The Tabor independent. [volume] (Tabor, S.D.) 1913-19??, 1913-06-26

~ ~ ~ 49, I#hW#gLAM
"Silencel I wish to have no more
to say to you. Col"
but, monsieur. will you not listen
to just m word?"
moi half a word! BegoneI"
Layenne dropped his head, contem-
lpIated the pattern of the parquet for
q moment, then, with the ghost. OF q
smile on his lips, he bowed profoundly
to n minister OF police. turned, and
left the room,
De Sartines went to, the bureau,
opened his snuff box and took q pinch,
Scamp! That will teach him. It's
a pity, too, for h fellow was not with
He turned, for German had just en-
tered the room,
II beg your pardon, monsieur"
Whatever German was about to say
was cut short by a knock at the door
leading to the corridor. The door
opened and the usher appeared.
"A lady has called, your excellency,
and desires aIf%interview."
I can see no one" replied De Sar-
tines, glancing at the clock. Il have
2 letter to write before supper. What
Is her name?" -
Madame la Baronne Linden. mon
sieur." "'|f.
MADAME Linden!" cried De S~artines.
starting slightly. Tell her" He
paused for a moment as IL undecided.
Then he made up his mind.
Il will see her."
The usher vanished.
Now, what can this mean?" He
turned to German. who had not left
the room. ,""
Which, monsieur"
This visit?"
81 don't know, monsieur"
"Blockhead! Go, leave me-" He
turned, n as German. vanished into
his office the door opened and the
usheFs voice announced: Madame la
Baronne Linden" ~
Never had the door of the octagon
chamber formed 30 perfect a. picture
as that which now greeted De Sar-
tines eyes. = a4s r~...- ~ Ts
He had seen Madame la Baronne sew
eral times before this, but always at q
distance; now, close to him, he could
appreciate fully her charm. He bowed
low as h usher closed the door.
Good evening, madame"
GOOD evening, monsieur. I must
apologize for this late visit, but my
business Is of SO urgent a nature that
l could not walt till tomorrow"
Madame" said De Sartines with
that perfect falseness which was one
of his charms, IT have had three pleas
nres today, The first was an inter-
view with his majesty, the second an
act OF charity which heaven graciously
permitted me to perform, and the
Yes monsieur? %
The pleasure of seeing SO charm
ing a lady in this grim room"
"Oh. monsieur, not so grim"
Since you entered IT," replied he,
bowling.
Madame Linden took the chair to
which he waved her, a down, sighed,
and asst her eyes about her.
Perhaps, indeed, monsieur, 1t will
be grimmer when / leave it, For they
say that even the ugliest woman takes
something charming away with her
from q place whore she is no longer"
Madame" said De Sartines, "a wom-
an can never take anything more
charming away with her than that
which she brings" 20.
Then, monsieur" replied she, I'm
my case you must reverse your opin-
lon. for l bring a very uncharming
thing with me-
And what is that. madame?"
AN accusation"
An accusation against whom, ma
dame?' " 4
Your agents Of police, monsieur"
De Sartines paused for a moment as
a chessplayers pauses over O. move. He
pushed an armchair from the wall, then
he too his seat.
From your lips, madame" said he,
even an accusation is charming. And
what have my poor police been about
that you should accuse them?"
Monsieur. %sSreplied the baroness, ito
day, in my absence at CompiegnG, they
ransacked my house In the Rue Cog
Heron upset the furniture, turned my
escritoire inside out, and, as a mat
ter OF fact, 100000 francs worth of
jewelry is missing. Neighbors saw the
police agents enter the house, and they
| a testify" f
The amazing i~mpudence OF this move
STRUCK De Sartines like q blow under
the belt, which, in fact, 1t was.
Madame" he cried, forgetting pru-
dence for the moment my agents up
set nothing, There We're no Jewels
stolen" ##I@%
THAT is to say. II there had been
jewels they would have been stolen"
laughed the baroness. Take care,
monsieur you are making confessions.
| oh, monsieur, why try subterfuge with
mes Listen! ! a prove that your
agents came to my house today and
entered 1t like thieves; / a prove
that i opened my escritoire only to
find no Jewels there--a nice tale,
monsieur, to fbe laid before his ma
jesty, at whose feet / am quite prepar-
ed to cast myself, assured as ] am of
his Justice
De Sartines checked the anger that
was rising in his heart. He felt him
self in the presence of a most formid-
able antagonist. 4s.
MY police did not enter your house.
madame, Had they done so. they would
not have tempered with your Jewels.
Policemen are n thieves"
"Since when, MONSIEUR
I Madame" said De Sartines, re-
partee is not my business" :
$50 / should imagine" said the bar
oness, with a little laugh. You have
other work to do. perhaps You are
the guardian Of the public honor; /
can quite imagine how full your hands
must be. I come to o as the guar
dian OF the morals of Paris, and / ask
for the restoration OF my Jewels and
the punishment OF the offenders"
The police have not got your Jew
lels, madame
"Oh, monsieur, their value will do"
Madame, the police have not got
your jewels"
when the king hears my story. he
will think differently. l do not know
what the police have done with rAv
Jewels, but / win take their value"
4Diablei" cried De Sartines, incensed
by this childish r~eiteration. He would
have ordered her from the hotel had
he not felt that behind this ~assassin's
attack on his purse there was a power
and a motive he could not yet gage;
- R-at-AKN - her aaSnann-