The Tabor independent. [volume] (Tabor, S.D.) 1913-19??, 1913-09-25

a rule, was but a ven OF gauge could
read nothing for certainsin that beauti-
ful face, so capricious, SO strangely I'M
marked by destiny.
why, here is order cried the COM
Jesse. come upon the heels OF law and
the churchi My party is complete.
Monsieur de S~artines, you must dine
with us today"
MADAME, I shall be charmed. Would
that I could have arrived earlier but"
~ know" she cut in, you had your
literary affairs to attend to. No mat
ter, dear poet, no matter how late, you
are always welcome" q
Dear poet! So she had not forgotten;
not only that, but the words and the
manner In which they were spoken told
90 the doings OF the ballard writer's,
and he saw in a flash that De Maupeou
had been before him not only with the
king but with the favorite.
Madame" said he, taking advantage
Of the fact that the others had drawn
about whom you were speaking to me!
IA hope that the chief OF them-the
only inc who IA not escaped from
4 France-I say / hope that the chief of
them win be safely in prison by to-
night" M
i #E Ony nlulSleuTp TSplleu she, Il uOp6
that will not happen. ! do not wish
Q account OF my petty affairs that
France should lose so excellent a min
lister of police as Monsieur de Sartines,"
She turned away, leaving this dag
ger quivering in his heart, and even as
she turned dinner was announced and
the guests passed into the dining ROOM,
the unfortunate DE Sartines bringing
up the rear, stricken, speechless, yet
showing nothing Of his discontinue in
his face. :@
The dining room which they entered
was very different from that which had
once been the dining room of the Prin-
cess Adelaide. The walls only were
the same; upholstered in crimson, with
oyer-doors by Drouais, a C~upid-haunt-
ed ceiling from the brush OF Boucher,
n panel picturet daring in both color
and theme by Wien, the place looked
that paints the human face, impudence
that scents itself with p%atchouli.
There were nine owe laid and,
counting De Sartines. ten guests.
When all were seated, De Sartines
was left standing. # G%E
"oh. ma foi!' cried the comtesse. as
the servants hurried to lay a fresh
cover, Il had forgotten Monsieur de
Sartines. Lubin, place Monsieur de
Sartines' chair by the chair of Monsieur
PAbbe, on the left so that the light will
not try his eyes. I know you have a
horror Of a strong light. dear Monsieur
deySartines." fHar. ~ .H3.,
Monsieur de sartines bowed as he
slipped into his seat; he had a poison
GUS retort on his lips but he dared not
utter it. lasE .%
Monsieur de. sartines," said the
king, who had commenced his soup,
what is this l hear the comtesse say
ing about your eyes?" y q" /t
"Only that / am half blinded, sire.''
"Since when?" '.L .
always, your majesty, when I4ind
myself In the presence Of superlatiye
| beauty "N - w" rs .@#H .
He bowed to the comtesse, who re-
turned the bow mockingly and turned
her attention to the DUO td'Aiguillon;
she was evidently still unappeased and
beyond the reach of Establishment.
Monster de S~artines," said the king,
finishing his o u and raising a glass
Of t~opaz-colored wine to his lips, 1T
seems to me there are only two men in
my kingdom who have portfolios m
yet have the old wit that bites in cpl
grams and charms In compliment"
And those two men, sire?' ~.
"They are Monsieur lie Due de Choi-
seul and Monsieur le comte de Sar-
tines" ' attsEEt y ~ 49, g..
70, sire!" cried the minister of po-
lice, picking up his spirits, what you
say is false .4.yaI -. ~. 49,
"FaIsel"
There is a third man who is, yet,
not q man, beside whom Monsieur de
Choiseul and Monsieur de Sartines are
blunderers at that game" 90
"And who Is this man who is not a
man, pray?" f ~
"A king, sire" ~
ma foi!' cried his majesty, laugh
ing, lit seems t5 me Monsieur de Sar-
tines, you pay that king a. doubtful
compliment" o.. s
20, sire" laughed De Sartines
amazed at himself and hating himself
for having made this faux pas, the
only one in all his life, "since when
is a king a man, since he belongs to
the company of those above us?'a ~
De Maupeou, who had been sitting
mumchance up to this, 'cast his, eyes
up to the ceiling and laughed De Sar-
range of the conversation looked up,
only to see the fat cupids of Boucher
Eleering at them from the ceiling.
"Um," said the king. He urned to
the Able Fremont with some inquiry
as to the state of affairs in Picardy,
from which province the ecclesiastlc
hailed, while the Comtesse d'Eglnont,
unable to contain herself, laughed
frankly at the face of De Sartines, who,
Fparalyzed by hts i'll luck. would have
given his portfolio for the fall Of the
DE Maupeou. E.A N. .~
1t was decidedly one of his unlucky
days; a moment ago the king had been"
charming, and now he vas out of tenn
per. o.
The minister of police applied himself
to the trout a la Mayenne which was
before him. IT," E~