The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1912-05-24
THE THREE GUARDSMEN
By ALEXANDRE DUMAS

Iy ALEAANOKE UUMA the society, forgetting In hIs perfectly juvenile good faith that he had fed this society for month. and he set his mind actively to work. One afternoonshe was thinking alone and seriously racking his brain to find solution of the problem when some
 one tapped gently at his door. D'Arta- gnan desired Planchet to go and see
 who was there. A man was introduced of common
 mien, with the appearance of a bour- geois.
 Planchet would have liked to hear the conversation, but the bourgeois de
 clared to D'Artagnan that, that which he had to say being important and confidential, he desired to be left alone with him. D'Artagnan dismissed Planchet and requested his visitor to be seated. There was a moment of silence, during which the two men looked at each oth- CT, as if to make a preliminary ac- quaintance, after which D'Artagnan bowed as sign that he was attentive.
 "I have heard speak of M. dArta- gnan as of very brave young man,"
 said the bourgeois, 'and this reputa-
 ton which he justly enjoys has de- termined me to confide a secret to him. I have wife who is seamstress
 to the queen, monsieur, and who is not deficient In either good conduct or
 beauty. I was induced to marry her about three years ago, although she
 had but very little dowry, because M.
 Laporte, the queens cloak bearer, is
 her godfather and patronizes her." .sWell, monsieur?" ?" asked D,Arta,
 gnan.
 "WeIl," resumed the bourgeois,
 ''well; monsieur, my. wife was carried
 of yesterday morning as she was
 coming out of her workroom."
 "And by whom was your wife car ried off"
 "I know nothing certain about the
 matter, monsieur, but I suspect some one"
 And who is the person you sus- pectT'
 "A man who pursued her long time ago. But allow me to tell syou, monsieur, that I am convinced that there is less love than policy in all this." Less love than policy" replied
 D'Artagnan, with very serious air, 'tand what do you suspectY "I do not know. whether ought to tell you what suspect, but will place confidence in you. believe, then, that love has nothing to do with the carrying of of my wife as regards herself, but that it has been done on account of the amours of a much greater lady than she is.'' "Ah, ah! Can it be on account of the amours of Mime. de Bois-TracyT said D'Artagnan, wishing to have the air in the eyes of the bourgeois of be- ing acquainted with the affairs of the court. ''Still higher" 'tOf Mime. de ChevreuseT" "Higher-much higher" "Of the'- D'Artagnan stopped. AYes, monsieur" replied the terrified bourgeois, in tone so low that he was scarcely audible. "And with whom?
 with whom can it be if not with the duke of"-
 "The duke off
 "Yes, monsieur" replied the bour-
 geois, giving a still lower intonation to
 his voice.
 "But how do you know all this?' r q know it from my wife, monsieur
 from my wife herself" "Who knows it-she herself-frum whom?''
 From M. Laporte, who placed her
 near her majesty in order that our
 poor queen might at least have some one in whom she could place conf1- <. dence, abandoned as she is by the king,
 watched as she is by the cardinal, be-
 trayed as she is by everybody. Now, ! my wife came home four days ago,
 monsieur. One of her conditions was
 that she should come and see me twice 1 a week. She confided to me that the queen at this very moment entertained great fears.''
 1 'Tndeedr'
 1 "Yes. M. le Cardinal, as 1t appears. l pursUeS her and persecutes her more
 than ever. And the queen believes that i some one has written to the Duke of Buckingham in her name." 1 "In the queens name?" | "Yes; to make him come to Paris | and when once come to Paris to draw
 him into some snare.'
 "But your wife, monsieur, what has l she to do with all this?' "Her devotion to the queen is known,
 and they wish either to remove her
 from her mistress or to intimidate her
 In order to obtain her majesty's secrets
 or to make use of her as a spy" "That is all very probable" said
 D'Artagnan, "but the man who has
 carried her of-do you know himT' T do not know him save that he is le creature of the cardinals his