Pierre weekly free press. (Pierre, S.D.) 1889-19??, 1913-06-12
A. ole MINISTER
AS q POLICE
l&k 81 HENRY MoNTJoY
Xk40 ce.s.ay
HENRY MONTJOY

fright. 1919. The BoessHerru ce.ssny
is not necessary for you to see him;
questions or complaints can be adj
dressed to him in writing
Mon Dieu!" cried the unfortunate
young man. II am then imprisoned
without reason given, and may, per-
maps. see the governor tomorrow. O.,
Monsieur. beware of what you do! An
injustice like this is crime. / ask,
simply. what have done that / should
be seized like this and imprisoned. and
you give me an answer which is no an
swer You refuse to tell me-"
The man of parchment at the desk
turned to the jailer who had now
opened the door.
Number %, corridor number 4" he
said.
Follow me-" said the jailer.
De Lussac looked round him as
though he were looking for sympathy
OF help. Then. with gesture fmpos-
sible to describe, he followed the Off
Ger. In tn corridor some one touched
him on the shoulder 1t was Beaure-
gard.
Courage. MY friend" said the big
man. your case may Tot be so bad as
you suppose. You have always your
kinsman, the Due de Richelieu. to fall
back upon"
That was the last straw, and De
Lussac scarcely heard Beauregard say
ing goodby, as the lieutenant of De
Sartines turned away bound for light
and air and freedom, leaving his
charge to follow the jailer.
This parsonage, who wore the semi
uniform of the state prisons and car
ried at his belt a heavy bunch of keys,
led the way along the corridor till they
reached door, iron studded and made
hideous by a lock of enormous size.
and of such a complicated nature that
1T took the jailer a full minute in
opening, yet there were locks in
the Bastile so complicated, con-
that 1T would take at least five minutes
to master them.
The jailer held the door open for de
Lussac to pass through, and they as
cended a circular stone staircase. The
walls of this place We're fungus grown
and still showed stains caused by the
torches of the archers, arbaletriers, and
musketeers of past ages; tho steps
were tread-worn by the feet of genera
lions Of prisoners, guards and jailers.
They passed through another corri-,
dor till they reached a stairway
1t led to another corridor, half way
down which the jatler halted. took the
bunch of keys from his belt and opened
a door.
De Lussac saw before him square
stone cell lighted by window, high
placed. and protected by heavy iron
bars. A bed stood in one corner. a
table In the center, and a chair by the
table. A pitcher Of water stood upon
the table.
There was no other furniture at all.
AS he stood for a moment before en-
tering this place, suddenly, from away
down the corridor came the ghost of
voice; high pitched. cracked and
faint as though strained through some,
microscopic opening. 1t was singing
the verse of song common in the
streets of Paris some 20 years before.
De Lussac, shivering. entered the cell,
drew the chair from the table and sat
down.
Your supper will be brought to you
at 81 said the turnkey, speaking for
the first time. Should you care to pay
you will be we'll served; you can even
have wine. What money have your"
Il do not want wine. Bring me pa
per, pens and ink
Paper and pens-what for?''
u wish to write to the governor
That's what they all say" replied
the man in g. grumbling voice. well,
II it amuses you, YOU can have your
paper and pens, but they cost money!
De Lussac took a louis from his
pocket and gave 1t to the jailer.
That will pay you. When can I
It-5 ID III *
AT 8 o'clock"
But must have them at once
Patience" replied the jailer.
He glanced round the cell in a per-
functory manner, went out, and shut
the door. With the closing of the door
came the click of the lock, and then
absolute and perfect silence.
The prisoner could not even hear the
footsteps of his jailor retreating down
the corridor. Like the fortress of ST.
Peter and st. Paul. which still exists
to the shame OF civilization, the bastile
had one supreme and browning terror,
its silence.
Silence had been built into the place
by the masons who labored at those
walls 80 feet thick. Silence, old as the
times Of Louis XII Silence, complete
and steadfast like this, has person.
atty. at least during the first few hours
Of ones acquaintance with 1t. 1t seems
observing one. DE Lussac, fresh from
the sounds Of the streets, and the
voices of people. sat for a little while
without moving. listening. scarcely
breathing
Then he rose to his feet and walked
up and down the cell trying to find
refuge in thought But his thoughts
were enough to drive a strong man to
despair. He saw de Richelieu sitting
at his bureau engaged in his accounts.
De Richelieu would, in the course OF
the next few hours, inevitably find the
drawer open, and the Infamous docu-
ment lying on the other papers. He
would know to certainty that he-de
Lussac--had opened the drawer. found
the document. and worst Of all. read
it.
1t was secret that concerned the
honor Of the king, as well as De Sar-
tines, and that meant imprisonment
for ever for De Lussac.
Then the vision of Sophie Linden rose
before him; the woman who had shawn
him what a fair thing life is to those
who love
"Godi' cried the unfortunate, as he
looked around him at the mean and
sordtd cell. the walls Of granite blocks
four feet square, the bed, the bare
table. the hole in the wall that went by
name of window.
There would be rainy winter after
moons that would creep into long wins
ter nights; hot summer days would
pass over the BastIle, bringing moth
Ing here. And men would say s.Oh.
the Eomte de Lussacl Let me see
he died, did he notg or at ali events.
disappeared: but that wAa On vsara