The Bon Homme County independent. [volume] (Tabor, S.D.) 1904-1913, 1911-11-30
ATnnnC WITH A Story Of the
IL N>DOO w IL &c amare
THE TT ATr Conspiracy by
i liz II T. VI T. IN L Burton Egbert
Copyright by --J B. Lippincott Company Stevenson
j. b. Lippincott Company

else should have had no proper recep-
| tacle In which to place that ribbon
| which you wear in your hair and which
you are going to give me presently"
"Oh, am I?' she exclaimed, as her
hand mechanically sought her hair and
| she locked into my eyes. well, take
| it," and she handed me the ribbon
Such audacity deserves reward. Nc
| one would for a moment suspect you
were fiom the provinces, NJ. de
Brancas," she added.
| Indeed, mademolselle, / forget II
myself when you are speaking" / an
swered, and she laughed merrily and
Ion in my purse, Stimulating a passion
which confess / did not feel.
But l watched her pass across the
room as / had watched the duchess
for both were unusual women, and the
maids fame was, II anything, greater
than that of the mistress. Mile. dc
| Launay possessed little beauty as
had seen for myself, and she was OF
obscure birth, the daughter of a paint
er, it was said. OF wnom no one had
| ever heard. But the abbess of q con-
vent in Normandy had discovered the
child somewhere-beside her drunk en-
father In bottle house. most likely
and had taken liking to her and given
| her a refuge in the convent She had
/
| dly enough, had preferred the exact
sciences to belles-lettres. OF her pre-
diction for geometry / had already had
proof. But the abbess died and she haG
been forced to leave the convent
Through the influence Of friends sne
had secured the position Of femme du
chambre to Madame du Maine, which
she had been compelled to accept tc
keep from starving, and ii was from
that position that she had risen, by
sheer force of character, to be one OF
the brightest lights Of the gay court al
Sceaux. Every girl in the kingdom
knew her story and had resolved &c
profit by 1T, but few had the wit to dc
SO. 1t was again Richelieu who broke
1T upon my thoughts.
| "A remarkable woman, Is she not
monsieur he asked. following my
eyes. Few have yet measured the
| height OF her talents, and no one has
sounded the depth Of her heart. Blu,
come, let us CO. You are to lodge with
me tonight, for I have many things t.
say to you"
Nothing would please me more, M
lie Due" / answered, warmly, thankful
for any chance which postponed my
| return to the Rue Bailleul and delighted
at the prospect of entering the Hote
de Richelieu. He led the way towards
the door, and as he repassed the peopl,
| scattered ABOUT the room / remarked s
new expression on their faces. They
turned to look at him as they had done
before, and not one failed to re.
turn his bow, but their name,
was not the same. 1t seemed t
combine respect and contempt
admiration and disapproval. The
duke appeared not to notice it, yet h,
avoided any pretext for stopping, a.
though he did net wish to enter into :
| conversation which might easily be
come disagreeable. 1t was evident {,
me. however, that the hidden meanin,
of the words which he had exchanged
with the duchess was known to all thu
| persons in the room, and that the,
knew not whether to blame or praise
|. also, was to learn their meaning be-
| fore the night was out.
We paused in the vestibule, Richelie,
wrapping his cloak about his face ant
pulling his hat down over his eyes. FL,
babe me do the same, and in another
moment we were In the street. w,
mingled quickly with the crowd which
even in winter. thronged the garden!
OF the Tuileries, and turning toward.
the river. crossed it by the Pont Royal