Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1913-04-23
AUTHOR OF TIE STRQl
LII, C1STR ATIONS By IA
~ FREDERIC s.
.R:sUNDER TIE RQ3["ETc
2 mr. eoea3 -,1ERRilL Coz

glass OF wine. which he offered his
guest. x IS m :7lF: H ! z. IlS
mo, mol" said the marquis. but
as remarked before, stand on no
ceremony" And datntily opening q
snufr-box. he watched his host with
an expression half-amused. half-iron-
zeal. !. 4. \. II sss @5
That person ate and drank with 1T
Ito relish; the wine-so he said-had
spoiled: and the dishes were without
flavor; 1t was fortunate Monsieur 10
Marquis had no appetite s,3
Whereupon the marquis smiled;
but. considering tho circumstances. in
his own mind excused the command
ant, who had only Just come from the
governors palace, and who. after the
interview that undoubtedly had en-
sued, could hardly be expected to md
the pate. palatable, or the wine to bis
liking. This, despite the complaisance
of the young nobleman whom the
.commandant had encountered. while
descending from the governors abode.
and who, adapting his step to the 9TH
er's had accompanied the officer back
to his quarters, and graciously &C
cepted an invitation to enter.
well, you know the old saying"
the marquis closed the box with q
snap. There's many slip'-but
how. airily brushing with his hand.
kerchief Imaginary particles from
long lace Gun, did he get away?"
HE had got away before we were
down on the beach. It was q wild.
goose chase. at best. And 80 told
his Excellency, the governor
IA thankless task, no doubt! But
the shots we heard" u. 81
h IAN imbecile soldier saw q shadow;
fired at It. and
THE others followed suit" laughed
the visitor. +:
Exactly" The commandments face
grew red flercely he pulled his mus
tache. what can one expect. when
they 4 make soldiers out of every
1dunderpate that comes along?"
"True!" assented the marquis. But
this fellow, this Black Seigneu{--why
lis the governor SO anxious to lay
hands on him! Who is he. and what
has he done?, I.confess," languidly.
ito mild curiosity"
Hes a privateersman and an ont.
law. and has done enough to hang
himself q dozen times 4. Is
when you capture him!" inter
posed! the visitor lightly. A moment
he studied the massive oak beams Of
the ceiling. why do they call him
the Black seigneur7 An odd sobri-
quet!" +
"His father was seigneur-the
last OF the fef Of Desaurac. The
seigneurs have all been fair men for
generations, while this fellow
Then he has noble blood in him 2
The marquis showed surprise. where
Is tho nef? :" Il
..The woods on the shore mark the
beginning Of it." .s .15
But don't und erstand. The father
was a Seigneur; the son ~.
Bluntly the commandant explained:
the son was q natural child; the
mother, a common peasant woman
whom the former Seigneur had taken
to his house
II see!" The young nobleman
tapped his knee. And that being the
case ~ 3
A'Under the terms Of the ancient
grant, there being no legal heir. the
lands were conhscated to the crown.
His Excellency. however. had already
bought many Of the membranes
against this property, and; In view Of
this, and his services to the king. the
aef. declared forfeited by. the courts,
was subsequently granted and decided,
without condition, TO the governor" Vi
ITO the governor. repeated the
marquis. 81
Who at once began q rare clearing
out; forcing the peasants who for
years had not been paying metayage.
to meet this just requirement. or
move away!" rs. a &: XII
And did some OF them object?"
..They did but his Excellency found
means. The most troublesome were
arrested and taken to the Mount,
where they have had time to reflect
his Excellency believes in no halfway
measures with peasants.
"A rich principally. no doubt!"
half to himself spoke the marquis. =
II have heard" blurted the com.
mandant, hes going to- give it to the
Lady Elise; restore the old castle and
turn the grounds surrounding it into
a noble park"
The visitor frowned. az II little lik.
ing the introduction OF the lady'a
name into the conversation. And
what did the Black Seigneur do then. =
he asked colby, when he found his
lands gomez"
Claimed 1t was q plot!-that his
mother was an honest woman. though
neither the priest who performed the
ceremony nor the marriage records
could be found. He even resisted at
hrst-refused to be turned out-and,
skulking about the forest with his
gun, kept the deputies at bay. But
they surrounded, him at last; drove
him to his castle. and would have cap
tured him, only he escaped that night,