The citizen-Republican. (Scotland, Bon Homme County, S.D.) 1???-19??, 1913-06-12
Continued from last week.)

(Chapter X -Continued.)
De Launay, the governor, was alb
sent. and Monsieur Vitry, the deputy
governor. filled his place. He was
seated at a desk, n close to him,
bending over a 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 and the
clerk, We're, in themselves and of their
w 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. 1t did not matter
in the least that his family were starry
ing, that his wife and his loved ones
were in despair; the secret report cared
nothing for this.
He might hope against hope, see the
spring cast a brighter beam of light
en- his wall, feel that with the warm
breath. of summe through. the bars of
his window release must surely come.
The secret writing in the book
below held him in it's wizard spell.
Very dangerouS-to 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, n
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 as the
authorities a forgotten him.
De Lussac watched the face of Mon
cin11r NjtJ1r who lx-o Fl njShtn n jntfnr
on which he was engaged. and who did
Launay, the governor, but ne mad never
till his met Monsieur Vitry, who was
the type of Monsieur D'Estrelles, and
the prototype of the modern bureau
crat.
of his letter, signed it, sanded it, n
folded it-all with the precision of
mechanism-addressed it, and placed
it in the tray on his desk, struck a bell,
pointed to the letter when a soldier
answered the summons, n ordered
the man to take it to it's destination.
1t was a letter relative to some de-
feet in the new uniforms of the Swiss,
a trifle, but just as important to Mon
sieur Nitry as the fate of De Lussac.
Then he turned his face, pale, mar
row., and seeming even narrower by
reason of the heavy wig he wore, upon
the newcomers.
lie DUN III u PtduIcBdIu, WHO IT,
turned the salutation, glanced at De
Lussac n took a paper from the
table. 1t was the lettre de cachet
which we have seen the king handing
to De Sartines in blank.
Just before Beauregard accosted De
Lussac he signed to an agent who wns
following him, and the agent had
started hotfoot for the Hotel de Sar-
tines, received the lettre de cachet and
conveyed it to the Bastile.
1t had arrived a few minutes before
the prisoner.
You are the Comte Armand Jean
de Lussac?" said Vitry.
Yes, Monsieur, that is my name"
Residing 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
undertone and then returned to his
1esk, where he sat down, striking the
bell as he did SO.
A turnkey entered.
Third B~ertaudiere. number %, cor
rider humble T." said Vitry, handing
the man a slip of paper on which he
had been scribbiing.
The turnkey, paper in hand, turned
to De Lussac; bat before he could
speak the comte made a step toward
Vitry's desk.
Monsieur he said, II have beer
arrested, l have been brought here. and
it seems / am to be imprisoned.
have only IN question to ask. Why
has, this been done?"
Monsieur" replied vitry, "all ques-
fions n complaints must be addressed
70 the governor. Monsieur lie Lalnay.'
When can / see the governor"
When? Tomorrow, perhaps: but il