Forest City press. (Forest City, Potter County, D.T. [S.D.]) 1883-19??, 1912-04-18
I sank into a chair, utterly weary and

VA q 9ASCG WdolC Va wafer, WlC1OuL Il
spar to cling to, without a hope of sue
cor-overwhelmed, impotent, a pigmy.
l c~omprehended dimly that I had been
struggling against a force greater than
l had understood-a force that y
brushed me aside out of it's path with
my puny strength counted as less than
nothing.
The opening OF q door aroused me,
and l arose as 1 saw the regent enter.
sit down. NJ. de Brancas," he said.
kindly. himself taking the large chair
In which he always sat. 9TH is TIC be
a friendly conference, l trust and he
smiled at me, though. l fancied, sadly.
This Is the first time l ave seen you
since you dashed out of the WOO with
Cartouche's rascals at your heels. and
l see that your wound is not yet we'll.
Believe me. monsieur, I am not un-
grateful for the valor you showed that
night. and appreciate n respect the
feeling which sent you to my rescue"
"Twas what any gentleman would
ave DONE" l said, simply, n that
night seemed far away.
Twas what any gentleman would
have tried to do, perhaps answered
the regent, but which few could have
accomplished. Do not belittle your
self. NJ. de Branoas. admire strong
men who pause at nothing. even
snO0oo SNSy NC ttSoiiiSS luS. rev COQIa
have done what you a one since
you have been in Paris"
And to what end?" I cried. Every
thing that I have done, every hope thai
l have cherished, was blown into thin
air this morning."
There is one thing which even the
bravest men assault in vain," and the
regents name had 81 certain majesty
which became him we'll. That is the
state. They may break themselves
against 1t as they will, they may think
that they have victory within theis
grasp. but in the end the state stands
firm, mistaken. 1t cannot stop to ex-
anime every heart. M. de Brancas. 1t
II move steadily forward towards
the goal 1t has i'm view. Some hearts
may be crushed, some lives embittered,
but the state lives, and the state is
above everything"
But did the state demand this sacri-
fice?" / asked.
The state demanded it, yes. NJ. de
Brancas," and a cloud descended upon
the regents face. Il love my daughters.
monsieur. do not delight IL
torturing them. But the fathej
must yield to h regent. just al
the man must yield to the state.
tell you plainly that no other price
lieu. I was determined that no member
OF my house-the retgning house
should continue a liaison with a traitor.
1 was determined that treason should
not be permitted to conceal itself be-
hind the throne, ready to hurl 1t down
at any moment; and had there been
no other way, that traitors head should
have fallen on the Place de Greve as
a warning to other traitors. But there
was another way, and 1T a been ac-
complished. A severed neck has never
been known to heal, monsieur, but
Ar 1n@n~<~ n~4 ~~H ~N ~ rN~
Time is a wonderful surgeon. l will
govern France with justice and kind
ness IL l can; but when treason raises
it's head, 1 will strike and without
mercy. Above everything, 1t shall be ]
who governs France and 40 one else
ian prince has strengthened France,
and she needs all the strength the de-
votion OF her subjects can give her"
He paused for a moment, the cloud
still on his brow.
You have doubtless heard many
stories bou me-. NJ. de Brancas,'' he
continued. Some Of them are true per.
haps, but there is one which is not true.
1t is the most monstrous of all. Chan
Gel has made the most of 1t in his last
philippe"
1 knew what he meant. Indeed, 1 had
heard Chancel reciting it at the house
of Madame du Maine. and had turned
away III disgust DIT tne statement tnsy
Orleans aimed to poison the king ard
seize the throne himself.
Shall I tell you what is the greatest
ambition of my life? 1t is to place ir
the hands of Louis XIV. when he
ascends the throne, a kingdom greater
than the one which / now hold in trust;
a kingdom free from debt and from
the abuses which grind the people INTO
the earth. / may have mistresses, NJ. de
Brancas, but no one has ever yet been
able to say truthfully that l deliver
the kingdom into their hands. as Other
and greater rulers than l have DONE
He had risen as ne spoke and al
these words he stood beside my chair
and laid his hand upon my shoulder.
| was strangely moved. Assuredly
there was no enmity In my heart foI
this man however great the sorrow he
had caused my dearest friend.
II do not know why / tell you this
be continued. in a calmer voice, unless
1t be that l know you for a brave and
loyal gentleman, with whom am
proud to measure myself. The bravest
act Of all. monsieur, was the one you
did last night in the apartments of my
daughter"
"You knew Of 1t, then?" asked in
wonderment.
Yes, / knew OF it." and the regent,
smiled with a brighter face. MY
/ du6ulc CdIIIc W HE dllcT you ndu gone
and told me OF it-not to ask anything
for herself, monsieur. but to ask some
thing for some one else she loves. MI
l was proud of my daughter-how
proud I cannot tell you-and I prom
Used her that what she asked should
be lone. Indeed, l had already thought
Of 1t before she asked"
But Richelieu also deserves some
praise, monsieur / said. He chose
the nobler part"
Yes. but required prompting in It,"