The Bon Homme County independent. [volume] (Tabor, S.D.) 1904-1913, 1912-04-04
j. Il. Lippincott Company

which has been prepared for you""
oh, M. lie DUE" cried the voice of
the princess, broken by sobs, Il do
put save you from one danger to n
you Drawing another. You do not
comprehend my fathers hatred. Go,
l besecch you, before it is too late"
Yes, / shall go in a moment, Char
lotte,' answered Richelieu, in a mllder
tone, a you are going with me. AT
the back Of the gardens there is q
carriage waiting, with four of the fast
est horses in the kingdom. In an hour
we shall be far from Paris. Another
Day Will find u safe in the Neither
lands and free to live our lives to-
gether."
There was n moments silence, and
| could hear the deep, agitated breath
ing of the person who stood beside me.
My hands began to tremble under the
strain. and / clasped them behind me
to keep them still. An increasing gid
diness reminded me Of my wound. The
closet was insufferably close, and my
face grew wet with perspirat1on as |
realized my weakness.
And whose plan is this?" asked
Mile. de Valois, at last.
Can you not guess?" cried Richie
lieu. 1T could be only one mantle
one who found a way out Of the
Bastille-who has stood between me
n danger a dozen times-who even
at this m Is awaiting me in the
closet there.
I crouched for a spring, expecting an
instant attack from my companion in
the closet, and determined to throttle
him at any cost before an alarm could
be given. Even as I steeled myself
for the struggle ! heard a startled eX-
clamatfon at my side.
Are you indeed here, M. de Bran
cas- 2" whispered a sweet voice.
Louise, oh, Louise! is it you?" l
cried, forgetting caution in the joy and
great reaction of this discovery. and I
stretched out my arms and drew her
to me. Il was just about to spring
upon you TO prevent your escape" |
added, laughing out Of the sheer rap
ture of my heart,
She did not resist my arms, but. with
a long sigh, laid her head upon my
ears as I stopped n kissed her hair,
n l felt that she was %sobbing.
What is 1t, my love" l whispered.
"Oh, you do not know" she sobbed.
Surely you have heard Of the wedding
tomorrow"
YES" I answered.. but that we'd
morrow Richelieu and Mile. de Valois
will be far from here. speeding towards
the north Of France"
Il wish so with all my heart" and
Louise drew back a little. but it will
never be, M. de Brancas-"
What. never be-" / cried. But I
tell you la everything is prepared,
that all that remains to be done is
/ for them to descend, enter the car
riage and give the word to the driver"
And that is just what Charlotte
d'Orleans will never do" n though
her voice was sad, it had q certain
pride and dignity.
/ was too astonished to reply.
IN. de Brancas." she continued, II
know her better han do you, far bet
ter ever than Richelieu. A woman has
her ideals no less han a man. But
listen, she herself is telling him
In the tumult of my own emotion
I had no longer needed what was
happening in the outer room, but at
this moment l heard Richelieu's voice
raised in impatient protest.
What dc o say. mademoiselle."
he cried, that you will not go with
me? And why. may | 5 TX Is It
hat you no longer love, me-"
M. lie Due" answered the clear
voice Of the princess. who seemed to
have recovered her composure, 1T APP
pears to me that 1T can no longer be
a question Of my love, since to ave
your head ! have agreed to this hate
full marriage. The reason is. mon
Slcut, lidt 4 navy SiNSi is "'i" w
! my father, and / do not choose to
| break it. He might have distrusted
me; he might ave insisted that this
marriage take place before you were
released, and l should have con-
scented without an instant's hest
! tation. because I should have known
thai he would keep faith with me. But
he chose to trust me-: you were free
again an hour after I had given him
my word. 1t is to his generosity you
owe your presence here tonight. mon
sieur. My sacrifice may be the great
err, but / do not hoose to fall below
my father"
Richelieu remained for a moment
~speechless. I felt the tears starting to
THAT is grand; that is noble" 1
murmured.
Louise answered by a pressure OF the
hand, and l knew that she also was
affected no less than I.
1t was Richelieu who broke the ST.
lence.
Give me a moment for thought,
mademoiselle," he said. and we heard
him pacing up and down the room.
AS for me. I felt a great reverence
for this woman spring to life in my
heart. As had told Madame du
Maine, q woman may do anything but
break her word: no woman can do
that Will llolloi, ho iol Niidi olJ
man, and my heart trembled with emo
ton as l heard the princess take the
same high ~ground-with her SO far
above anything Of which | had %
ceived. l prayed that Richelieu might
not fall below her. Louise was crying
softly.
Charlotte" said Richelieu, at last,
you are tearing my heart to pieces,
and yet I would not have o other
than you are. l was a fool TO think
you would consent. But" he continued,
In a clearer voice, II have given no
promise, my honor Is not engaged. /
have already refused to accept this
sacrifice. What Is there TO prevent my
taking you up In my arms, opening the
door OF yonder closet, and with de
Brancas at my back running with you
to the carriage and starting for the
frontier"
Again there was a moments silence.
"Ah. no, no." she cried, at last. DO
not tempt me further, Louis. What /
am doing is for my own honor and for
France. My father has told me that
France demands it-that it will
strengthen his empire. II you knew
how hard it is-how l turn with loath-
ing from the task l have to do-you
would not seek to make Ii harder"
DE Brancas." called Richelieu, come
here, my friend"
l flung the door open and stepped
into the room. Mile. de Valois was half
sitting, half lying in a large chair, her
face white with suffering, her eyes
luminous with a great glory. Richelieu
himself was scarcely less affected. He
glanced at Louise, who had come from