The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1913-01-05
THE MINISTER OF POLICE e==.5 e...e.
By HENRY MoUNTJoY

ion other than my own thoughts and
the fear of bandits"
"Yes, yes; but the motive, dear lady,
that forced you to confront thess
| fears?"
"The motive. Monsieur. was to make
q confession and to ask favor"
"And the confession? l. will take
that first" laughed Monsieur 1e Mare
chal, sitting down in, an easy chair
close to her and producing his snuh
box.
Monsieur. | am in love"
De Richelieu opened the lid of hisi
snuff box, laughing slightly as II 1it-!
tie joke had escaped from II.
Then, Madame" said he, there isI
at least one man living who can say
| with truth, I am the happiest man in
Francep
Alas, Monsieur, no far from be-
! in the happiest, he is the most mis-
cradle"
She watched his hands playing with
the snuff box; hands still beautiful de-
spite wars and years, and white, al
most, as the ruffies of Mechlin lace that
half hid them
The most miserable
ALAS, yes, Monsieur"
And his name, this extraordinary
personl" /
THE Comte Armand de Lusssc,
| Mosieunr, your kinsman."
I She had no hope at all of immediate
| help from De Richelieu. yet, as she
spoke the words. anxiety almost to suf-
| location seized her, for she knew that
by the manner of the nlarechal when
he heard De Lussac's name she would
know whether he had opened the
drawer and discovered that it had
been tempered with.
| De Richelieu, however. showed no
| sign at all of anger at the name, and
she knew by his manner that all was
still right She could have laughed
| aloud, so great was her relief. Hope,
the water of the strong and the wine
| of the weak, sent the blood coursing
more rapidly through her veins, height
ching the color of her check and the
brightness of her eyes and lending the
| last touch of perfection to her beauty.
well, Madame" said the old war
rior, warming to her charms, what
L
| opher, that is to say. a creature who
is miserable when other men arc happy,
and happy when other men are nliscr-
able: who lives in a tub like Monsieur
Diogenes when other men live IN
houses"
Monsieur" replied she. Monsieur
| de Lussac to-day, at the order of Mon
| sieur de Sartines. has been seized and
imprisoned in the fortress OF the Bas-
tile"
/ De Richelieu started and almost
| dropped the snuff box with which he
was still toying
4 Armand imprisoned in the Bastiiet
| Why, he is still my guest! We had
dejeuner together to-day; it is true,
he went to Paris this afternoon. but l
expected him to return tonight
"Monsiuer, what | have said is true,
for had it from the lips of Monsieur
de SaGtineS himself"
| The marechal took another pinch of
snuff The news did not altogether
displeasc him nor did it altogether as
tonish him. The king had given him
very direct hints as to the political
health of his kinsman; there was no
disgrace in imprisonment under let
ter de cachet, and he felt that course
of severe treatment was just the med
icine required to bring his cousin from
| philosophy to reason. Profoundly sell
| fish, he had no pity at all for the per-
sonal feelings of the captive on the
| matter.
We'll, Madame" said he. now that
/ have heard your confession, can
| guess your request. You wish me to
intercede for this unfortunate philos-
opher. Well, you may rest assured
that / will place the whole matter be-
fore the king. 1t will take few DAYS.
no doubt. | do not know De Sartines'
reason for this act. Armand, ] believe,
has been mixing himself up with those
COMPOUNDED philosophers, but he is
gentleman. and | am sure has done
| nothing of a nature that will preclude
me from pressing his claims before the
king"
The baroness tried to imagine the
marechars face had he known that
here. but few hours ago, De Lussac
had tried to rob him of document
| involving the honor of the king. She
knew that all hope of help from De
Richelieu was vain: days must elapse
in the most favorable circumstances be-
| fore the young man could be freed.
and during those days the marccflal
would most certainly discover that
some one had been to his drawer,
found the secret panel. and attempted
to abstract the document. His keen
mind would at once know who the cul-
prit was, and De Lussac's fate would
be imprisonment for life.
TO BE CONTINUED NEXT SUNDAY.