The citizen-Republican. (Scotland, Bon Homme County, S.D.) 1???-19??, 1913-04-10

49, = - Sonpany
a letter which means nothing. and a
moment to put a postscript which
means. everything
But, cordieu!" cried De Sartines,
there Is no woman In the question. |
told you to watch the Comte de Lussac,
to intercept his letters, and you come
prattling to me of a womani"
Monsieur, / ave watched him. You
say. monsieur, that there is no woma
in the question. Do you not know,
monsieur, that the comte is in love?"
i know there Is an affair between
him and that Austrian woman. Though.
from what l can make out, they ave
never been alone together. he follows
her like a poodle"
Monsieur, it is more thai an 'af-
fair He is in owe with her to the hilt.
To watch him 1T Is also necessary to
watch her, and to watch her, If mon
sieur will permit me t. say so. re-
|qutres better eyes than the eyes of a
blind horse.''
You have some meaning behind that
EXPRESSION" asked De Sartines, look
ing hxedly at the agent.
Monsieur. I nave more than a
meaning. 1 have a complaint"
"A complaint?'
Yes, monsieur. Three days g you
said to me, I put you on the EAST Of
the Comte de Lussac. He Is a con-
spirator against the established order,
a friend of Rousseau's, a member, I
suspect. of the Society Of the Midi.
Watch him like a cat; use what meth
DDS you will, but bring me evidence that
he belongs to the society. Bring me
evidence, evidence. evidence'-those
were your words, monsieur. I took up
the case In my own way. and before l
had been working IL hours 1 found tina
I was being hampered by a blind horse
you had let into the case. l refer to
Gaussin."
Go on" said De Sartines, greatly in
censed by this criticism of his methods
coming from an inferior, but restrain
ing his temper.
Before l had been working IL hours
] found this blunderer poking his nose
into my business, hanging OF the skirts
of Madame la Baronne, following her
carriage, and. to crown his stupidity.
trying to make love to her maid and
being received with a broom and a
bucket of cold water which Placide,
her man servant. flung over htm. The
result, monsieur, is that as nearly as
possible the affair has been spoiled
Anything more?'
Only this, monsieur-Gaussin is an
excellent man for the arrest of market
porters or pickpockets, but in an af-
fair of this sort he is out of place."
The truth in these words did not
at all abate h anger Of De Sartines at
the criticism of his own Judgment
which they contained, but, SO complete
ly master of himself was he that he
showed nothing of his feelings in the
expression Of his face; his manner only
altered; 1t became freezing. He glanced
at h clock on the mantel, paused for
a moment as If in thought, and then
said, speaking slowly and distinctly:
1T is now 25 minutes past 8 o'clock,
Monday the 4th of May. l give you till
4 o'clock on Wednesday-that Is, two
day less five hours and 25 minutes-to
bring me the evidence 1 seek or to prove
to me definitely that such evidence does
not exist"
And If 1 fall, MONSIEUR"
You are dismissed from my service
for the insolence you have just shown
in criticizing my methods"
And l am to have a free hand, mon
sieur, and no more Gaussins?" asked
Lavenne joyfully. and not seeming at
all depressed by the final chause.
You will have a free hand"
Lavenne bowed profoundly and left
the room, while Monsieur lie Comte de
Sartines. turning to his bureau, began
to rrange his private correspondence
for the day, shutting the door Of his
mind on official matters.
The position Of minister of police I'M
der the regime of Louis XIV required
very exceptional properties in the man
who held 1t. To begin with, it was
necessary that he should be of noble
birth. a courtter with all that complex
theory Of etiquet introduced by Louis
XIV at his fingers ends; an astute
politician, for in this age of ferment
high politics had a finger in the pigeon
holes Of the bureau of Monsieur dom
breval; a man with an intimate knowl-
edge Of women; a wit in an age when
Ia Ignite WAS as nhicnnntc a 9 ctr1yrh-
nine; a man of the world and a logi-
clan; a dandy, yet not above descend
ing into the sewers of Paris, and, above
all, a man proof against hatred; caring
nothing for the detestation of the
rogues his agents arrested, Of the shop
keepers he prosecuted for false weight,
of the philosophers he prosecuted for
false opinions, of the ballad-mongers
md literary larvae whose fangs hs
pulled when they grew too strong
against Madame du Barry, the king, or
the court.
Such a man was De Sartines, COM
plex and multifaced, smiling today on
the man whom he would imprison to-
morrow, with the order of imprison-
ment all the time in his pocket; yet not
at all TO be judged by our standards
of right and wrong.
In this bureau at which he sat writ
ing now, among the numerous docu-
mentS and dossiers which it contained,
were to be found papers relative to
the morals and lives of most Of his
court a~cquaintances; you can fancy,
then. the feelings of these people rub
bling shoulders at court and social
functions with this elegant who was in
himself a living criticism and threat,
and who. though feared, was treated by
them with a courtesy-when they
dared.
At 1890 Monsieur de Sartines fin
ished his private correspondence and
rose from his chair. His eyes fell on
Ethe clock, and almost Immediately the
recollection of Lavenne and his mis-
sion required to him.
AT 4 o'clock on Wednesday," said he.
"if this scamp fails to bring me what
I seek, he leaves my service. I never
go back on my word"
CHAPTER III.
a T,Any ON orrrrp rrc