The Wagner leader. (Wagner, Charles Mix County, S.D.) 1912-1912, 1912-03-01

your plans SO far as Bayonne IL con-
cerned. The regiment and the town
counc are ready and understand per-
fectly what is expected of them"
Then all is WELL" cried the duchess.
Pardon me. madame" I objected,
but all is not well. M. de Richelieu
is in the Bastille."
well, he will not remain there long.
In a week we shall have control OF
Paris. and the doors viii be opened for
him."
but If the conspiracy fails. ma
dame?"
I'm hat case. monsieur said the
duchess. haughtily, 1--WE shall none of
us be in better cas han is M. de
Richelieu at this moment. But who
talks Of failure? We shall not fail.
We cannot fall" n I thought as I
at her that with q few more
leaders such as she failure would in
deed be impossible. But one woman
against all France was heavy odds.
Believe me, M. de Brancas." she
continued, in a gentler tone, II can at
this time do nothing for our friend. I
have no influence with the regent. and
q word from me would do Richelieu
more harm than good"
I recognized h business of her
words. and said as much.
Anything / can do shall be done
rest assured of that" she added. by
the way, monsieur. 1 shall look for
o at my salon tonight. We have need
that all u friends should gather to
u.s."
I promised to be there, and withdrew
with a heavy heart. I paused to con-
slider what next to do. If / were to
go to the Bastille, I reflected, I might
have opportunity to see the prisoner
and exchange a word of comfort with
him. Any thing was better than do
ing nothing. SO I set off towards the
dismal dc prison. I reached it in the
course of half an hour n asked the
sentry at the outer gate If I might see
M. de Maison-Rouge.
What name, MONSIEUR" he inquired.
l gave him my name, n he sum
moned a messenger, who returned in q
few moments saying I was to enter.
The gate opened and 1 was again in
the outer court yard.
II know the way" I said to the mes
senger, who started to accompany me.
Nevertheless / must go with you,
monsieur" he replied. TT is the rule"
1 made no further objection, and he
led me to the presence of the gov
ernor.
"Ah, M. de Brancas," and he smiled
as I entered, you are early, but I was
expecting YOU"
Doubtless 1 answered, dryly. But
tell me, may / see Richelieu?"
II regret to say that you may not,
monsieur. The regent has sent me a
special order to allow the duke to see
no n and to hold communication with
no one."
A chill ran through me at this new
evidence of the regents purpose.
And what inference do you draw
from this order, MONSIEUR / inquired,
after a moment't gloomy thought.
Maison-Rouge shrugged his should
ers.
"It is not for me to draw i~nferences,"
he said. Il obey orders without ques-
tioning."
"And how does he AXE his impris>
onment?'
He seems to be in good spirits"
and Maison-Rouge smiled. I'm fact, I
have never seen him otherwise, and he
was here for over a year when he was
younger. 1 use him as kindly as the
regulations permit. He has his old
room, which he seems to prefer, and I
have allowed him to send to his hotel
for some additional clothing and fur
niture. / can do nothing more, mon
sieur, ever were / so inclined. There
are many in the Bastille who are not
SO Fortunate"
There was nothing more to be said.
and 1 left h place. the messenger,
who was waiting outside the door. ac-
c~ompanying me to the gate. AS I
passed through it, 1 reflected that 1
might perhaps be able to catch a
glimpse of Richelieu at his cell win
dow, and I turned to the right along
the lofty outer wall and the deep ditch
which rendered approach to it more
difficult. The great prison had an in
describably threatening and gloomy air
e under the rays of the noondav
SUM-, and my heart trembled within
me at the thought of the scores of
helpless men behind those massive
walls; of the miserable wretches living
in the oubliettes, thrown there. per
haps, by a royal caprice which had
forgotten the prisoner before it had
forgotten its wrath, and for whom
death was the only release. Truly,
there are worse things than death. and
it were better for Richelieu to lose his
head thar to go mad in one of those
reeking torture chambers.
A narrow path ran along the ton of
the embankment, and I followed this
until I reached the end of the outer
wall. Within was the dreary Tower du
Puts in which we had been confined.
and my eyes sought out the window
of Richelieu's cell and of my own just
above it. At this distance thew
seemed mere port holes in the great
wall and owing to the darkness within
I found that / could not see the pris-
oner, even if he were standing at hi,
window. But he might be able to recog-
nize me and I took my handkerchief
from my pocket and waved 1T in the
air. In a moment / was rejoiced to see
an answering CLEAN of white between
the bars of the window, and / knew
hat he had seen me. / waved again
and yet again and as l did SO heard
hurrying feet behind me, and a hand
was laid roughly on my shoulder.