The Bon Homme County independent. [volume] (Tabor, S.D.) 1904-1913, 1912-03-07
Z 10 O'clock ri

IS a key to the gate. At 10 o'clock .vrC
VIII give you the papers: you will'E"
out at the back of the palace 'witho,.-
attracting attention. You will open
the gate and lcck II after You. AT tho
other side You viii find your horse. Yod
VIII mount the horse n set off for
Bayonne. You viii find changes OF
horses awaiting you at orleans, Tours,
POitiers. Angouleme, Bordeaux and
Rion. Where. in detail, you are to look
for these horses will be specified u.
the written instructions which WI BE-
given you. since you might forget * !
were merely TO toll you. And | beg y.
you, do not spare the horses. Upon
reaching BayOnne. YOU win so at once
to the address which you will fad ia
the papers. All OF the papers viii then
be opened and read in vour presence,
and o will see that the instructions
contained in them are carried out. ID
you understand, monsieur"
t"Pcrfectly,"'I answered.
And you aSree?"
yes, madame"
Il thank you, monsieur end 81,
gave me her hand very prettily. -
knew that | should not call upou you
in vain. AdiCu, monsieur. When we
meet again l hope 10 be in a position
TO advance your fortunes"
1t wanted but half an hour of 10
~ avn "ttNil j. ltN " lie oulNl
room. l was apparently the last one
to whom the duchess had instructions
to give, for she soon followed me. ac-
companied by her maid. The room was
still crowded, and no one showed any
disposition to leave. The knowledge
that the time for action was not far
distant charged the air with excite
ment, n men looked at men with set
lips and shining eyes. There vas M
mistaking the determination 10 strike
the regency a blow from which it could
not recover and for the first time I be-
gan to be really confident of success.
Where is st. Aulaire?" I heard Mile.
de Launay inquire.
Il did not invite him this evening""
answered the duchess. "IIe knows
nothing of our plans"
"'Tis not like him to await an in
vitation, however," observed the girl
"Brigaut is also still MISSING is he
not?"
HE has doubtless been detained. He
has much to do"
She turne to the courtiers who were
crowding around her, when there came
a little tumult at the door, and / saw
a thin, old man pushing his way
through the crowd. At a glance I
recognized st. Aulaire.
"Ah, madame he cried, as ne neared
the duchess, the most astonishing
things have been happening in Paris
this evening. Three or -four hours ago,
Herault n his men arrested q fellow
called Able Bri-Bri-I forget the
anne. Does anyone here happen to
know the name Of a certain adventurer
| which begins with Bri?" he continued,
appealing to the group about the duch-
eSS.
A silence as of death had fallen upon
the room. Nearly every man within
- - 90 - 1as- ,AtAA 1AA 49,, t1.@N
the Able Brigaut was interested in the
conspiracy and was, indeed. one Of the
most trusted of Madame du Names
agents in Paris, but not one of them
uttered a word. st. Aulaire found him
self looking into faces Of tor
But of course you do not" he rat
tied on. after a moment. mo n here
would know him. Nevertheless, It is a
most amusing story. 1t seems that this
able has a secretary, and this 2ecre-
tary. of course. has a mistress. Last
night he had an appointment with his
mistress. which, 1t appears, he did not
keep-in which he vas greatly to
blame. This morning he called to make
his excuses, and told the girl that his
master had kept him awake all night
preparing a lot Of papers which were
to be sent to SPAIN.
At that word a shiver ran through the
listeners. and the duchess became livid.
By a supreme effort she smiled.
"Ah, well. monsieur" she said. "con-
tinue. We find the story very inter-
| esting."
s"Well," continued st. Aulaire, who did
not often find so attentive an audience
II who needed no encouragement to
! proceed, 1.-THE girl. Of course. was an
agent of Herault. All girls of that
class are. 1t Is the price they pay for
the protection of the police, So she told
a gendarme about the Able Brigaut's
correspondence with Spain. The gen.
darme told Herault, Herault old Du-
bois, Dubois told the regent, and there
you are. A few hours later a company
Of guards surrounded the house of this
~abbe-who, 1t seems, Is not really an
able, after all-and took him Il the
Bastille, where he Is now comfortably
lodged. His papers, of course, were
carefully gathered up and handed over
to Dubois"
And Is that all ?" asked the duchess.
who had bitten her lips until they werc
| red with blood In the effort to retain
her composure.
mo, that Is only the beginning"
cried st. Aulaire, enjoying immensely
the sensation he was creating and little
comprehending how profound 1t was.
1T seems that Dubois and the regent
found much to interest them in the
abbe's papers. 1t is said at the Palais
Royal. where I was but a moinen ago,
that they discovered proofs of some
ridiculous Spanish plot, I know not
what; but, at any rate, they sent He
rault to arrest the Spanish minister,
Prince Cellamare himself. Their is big
game for you! They tell me that he
was completely surprised-trust He
ance."