The Tabor independent. [volume] (Tabor, S.D.) 1913-19??, 1913-06-12
icontinusd from last week.
: (Chapter x -continued)

(Chapter X -Continued3
De Launay, the governor, was alb
sent. and Monsieur Vitry the deputy
governor, filed his place. He was
seated at q desk. and close to him,
bending over q huge book placed on
another desk, was the clerk whose duty
1t was to enter the name of the pris-
oner, his station in life, his offense and,
what was Of most Importance to the
unfortunate, the remarks Of the au-
thorities about him These secret re-.
ports, unseen by the prisoner, unseen
by all but God, the governor M the
clerk, were, in themselves and Of their
wi nature, an infamy. BY virtue Of
them a man might be held for ever;
or at least until his death, a prisoner
lost and forgotten. It did not matter
in the least that his family were starv-
ing, that his wife and his loved ones
were In despair; the secret report cared
nothing for this: -
Id might hope against hope, see the
spring cas- a brighter beam Of light
IN his wall, feel that with the warm
breath of summer through the bars OF
his window release must surely come.
The secret writing in the book
below held him in its wizard spell.
Very dangerous-toN be kept in the
strictest confinement ..
Governors, might change, kings die,
the mans very offense be forgotten,
but through the, gloomy days Of winter.
the bright days Of spring, those words
would hold him prisoner still, un-
judged and forgotten.
When the Bastile was destroyed men
were found like this, some of them
idiotic. Tavernier could not remember
for what he was imprisoned. He had
forgotten himself as completely AZ the
authorities had forgotten him.
De Lussac watched h face Of Mon
sieur Vitry, who vas finishing q letter
on which he was engaged. and who did
Launay, the governor, but ne mad
till his met. Monsieur Vitry, who was
the type OF Monsieur DEstrelles, and
the prototype Of the modern bureau
crat. . ~ %. r. !,....
Monsieur Vitry, finished the last line
of his letter, signed 1t, sanded 1t. n
folded it+-all with the precision of
Observation-Disclosures It, and placed
it in the tray on his desk, struck a bell,
pointed to- the letter when a soldier
answered the summons, and ordered
the man to take 1t to its destination.
: It was a letter relative to some de-
feet in the new uniforms of the Swiss,
a trifIe, but Just as important to Mon
tsieur VitrySas theSfa OF De Lussac.
Then he turned shis face, pale, mar
row, and seeming even narrower by
reason OF the heavy wig he wore, upon
the newcomers. ~ * ~
He bowed to Beauregard, who re-
turned the sa~lutation. glanced at De
Lussac and took a paper from the
table. II was the lettre de cachet
which we have seen the king handing
to De Sartines in blank. g.
Just before Beauregard accosted De
Lussac he signed to an agent who was
following him. and the agent had
started hotfoot for the Hotel de Sar-
tines, received the lettre de cachet and
conveyed 1t to the Bastile.
1t had arrived a few minutes before
the prisoner.
you are the eomte Armand Jean
de L~ussac?" said Vitry. ,,J 60.
Yes, Monsieur. that is my name"
"tesiding In the Rue de Valois?"+
yes, Monsieur
GOOD" said Vitry.
He rose from his desk, passed over
to the clerk, bent with him over the
big volume, talked for a moment In an
yundertone and then returned to his
iesk, where he sat down. striking the
bell as he did sc.
A turnkey entered.
Third Bertaudiere. number %, cor
ridor number 4" said Vftry, handing
the mar a slip Of paper on which ne
had been scribbling. .
The turnkey, paper In hand. turned
to De Lussac; but before he could
speak the connie made q step toward
Vitrys desk.
monsieur" he said. Il have been
arrested, / aveSbeen brought here, and
It seems / am to be imprisoned. i
have only one question to ask. Why
has this been donef" .f
"Monsieur," replied Vitry. "all dues-
lions and complaints must be- addressed
to the governor, Monsieur De Launay
when can / sec the GOVERNOR
when? ToIncsFow. perhaps; but u.