Pierre weekly free press. (Pierre, S.D.) 1889-19??, 1913-04-03
H. ole MINIS TER
M q POLICE
Mk By HENRY MONTJOY
NSWa i c.,yrsb. he eNerrnc oap.ay.

SPSAASA SAiC 0OOI OI Ills CaUlllet, anu A|S
Sartines saw the Due de la Vrilliere
pass IN. He drew close to the door and
waited. He had not to wait long-tn
moment it opened again and the due
appeared. The kings hand was rest
ing upon his arm, OBTAINING him a mo-
Jesty released him, glanced round at
the people. saw De Sartines and made
face. The minister OF police took
the grimace as an invitation to enter
the cabinet, and did so. The king had
been writing. On the desk table. light
ed by four rose colored candles burn
ing in silver candelabra, by a mass Of
correspondence. This lazy monarch,
who had cultivated iIlleness as a fine
art. and of whom it may be said. at
least, that he could do nothing we'll,
mad his fits of activity, from one OF
he yawned as he took his place In the
chair by the desk and motiOned his
visitor to a fauteuil.
Well. Monsieur de Sartines," said
the king, and how are we this evening
-charmingly, I hope?"
Charmed, at least, your majesty, to
escape for a moment from the dullness
Its darkness for the sun of Versailles"
And is it Monsieur de Sartines or
the minister Of police that see before
me?"
Both, sire. Monsieur de Sartines to
inquire aftersyour majesty's health, the
minister Of police to inform your ma
jesty of the health of his people,"
And how are our dear people q"
asked his majesty. casting some specks
of gold sand off a sheet Of notepaper
and folding the sheet.
Still grumbling. sire"
And the pamphleteers ?"
Still writing, SIRE
And the philOgODhors -,
Still philosophizing, your majesty"
And the price OF corn for 1t al
ways seems to me that the price of
corn is at the bottom of all our trou-
bles"
Still rising SIRE
Good" said the king. The word
escaped. from him almost without his
knowing it. 1t was, all the same,
meant; for the king and Monsieur de
Sartines had between them an interest
fact, partners, in that they had bought
up all the available grain and stored
it in granaries. They would presently
sell at an enormous profit. Meanwhile,
the conspirators, with their eyes on
the market, maintained toward one an
the king quite content to leave the
business details entirely in the hands
Of his minister.
Good" said he again. With the
people and the markets in this dis
turbed state it is satisfaction to re-
member that we have De Sartines
at the ministry of police to deal with
our philosophers and pamphleteers,
who are always grumbling at the state
of France, and our people, who are al
ways grumbling about their food. Ma
fol, Monsieur de Sartines why do you
not feed all these troublesome subjects
of mine?
with what, your majesty"
with the philosophers. Then the
pamrhleteers could write pamphlets on
the subject, and all would be peace"
.h h, sire" replied De Sartines, they
would never swallow Monsieur Rous-
seau's coat. nor that hat. which covers,
no doubt. multitude of things other
than his thoughts. He grows more dis
reputable looking day by day. as he
sits there at the Cafe de Regence, play
ing dominoes with his right hand and
spreading sedition with his left. That
old man. sire, gives me more trou-
blous thoughts than all the other Sc
dition mongers in bundle. That old
man, a young man and woman have
been in my carriage with me all the
way from Paris this evening.
monsieur Rousseau in your car
| riage!''
II spoke metaphorically. sire"
And the young man and woman
We're they also withsyou metaphorical-
YES. sire"
who. then. is the young man?'
1.-The Chevalier de Lussac, your ma
jesty.''
"Ah, De Richelieu's kinsman-and
the woman?'
THE Baroness Sophie Linden. with
whom the chevalier is in love, sire, at
least SO my agents say"
The Austrian woman?"
Yes, your majesty, the same; ac-
credited by the court OF Vienna, bear
ing a letter for the dauphiness, linger-
ing on in Paris now that her work is
over"
lingering in Paris, Monsieur de Sar-
tines 2"
THAT, sire, is what am determined
to find out"
II can tell YOU
You, can, sire,?'
Ma fol. yes; you yourself have Just
told me-she is in love with the chew
alier." The king laughed as though he
had made good joke. But De Sar-
tines did not laugh.
That is all very well, sire. I was
not referring to love-it does not come
within the province Of the minister OF
police. What does come within his
province is the fact that at her house
In the Rue Coo Heron she receives
dubious people. Messengers'ca call there
with letters De Lussac, kinsman
though he ia to the Due de- Richelieu,
is, I am assured, q member OF that In
fernal Society OF the Midi, and up to
his eyes IN the new movement that
threatens to subvert order and destroy
the state
He is very young man.
Your maj esty." said De Sartines ear
nestly. s'the two most important enc.
mics of the state are the very old
men who are filled with old rigid IDEAS
they cannot get rid Of, and the very
young men who are filled with new
fantasttcal ideas they cannot digest"
Which reminds me. Monsieur," said
the King. that I am suffering from in
digestion; the politics Of the present
day are q stew made by tho politicians
of the past they were bad cooks. II
you attempt to swallow It you will get
indigestion, as have dome. Let us
leave II TO the politicians Of the flu
ture: Look after De Lussac and his
friends a. much a. you please, For
me they arc like madame . marmosets:
they chatter and chatter, ana scratch
each others heads. Let them chatter,
A. long q they don't chatter too loud
and disturb our peace,
The king moved Ia his chair to indi-
este thats the interview was over. and