The citizen-Republican. (Scotland, Bon Homme County, S.D.) 1???-19??, 1911-11-30

else l should AVE 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"
ooh. am IT" she exclaimed. as her
hand mechanically sought her hair and
she looked into my eyes. We'll. take
It" and She handed me the ribbon.
"Such audacity deserves reward. No
one would for a moment suspect you
were from the provinces, NJ. de
Brancas," she added.
Indeed. mademoiselle. I forget 1T
myself when o are speaking" an
swered, and she laughed merrily and
bade me adieu, whilh I placed the rib
bon In my purse, Stimulating a passion
which | confess I did not feel.
Blu watched her pass across the
room as I had watched the duchess,
Tor both We're unusual women, and the
maids fame was, II anything, greater
than that Of the mistress. Mile. de
Launay possessed little beauty, as /
had seen for myself, and she was of
obscure birth. the daughter Of a paint
er, 1t was said, of whom no one had
ever heard. But the abbess of a con-
vent in Normandy had discovered the
child somewhere-beside her drunken
father in q bottle house. most likely
and had taken a liking to her and given
her a refuge in the convent. She had
received a brilliant education, and Cd
dly enough, had preferred the exact
sciences to belies-iettres. OF her pre-
diction for geometry I had already had
proof. But the abbess died and she had
been forced to leave the convent.
Through he influence Of friends she
had secured the position of femme du
chalnbre to Madame du Maine, which
she had been compelled to accept to
keep from starving, and it was from
that position that she had risen, by
| sheer force Of oh 70 ofar 70 ha ~
the brightest lights of the gay court at
Sceaux. Every girl in the kingdom
knew her stery and had resolved to
profit by it, but few had the wit to do
SO. 1t was again Richelieu who broke
it 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 nc n has
sounded the depth of her heart. But
come. let us G o You are to lodge with
me tonight, for l have many things to
say to you"
Nothing would please me more, M.
for n chance which postponed my
return to the Rue Bailleul and delighted
at the prospect Of entering the Hotel
de Richelieu. He led the way towards
the door. and as he repassed the people
scattered about the room 1 remarked a
iieW eApIeSSlOu Oh lnelr races. Ihey
turned to look at him as they had done
before, and not n failed to re-
turn his bow, but their name,
vas not the same. 1t seemed tt
combine respect and contempt
admiration and disapproval. The
duke appeared not to notice 1t, yet hi
avoided any pretext for stopping, a.
though he did not wish to enter into {
conversation which might easily be
come disagreeable. 1t was evident t,
me, however, that the hidden meanin
Of the words which he had exchanged
with the duchess was known to all tn,
persons in the room, and that the,
knew not whether to blame or praise
l, also, was to learn their meaning be.
fore the night was out.
We paused in the vestibule, Richelie,
wrapping his cloak about his face anl
pulling his hat down over his eyes. H,
bade me do the same, and In anothe,
moment we were in the street. WE
mingled quickly with the crowd which
even In winter, thronged the garden.
OF the Tuileries, and turning toward.
the river, crossed 1t by the Point ROYAL