Pierre weekly free press. (Pierre, S.D.) 1889-19??, 1913-10-02

Like De Sart1nes, he glanced at his
watch before placing his foot on the
step, and like De Sartines, he gave the
address of Number IL, Rue Cog Heron
to the driver.
The coach drove away, exchanged the
rattle of the paving-stones in the
Xcourtyard for he eve motion of the
wheels upon the weil-kept outer way,
and, entering the Paris road, headed
for the city at a spanking pace.
De Maupeou took from his pocket the
paper he had just received from the
king and glanced at 1t.
A few minutes ago the thing had
been worthless; now, with that sprawl
ing signature, it was profession the
purposes Of De Maupeou.
He refolded it. put 1t pack in his poe
ket and folded his hands.
That De Sartines had committed
some frightful indiscretion or crime he
felt sure; equally sure was he that the
baroness had the evidence of it. He
licked his lips at the thought of the
paper in his pocket that gave him abb
solute power over both De Sartines and
the woman, should evidence be forth
coming that either of them was i'm
plicated, and was on the point of look
ing at his watch again when the coach
lurched, recovered, see1ned to shake It.
self. and hen turned over on it's side
with a crash.
To h occupant 1t was as though the
world had suddenly upset. Halt
stunned. bleeding from a cut on his left
hand. imprisoned like a rat in a trap, he
could only shout for help, while the
horses. with the pole broken and lying
on their sides. engaged the attention OF
the driver, who freed them by cutting
the traces and then, rushing to the
carriage door. freed his master.
"Mordieu!' cried the vice-chancellor.
a c he ctNnN ~ 10 CT ON <hn roI sSyTyI,oA
an escape! But what caused 1t? I
have driven all my life, but never have
l experienced an upset like this. Did
you run into anything" @
Monsieur" said the man, rising
from an examination Of the wreck, the
linch.pins have been tempered with.
and the miracle to me is that we have
driven so far without a breakdown"
How far are we from VersailIes?'
"A mile and a half, monsieur"
De Maupeou looked at his watch. It
had stopped. There was not a soul to
be seen on the road. 1t was a beauti-
full evening, and not a cloud stained
azure from the spires and domes Of
the town and palace of Versailles to,
the domes and spires OF Paris.
A lark vas singing above, and the
faint, warm wind Of spring brought
the scene of earth and flowers to the
L AASNit Y JSA SlldllSCl1CIs 4NdluIc
seemed knocking him.
Having glanced up and down the
road in search of help, he fixed his at
tention on the coachman, who had got
one Of h horses upon it's legs; the
other, severely injured and unable to
rise, would have to be shot.
"Linch-pins!" said De Maupeou.
Then the wheels have been tempered
Lwith?'
Eyes. monsieur; that Td swear. Both
off-wheels. All! the scasnps! II I had
hold of them!"
"Cordieu!" said the vice chancellor,
bending down to examine the wreck.
The thought had come to him that
this was the work of De Sartines, done
on purpose to delay him. If this were
50, there was all the more ason for
haste, as the affair must be Of the last
importance, else the minister of police
would not have stopped to such a
means.
"Cordieu!' creid he. II must be in
Paris by $3.50. MY watch is stopped.
II I only knew the time! Stay; what
is that?"
A pun OF dust from the road as 1t
entered Versailles rose on the wind;
a vehicle OF some sort was approach
ing AS it drew nearer 1t proved to be
q yellow cabrioIet of the type that
piled for hire in Paris and Versailles
The horse in the shafts was going al
a good pace, n now De Maupeou
could hear the little bells of the har.
ness.
"Fool." said he, thinking of De
Sartines. UNLESS he meant to kill me
outright, he must nave known that c
vehicle passes along the Paris roat
every few minutes and that the vice
chancellor of France, with money ir
his pocket, could not possibly be de.
tained long by such a simple and silly