The Washington times., 1909-12-18

tif OF the bridge tte was ledl4uE 4oA-
ward, arms folded on top of the para
pet, gazing steadily at the swirling, wa
ter below. which at last became invis-
iblc save for the quivering reflection of
yellow lights from the windows Of the
palaces on either bank.
II is doubtful if i'm all Paris there was
10 be found another whose thoughts
were more bitter than those OF the
young man who leaned against the par
apet that July evening. 1t was not so
mach the less Of all his money. which
was little enough TO begin with, nor
the waste Of his time, which was of
40 particular value, nor even his dis
appointment at not getting a place in
Paris, nor his chaErin at being kept
useIessly lettering round the doors and
in the anteChambers OF the great with
out ever receiving a message or a word
from the nobleman he sought, that
wrought up this young man of twenty
four to the dangerous pitch in which
ve find him. That afternoon, at 4
O'Clock, he had discovered that the letter
which Iured him to Paris had been but
a Joke, and, carrying it about in his
pocket for nearly four months. he,
GsRscon. had never seen the point OF it.
The rigid, motionless posture OF Car
dilIao was caused by the intensity OF
his thoughts as he cast his mind over
she past few months and Tneditated saw
sgely on the fools errand which had
brought him to Paris. on the weeks and
weeks of humiliating dangling at the
Luynes Palace, on the final singing
insult of the jocular letter.
The rise OF Charles d'Albert, OF
Deiynes had been bewiIderingly rapid,
even for France, where favoritsm, and
not merit, was the elevating power. AS
q boy, Luynes had come up from the
south. from AK in Provence, had ob-
1Rined a place as page in the service Of
the Comte de Lude. had attracted the
sfsentjon of Henri ". who made young
INIynes companion to his weekly SON.
Louis
over the infantile mind OF the young
Dauphin, Luynes attained complete as
tendency. When Louis was nine years
old that great king, his father, was as
ssssinated. and the widowed queen,
Marie de Medicis. an Italian woman,
became ruler of France as regent Ma
RE became the most detested OF the
foreigners who from time to time had
governed France. She appointed as her
prime minister a worthless Florentine
named Concini. and together these two
Italians. woman and man, tyrannized
the land for seven years.
An this time Charles d'Albert. the
euave. sport-loving. plebeian young man
from the south, was unknown TO the
world. No one paid the slightest at
tention TO the influence he had obtained
over the lad who. some day. would be
king as Louis XIII. nor realized what
this influence might mean in the fu-
I'll
woman seemed securely entrenched in
absolute power. Concini staggered
: about Paris with a retiuue of fifty
swordsmen TO guard him. as II he were
king in name as well as reality. when
suddenly the unknown struck. and
struck with hnality.
Concini was shot In the midst Of his
fifty protectors, In the court yard OF
the Louvre, and no defender drew a
sword, as indeed would have been use
less when their chief lay prone on the
pavement. The queen-mother was de-
ported from Paris and imprisoned in
the royal chateau at Blois. Louis XIII
proclaimed King, set his sole favorite,
DAIbert. IN the saddle OF power. as
worthless and arrogant as the man he
had eliminated. but French, neyerthe-
less. II we must be ruled by scOun-
drels. let us choose our own.
The affair was bewildering in its
speed and completeness; no one had
time TO hedge. II courtiers had but
Fuessed what was going 10 happen.
Eycophant piace-hunters might have
made friends With this unheeded young
man while he was I'm obscurity. As It
was, D'Albert found himself under OBJ
legations TO no one, except the assas-
vlr - !, Ho r1s sr,
ton.
Then began a balmy period for pow
sTty-striclyen Provence. Up 70 Paris
s-<scane troops OF cousins, second cousins
fortieth cousins. and each OF them got
= place under the patronage of Charles
lp'Aibert Of Luynes.
II was at this time that the old Lore
of Cardillac, poor Of purse but proud
OF pedigree. looking about for a posi-
ton that his son. aged "a might III
With profit, remembered that Charles
d'Albert had been sent years before bl
his father to Bordeaux, and had stop
Ped the night at cardillac Castle. Th'
Marquis of Cardillac had pers laded tn,
youth not to blight his prospects b.
engaging in commerce and immurini
himself In a provincial city like Bor
deau1. but 10 journey north 10 Tours
at that moment occupied by the court
He had given the boy a letter 10 hi
friend. the Conte de Lude, which haC
secured him the post Of page. and nov
n seemed that d'Albert, with who's
name all France was ringing. was
man who believed that one good turf
deserved another Therefore old Car
dillac caused his son to write to tn
new favOrite. recounting these circum
stances, and asking OF Charles d'Alber
of t1Juynes. would counsel the youni
man 10 20 10 Paris as the young man
father had counselod d'Albert himsel
10 visit Tours IN due time the repi
came:
Paris. by All means. II is de-
lEhtful city. where young men
cnjoy themselves and become rich
Jong 70 embrace the founder Of
nay fortune. LUYNES.
This letter appeared TO be cOrdia
onobgh. and on the strength Of it younj
Cardillac went 10 Paris. If the trutl
he iold. he was rather elated to posses
50 Intimate a communication from In
most powerful man I'm France, and b