The Bon Homme County independent. [volume] (Tabor, S.D.) 1904-1913, 1912-03-21
n XTTTH A Story OF the
A. ODDO Wv II Cell Am are
TILT n ATT Conspiracy by
/ l1E IN 4 Burton Egbert
copyrlvA, by ---LB Lbppincoa Company Stevenson

NHsS " AAN"' 1880
did l get there?
i closed my eyes again, and for q
long time my brain refused to grapple
with the problem. 1t seemed as though
coming back from a country full OF
mist, Il o of the mist still chung
to 1t. Finally. with supreme effort OF
Will, / opened my eyes again and
again looked through the window
and about the room. This time l could
think more clearly. No, / had never
been here before. and the question re-
peated itself, How, then, did | get here?
And still I could get no farther than
the question. / heard a door open, and
some one tiptoed to the bedside. ]
round myself looking up into a sweet,
colorless face. 1t was surrounded by a
black wimple. and / remembered dimly
that l had seen nuns wearing such.
The eyes looked down for a ome
into mine and were then withdrawn.
AS ! still lay staring at the ceiling, an
other face appeared before me. 1t was
the a C of a man whom / did not
know. Or, wait a moment, l had seen
1t before somewhere, but my brain
seemed to recoil at the effort at recol-
lection.
He is doing nicely" l heard a voice
say H will soon be quite well. The
danger was that he would never regain
consciousness"
ShSeh NiN boNt was I'll o"i LIN
/ felt an arm under my head lifting me
up. A cup was pressed to my lips.
Drink said a voice, the man 8
voice. 1T will dc you good"
drank obediently, almost mechanic
ally. Then l was lowered again. and
the arm was removed. A great heavi-
ness oppressed my eyelids. l did not
struggle against it, but yielded to 1t
gladly and drifted away into the land
of mist.
When I opened my eyes again the
sun was still shining without the win
dow: nothing in the room was changed.
But my head seemed quite clear and l
could hin without WEAKNESS. What
was this room in which l found myself"
l o around and examined it at
%tentively. a small room. Il feet
square, perhaps, the bed, two chairs.
a mail table, and a stove in one COR
ner the only furniture. There were
a number of bottles and glasses On
the table. l raised my hand to my
head. surprised at the effort it cost me.
and was astonished to find a ~bandagr
about my forehead. What had hap
pended? Had l been injured?
n in a fash 1t all came back to me
the arrest, the ride through the
night. the encounter with CartouclIe,
the fash of pistols and then darkness.
i must have been wounded In the head.
s'at sAtS NoNt Us iS soAS kiSllN-
lieu-where was he? A thousand
questions surged into my brain at once.
l raised myself upon my elbow n
cried aloud. The doc opened in n
moment, and a woman entered, the
same woman whose face l had already
seen bending over me.
Monsieur is awake, then" she said,
smiling at me kindly: but forcing me
gently back upon my pillow. Mon
sieur is better"
"Yes, yes, / am better" +! answered.
But what has happened? Where am
I? The regent, Richelieu, Madame dI
| Maine
She laid her hand Upon my lips.
Have patience" she said. II will
call the DOCTOR"
She left the room while L still
lay overwhelmed by my thoughts.
She vas soon back, and with her the
man who had accompanied her once
before, and this lime 1 recognized him
as Levau, h surgeon who had bound
up my shoulder at the Cafe Procope.
Good morning, M. de Brancas,"
to my bedside. II see o are doing
famously and will soon be on your feet
again. How do you feel?"
II feel no PAIN" l answered, " but
am very weak"
mo pain in the head, Ell? Well, that
Is good. Come, now, let me see the
wound" and he united the bandage
from about my temples, held up my
head and apparently examined a wound
at the back. Upon my word" he said,
after a moment, replacing the bandage,
II have never seen anything prettier.
All, monsieur, 1t Is pure blood that
tells, and you are an ideal patient.
Why, that stab you received In the
shoulder the other day has left moth
ing but a scar, n in a week from now
this little scratch will nave ceased to
trouble you"
Blu what is it?' I asked, scarcely
able to restrain my Impotence while
this examination was in progress. II
was shot, l know that; but how did |
get here, and where am / and what
has been done with my friends.
One question at a time, M. de Bran
cas-" and Levau stood smiling down at
me. You were brought ack to Paris
from the place on the roadside where
the bullet which struck you In the head
laid you. This is the Hotel Dieu, and
you ave to thank the nursing of Sis
ter Angelica here that you are alive to-
day. The bullet did not enter the
skull, but simply stunned you-a glance
blow. 1t looked for a time, however,
as though you were never going to
open your eyes again. You had
also a bullet in your shoulders. but
that was q mere nOthlnR.'
How long have I been here, them"
I asked.
six days. monsieur" and Levau still
smiled.
"Six days." I gasped. But tell me,
monsieur, what has become OF Richie
lieu,of Madame du Maine. and Of all
the others"
Nov there, M. de Brancas. you are
getting beyond me-" and Levau waved
his hands d~eprecatingly. Il do not
NEEDLE with politics. When you ask
me concerning your injury / have my
answers ready o my lips, but when
you go into politics 1 am ali at sea.
But wait a moment" he added, kindly;
Il think ! can bring you some one who
has inquired after o every day and
who can answer all these questions
n he left the room. In a
he returned, bringing with him a man,
who rushed toward my bed, his face
alight with pleasure.
"D'Ancenis!" I cried.
Yes, de Brancas, 1t is l." ard the
marquis took my hand with the heart
lest of claps. II cannot tell how pleased
/ am to hear that you will soon be well
again. / a just come to inquire after
you when Levau was summoned by thu
nurse, and 1 was imagining the most
Horrible things when he returned with
the news that you are SO much bet
ter"
THANK ~ monsieur" / answered,
more moved than / cared To show by