The Detroit times. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1903-1920, 1913-09-13
Historical Romance. BIZ

ness. would yet save him. And the
nope and the fear racked HIN and he
wasted away ard burned as with
fever.
"Iou are not well. my friend" said
the governor. The doctor must see
you"
But Francois refused lightly and
laughed and fell to singing an old
peasant song OF France which he had
remembered lately; he got up on the
table and droned II to an imaginary
fiddle which he pretended to play al
ter the manner Of old Jacques Arne,
who played for dances In Vicques.
DE tous cote's ION dit que je suis
bette
Celia Be peut! Et dependant zen ris
Car. mes amis, 81 ~ perd la tete.
10 ny perd pas pour celia, rappetit!
Assis a table, a pombre dune treble,
Je bois ct ris
ct gaiment je m ecrie
En- avalant bouteille sur bouteille,
A quot sert iesprit?'
So ran the song. And the governor
was taken with a violent fancy for 1t.
He roared at 1t. and sang 1t over in
fragments till he had learned 1t, and
then he sang 1t and roared again and
slapped his knee; there was q droll
comedy in Francois rendering also,
not to be explained-and the count
said that Francois must come to his
rooms the next night for dinner and
hn q
ten to new one of his own.
So Francois was taken down the
stone staircase and conducted to the
two rooms which were the governors
suite. He knew them well. for he had
dined. as has been said, many times
with the count. But tonight he was
left alone few moments In the outer
room. the living-room. while the gov
ernor was In the bedroom, and he
looked about keenly with a strained
attention which grew out Of the sup
pressed hope Of escape. Who knew
what bit OF knowledge Of the castle
might be vital, and who knew how
soon? He noted the swords and pis-
tolls hanging on the wall, and marked
light saber whose scabbard was
brightly polished as II the blade also
were kept In good order. On the ia
BILE he saw the flint and steel with
which Count Won Gersdorf lighted his
pipe; he stepped to the. window and
bent out, scanning the wall. A stone
coping, wide enough for a mans foot,
but little more. ran, four feet below;
ten feet beyond the window 1t ended
In the roof OF shed, sloping roof
where a man could drop down. yes,
or even climb up with ease. A man.
as Francois had climbed-like q cat
for certainty and lightness. But what
then. when one was In the courtyard?
1t was walled about with a stone wall
sixteen feet high: these old ancestors
Of Pietro, who had built this place.
had planned we'll to keep Petro's
friend. In prison.
80 Francois, not hopeful OF sortie
by that point, drew In his head from
the open window and took to examin.
ing the walls of the governors room.
There we're three dOOrs-one from the
hall by which he had come, one be-
mind which he now heard the count
moving In his bedroom, and a third.
The count had gone through this last
door one night month before. into
dark, winding, stone staircase, and
disappeared for three minutes. and
brought up bottle OF wonderful
wine.
"A fine stock they put down there
the Italians who ruled here for
eight hundred-odd years." he had said.
I've lowered 1t a bit. A good spa
cious wine-cellar and grand old wine.
You will be the better for a little"
And Francois had watched him as he
put the brass key back on the chain
which hung from his belt.