Pierre weekly free press. (Pierre, S.D.) 1889-19??, 1913-08-21
A. ole MINISTER
rs q POLICE
AMY lN By HENRY MoNTJoY
WSMA Copyright 1912, hi Bob.MenHn Company

suddenly brought back to reality by
the sound OF a key in the lock of the
cell door; a bolt vas shot back, the
door opened. and his jailer appeared,
lamp in hand.
A man followed the jailer, carrying a
tray on which was the prisoners sup
per and the paper, pen and ink with
winch every prisoner was supplied, so
tina he might put in writing his com
plants TO the governor.
Il will be back in an hour for the
lamp" said the jailer.
For the lamp"
Ma fol, yes. Those are the regula-
tlons. You don't want more than an
hour for your supper
"Heavens!" aid De Lussac. 'They
have deprived me of liberty, and they
Il know nothing of your liberty"
said the jailer; Il only know the regu-
lations." He went out and shut the
door.
De Lussac turned to the food on the
table. 1t consisted of a stew, some
bread, and half a bottle Of wine. The
idea of o revolted him, still, he
knew that not to eat was perhaps to
fa1l II a sudden call came upon his
energies. He sat down to the table.
There was something human about
the food and the wine in this inhuman
place, this nightmare of stone.
AS ne sat eating, a slight sound at
tracted his attention and glancing on
the floor, he saw a rat. An old gray
rat which had slipped into the cell
through some hole in the masonry, at
tracted, perhaps, by the smell Of the
food.
He glanced at it, terrified by the
thought that he would find himself
alone IN the darkness with such COM
pany as this. His imagination painted
sWafms OF rats running over him, per-
maps attacking him.. He was about to
push MS chair away from the table
When the rat, whose bright ayes We're
now fixed on him, drew loser and Their
sat up on its launches like a dog.
1t was begging for food, Just as a
poodle begs. and De Lussac stared at
1t IN establishment without moving.
me rat kept its position for a mo-
lnent n then of a sudden it turned a
complete somersault. Three times it
dld this before sitting up again to
beg. ~
IT was a performing rat, the pet, per-
maps the friend, of some unhappy pris-
e now vanished.
lie threw a piece of meat from the
STOW, and the rat whisked away with
ear any more, he SAT with his elbows
on the table till the key sounded again
IN tn lock and the jailer entered.
well, said the man as he removed
the things, you've made small use
OIL your pen and paper"
De Lussac started. He had~little
aope Of any appeal made to the gov
ernor. eoS
..r ny will use them tomorrow" he said.
Tell me, was his cell inhabited he.
fore | came here?'
.I1ll Yesterday
mlhe prisoner was liberated?"
mo, Monsieur; he died"
All, he died! Who was he then
and how long was he here?"
The man laughed; he was in a good
humor. for the liberality of De Lussac
IN paying for the pen, ink and paper
anu the bottle of wine he had cracked on
the strength of the louis, warmed his
heart toward the prisoner.
NOW you are asking questions. Who
was he? Ma fol, he was the Marquis
de Nverolles, and he came here before
my time. I was sorry to lose him, No
matter; It's the way we must ali go"
me Marquis de Viverolles. De Lus-
sac had heard of him in his youth as
the handsomest and wittiest man, in
france, who suddenly became extin-
gulshed In the last years of the reign
OF the grand monarch, just as Fououet
a become extinguished in the first
eio 1lIuStIlOuS Te1Sn. The
VINO had graced everything that
ne touched, charmed all whom he knew
tent MS wit to SO many men, his heart
TO so many women, his purse To So
many friends, and his genius-to a rat.
Inc spirit of the Bastile lay in that
page of unwritten history.
Consumed by the mournfulness of it
ana leelng In 1t q pointer of his own
rate, De Lussac, scarcely answering the
good night of his jailer, flung himself
on his bed.
After a while the absolute blackness
OF the cell was broken by a ray of light.
Inc moon had risen and. a beam showed
up the bars of the window space.
AS the light broke the darkness. a
faint sound came from the floor of the
cell; 1T was the friend of the Marquis
de Wyerolles picking up the crumbs
that had fallen from the table.
De Lussac, as he lay listening and
watching the beam upon the wall, in
stead of giving himself over to despair.
to exercise his mind on pIans
for escape.
Nothing could seem more hopeless.
yet he showed his philosophy by
clinging to hope.
Come" he said to himself, Il have
to leave this place. If 1
a no leave it in the body. I shall
leave 1t in the spirit by dying. Well.
then, let me aim first at my bodily re-
lease. Let me be calm. strong and
watchfull. To be watchful, 1 must
conc1liate my jailer and keep my eyes
open for any chance; to be strong /
must eat, n to be calm 1 must sleep.
Let me, then, sleep; it is the first
step to that plan which l have not yet
formed but which will come"
He turned on his side, but sleep.
which comes to children more readily
than to philosophers, held aloof from
him for a while. Then sullenly, the
exhaustion caused by the excitement
OF the day fell on him like a clock. He
slept, and when he woke he found the
jailer entering his cell and daylight
SHINING through h high window.
His first thoughts on awakening and
recognizing the place where he was,
We're the thoughts upon which he had
fallen asleep.
The jailer. used to the vagaries OF
new prisoners, was surprised at the
cheerful face Of his new charge.
Wen" said he. you seem to have
slept. Here is a Jug OF water for you,
n you shall have some coffee In an
hours time. We don't starve our peo-
pie here. And for dinner you a have
what you please to pay for:.'
What please to pay for?s asked
De Lussac, who did not know the truth
that La Bastile was In reality 8 vast
and Ormfdahlo hofnl ~ u,lxcl. 49, -.,