Pierre weekly free press. (Pierre, S.D.) 1889-19??, 1913-05-01

at what l say. or raise your voice. l
am being followed. All is over. at least
for the present. The police have made
! perquisition at the Rue Saint JAG
ques. Bartheimy and Contains are ar
rested. as the head center am on the
! edge of arrest this portfolio is only a
blind, 1t contains nothing of import
ance, but have with me a small
packet, 1t contains papers and the
names of the committee, their adj
dresses abroad and in Paris, and the
SEAL I was on my way TO your house
to intrust it to you"
Il am leaving Paris for Vienna" said
De Lussac, shocked at this hand which
the conspiracy had suddenly laid on his
shoulder.
Good, will you take 1t with you till
we can reconstitute ourselves. but you
I 1T, hide it, tin you leave, lest you should
be arrested and 1T be found on YOU"
i will do so.' replied De Lussac.
But that Is not all. there is a
counter stroke. De Sartines who has
us in his power. is in our power If we
can only act. You are the person who
must act so as to free us. You are a
free agent. there is no evidence against
you and you are so highly placed that
they dare not arreENyou on suspicion as
they have Bartholmy and Conaans and
as they will most likely me-. Dieu! the
perspiration pours from me when
think that some hand may be laid on
| my shoulder before l have time to tell
| you. Listen! The people are starving.
De Sartines, Terray and the king, with
your kinsman, De Richelieu for assist
ant, have bought up all the corn avail
| able, using as agent man, Monsieur
Porcheron. of Vitry. A contract has
been signed with Porcheron, that con
tract has De Sartfnes' name upon it,
that contract is in the house of your
kinsman. De Richelieu. and that con-
| tract you must secure. Once it is in
your hands you have De Sartines in
your power and the release of Con-
fans and Bathelmy follows: we can
then reconstitute ourselves and go on
working
| But how does this contract place
De Sartines in our power?"
| Said the stranger, speaking slowly,
patiently. as If explaining to child
The people are starving, the price of
corn is rising day by day. Who is
Who, but the conspirators of whom
| De Sartines is the chief. They have
withdrawn half the corn of France
from the markets to sell 1t at the
| highest figure
"Dieu" cried De Lussac, suddenly
this We're proved
| III 1t We're proved, the people would
tear De Snrtines to pieces or hang him.
and the king. to save his name, would
give them the rope"
| is the kings name upon this con-
! tract 2"
There Is no name but the names of
De Sartines and Porcheron.''
And with this contract in ones
| hand"
| DE sartines will be entirely in your
power
| Are You sure it is in the possession
I of the duc?
Certain. our agents are never mis-
taken. 1t is in his house at Versailles
| Have YOU dined with Monsieur lie Due
| lately"
| NO"
III YOU had, you would have been
waited on by footman of exceptions
ally good rnannrs and appearance He
was one of us--Lamport--a man YOU
have never seen: he was there to Sc
cure this document. but he was arrest
| ed last night. Besides Contains and
Barthelmy, dozen of smaller men have
been arrested
Does the Due de Richeieu suspect
that Lamport joined his service NOR
der to secure the paper?"
"Oh. no. the corn merchants fancy
! themselves secure in their infamy and
| rightly, for the thins has been done
In most entire secrecy. 1t was Porch
eron's wife who betrayed the matter
to an agent of ours. Love. my friend,
is very useful in affairs Of this kind. =
De Lussac shuddered
But document Of this sort-how
comes l. that such a thing should ex-
| ist?''
How comes it? Do you intrust a
| man with millions of francs to pur-
chase millions of sacks of corn through
30 subagents without written con-
tract, without receipt, without the
| names of the subagents and small
corn factors being mentioned? All
these are in the document with the
signature De Sartines' to the state
| ment, This is in ORDER"
And you wish me to abstract this
paper from the house of my cousin
| Monsieur lie Due de Richelieu?"
No, monsieur. | order you to do so''
"Ah. true De Lussac remembered
for the first time fully. that he was In
the presence of his chief. He remem-
bered, for the first time. the terms Of
| things. and at the chance Of death.
any brother under arrest or in attic
| ton
There was no use in grumbling. there
| was no use in saying, ITO help these
| men must under the guise of friend
ship and kinsmanship, enter the house
of Monsieur lie Duo de Richelieu and
| commit. or attempt to commit. petty
theft. The thing was horrible and
| revolving to his nature. but 1t had to
be done. or attempted. Regardless of
| all things" He had sworn to those
words with his eyes open and of his
own free will. He never imagined that
| his honor as gentleman would be re-
CURED of him.
II win do it,. he said, pale to the
lips. but speaking In Arm voice
The document" said the other. els
presumably in the escritoire in the IL
brary OF Monsieur lie DUO He keeps
there 1lis most important papers. It
may not be there. but on the chance,
Lamport, seixing his opportunity, made
a wax impression OF the key. To get
at the key that man had to visit the
sues bed roo,sa at the risk OF his life.
| y dead OF night; to open drawer in
which the due places his rings. his
watch. and his keys; to take out a
bunch Of seven keys without the bunch
Jingling:: to make wax Impression Of
each key. not knowing which was the
key required: 70 return tho keys to the
drawer In exactly the same place, and
70 leave the room. without disturbing
the light s1uinber Of an old man. This
he did and sent the Impressions TO US;
the keys we're made but before they
could be sent to him. last night, he
wat arrested. Think Of the fidelity and
ne tanlk -