The Washington times., 1910-01-09
CHAPTER XXX. (Con't.)
- ARDILLAC gently laid down his
4 filed cup upon tn table
Monsieur. he said, the
number thirteen is unlucky.'

Monsieur. he said, the
number thirteen is unlucky.'
How SOP"
For me, 1 mean. I cannot drink to
the king"
We'll. monsieur. YOU seem dl1ncuit 10
please. and appa -entIy would force me
10 extremes COuTS6I am lOaIn 10 tol-
low in This instauce-LhereLore- Shdlt
iamend my proposition As YOU DO no.
care to accept my toast give me o-lLy - on
your own If ] refuse. then II seems
[ we are quits. and so again your NE y
spared But you must propose q serious
toast, suitable for serious ana 49,
man / refuse TO drink 10 any SouAs
''Sir, could not have encounte. ed
more generous opponent whose n"p-l-ls
IS only equaled hy ms SKIN on --'-.i- - +-
strength 1f arm give Eoz- S--' SS' 49, ~.
ICueen. WronEfully imprisoned oy --l
enemies I ask YOU ali 10 SLdlil anu
Idriuk 10 her speedy release
toward his friends. who were lIlSlallttS
on their feet. but there arose aLSlr ~
two strangers seated al the SLi'al-ei
--The QUEEN cried his late antago2nl-
fst raising alofL his goblet teeitt
and liberty 10 the queen, and colll -sl'l-
~ -TIe 1Ie' strsnEer put down his drained
Itaukard and extended his hand
N de CaTGIlaC- / am grained 70
meet YOU Allow me 10 inlfo'"S5 l"s
NV Iord. there Is no need Your
sr ord has been your sponsor You mus.
he the Due d'EperuOn, commander OF
the Queens forces
/ For me ffrSt time since he arrived, the
duke laughed then turning 10 L-s W.
companions, he introduced the InllilaiS ; -
b clerical man as his son. the ArcnniShop
of ToIouse. and the other a. EIcellsti-
the very reverend able of LlEny
'sAS q man of peace said tHe apnts
-.T bec- TO he allowed 10 draw this sword
from the ceiling and restore II 10 lls
- fear such a restitution is not IN the
= interests Of peace u5be, commented
5 the duke for although our contest
= seemed uneXCIting- n de CarU-l-a-c j.
= nevertheless one Of the best sWords-
. men I have ever met And now, III uF
= CardiIIaC- when YOU are at liberty, /
, should ike YOU 70 join our party We
. have come over from LocLes especially
TO see you [ suppose the landlord can
give US lodging for the night
. I The landlord assured the duke lt-,tL
T ne had ample accommodation bul
} feared none of his rooms was worthy
Of holding so distinguished a guest His
! I0rGShiu replied that he was an Old
campaigneT. who looked upon the com
forts OF an inn as unnecessary luEuTieS
I The sifk-SEiuUerS took tErir de-
? narture going out. not by the front
door. hut down into the cellar with
p their lighted lanterns. and 90 into un-
ueTgruun1 passages unIlI IleS came I'D
their dwellings In I-e chalk CillI- thus
avoiding the bite ness Of winter
night The small table waS drawn I'D
p nearer TO the fire. the landlord provided
an ample supply Of wine. and the four
men seated themselves in front of the
blazing logs The commander Of the
queens forces was the first TO speak,
and he addressed CaTdillaC-
/ When the Due de MCurUeuI told me
YOU refused a conference except at the
swords 3 point I resolved on the first
opportunity to ObliEe you, even # I was
compelled 10 take a disagTeeable jour
I for
/ My lord I apologize for my bOOrish-
Z ness in disODeying your command, and
regret that have put You 10 the iucon-
Venience Of a journey 10 MOuITiChaTd-- 20
/ "Oh. that's no matter Our ride
/ hitEeT has settled two questions. which,
p perhaps would not have been resolved
I to YOUR workmanship. and the second
4 to your loyalty, which. as my friend De
MOureuil was IDiUdiClGus enough TO
/ disclose to you. 7 doubted For such
disbelief I now apologize In these
p ( tU0uDlOUs times true men should hold
10 misunderstanding with one another.
and trust all is now clear between
so far as I am concerned. that is
the case replied CardiIIac-
Good Well. we wish 10 enlist your
D assistance in lDeTatlDC the queen, and
De NODLTeuii has for some time pro-
/ claimed your merits which I did not
. accept at their proper valuation. We
have been using every effort toward
I the queens s escape but uD 10 the pres
ent time have been unsuccessful Now
/ a new difficulty has arisen. coming from
a most unexpected quarter. q quarter
so exalted that our criticism is stricken
I dumb The queen has caused TO be
I sent TO me an order fOrbidding the Able
Z OF LiEny from making any further ef-
c forts on her behalf The queen DOOr
lady. has been these months past cut
p . of from all communication with ne-
I followers She IS surrounded by vo-
4 men. and naturally. knows nothing Of
( what IS going on outside her prison
I walls. I daresay that the failure Of our
efforts has increased the rigor Of her
I imprisonment and this doubtless is
partly to blame for the unfortunate
. proclanation-if dare call il so in ali
loyaity- In addition to this some one
, { must nave poisoned the mind OF her
{ ma jest against the Able OF LiEny-''
My lord duke, excuse my interrup-
? uon- Jut y her majesty Is cut of from
, all communication with the outside
WORT. how could she know anything Of
, / the abbe'S dOIngS2"
OF course, my dear De CardiIIac. a
p / certain percentage OF news filters
through but we have rpasor n FC-7bf
the genuine1ess Of this proclamation.
+ I The signature certainly resembles that
I OF the queen. but there are some eN-
peri IoFgeTS IN the other camp. and the
= blow is so unexpected. and so contrary
70 her majesty's own interests that
without corrobOration we hesitate TO act
upon it
From whom did you receive the
proclamation %
From the Due de NontreuiI him
self"
And from whom did the duke re-
, ! ceive Il -
THAT he refused 10 disclose. but he
: assured me that the document came di-
) reCtly from the dUee ~
The Due de NOnTeUil would never
make such q statement unless he be
/ Ieved II TO be true
/ Certainly not. ] an Wen aware that
he credits It. but until 7 know the ave
q nue. through Wnlch Il came and 50 can
/ add my own judgment TO that of De
/ Montreuils. 7 as commander Of the
I forces, hesitate to aCt upon it.
! Z Would you obey the document # vou
=, knew Z 70 be Senuiue?T
e or certainty How can YOU ask
s such a question:
q Because in that case I shall tell you
{ how il came into the ruC- de Mon
j. treuiFs hands
D You, How can YOU possibly know
5 anything about II -