unspcakable had
driven every vcstige of humanity.
The leader of this terrible army
was gigantic beggar with one eye
Ills face was almost concealed with a
thick beard matted with dirt. TIL,
remnant Of shirt chung to his bach
and around las loins was twisted 4
ragged pctticoat, all the clothes HI
wore. He bore a pike on the hcac
Of which was set the head of a littl,
boy whose dead eyes were fixed in {
gaze of mutterable horror
Al the feet of this rufian lay TIT
woman whose screams had aroused
the nobIomen She was dressed as
maid Of honor and around her slen
der neck was a rope. An overturned
carriagc and the corpse of an elderl,