Pierre weekly free press. (Pierre, S.D.) 1889-19??, 1913-10-09
these thoughts a chm, idea sudaarly

these thoughts a chilly idea suddarly
crossed her mind.
Was 1t possible for De Sartines to or.
der the release of De L%ussac? Had ar
order OF release. like an order of in,-
pr1sonment, to be signed by the kingf
II this We're so, the harmony of her
plan would be spoiled; she would have
to wait till the morrow for the comte'a
release.
She was considering this point when
the III Of the bell below made her
start. She listened. Steps sounded on
the stairs, leaving the drawing-room.
h entered the boudoir.
Scarcely had she lone SO when the
door of the boudoir opened and she
found herself face to face with De Lus.
sac.
De Lussac, when he left the house Of
Jean Jacques Rousseau, found tnat the
evening was much lighter than ne ex-
pected. Rousseau's house with Its mar
row dusty windows and atmosphere OF
age and gloom was almost in darkness
but the Rue Plastriere was fully light
ed. With a few francs, which he bor>
rowed from the philosopher, he hired
a passing cabriolet which set him dow
at the corner of the Rue Peysette.
he had now no fear Of compromising
the woman he loved by going to her
house, knowing as he did the weapon
n held against his enemies.
For a second they stood, he at the
door, h in the middle Of the room, as
II doubling each others existence; the
next, she was in his arms.
You are free!"
I am free, mordieu; yes, I am free"
He led her to a couch. "Free, unless
they catch me again. They arrested
me when l left your house yesterday,
and broke out of the Bastile today
disguised as my kinsman, De Richelieu.
But before | tell of myself, tell me OF
have heard Of your devotion, but tell
me OF 1t with your own lips. You have
She laughed. Eyes, and a frightful
price l had to pay for it."
You"
II had to kiss Monsieur de Rich
elieu."
You are forgiven" laughed De Las.
sac.
y let him embrace me-"
you are forgiven"
Il promised him"
"What?"
Never mind"
But tell me-"
Tell me first, my friend, your ad,
ventures; mine are the adventures of
/ a woman whose only were u
kiss and a promise, scarcely worth re-
counting. Tell me.
He old her briefly but graphically;
Epld her OF n prison he had escaped
from and It's horrors; Of De Richelieu,
whom he had left half strangled on
the bed; of Beauregard, whom he had
lett half dead in h woodward; of tho
agent of police whom hi had felled,
the carriage he had stolen, and of
Rousseau, with whom he had sought
shelter.
Is Like Rousseau, as she listened she
could scarcely believe that the elegant
De Lassac, this poet and dreamer, was
the man who had lone these things.
so" said h when he had finished,
you are still %pursued?'
De Lussac laughed. by my faith.
yes. Not that I care now that, thanks
to you, we have De S%artines in our
power"
My friend" said she, eth the game
is finished n knows the end
ing. Should De Sartines free himself
py some master-stroke, you would be
lost and in a worse position than be-
tore, because your treatment of the
Due De Richelieu would be held
against you; and should Monsieur
Beauregard die, which God forbid, they
would perhaps exact your life as pay
ment for his.
Attend to me. When I start for
Vienna tonight you must
Doh SSh vi w. SdIIldHc.
Monsieur Gorges, my landlord, from
whom l rented this house, has left in
the lumber room. among other things,
some clothes that belonged to his
lackeys. Rosine will show you the
room. Disguise yourself, then go to
vaudrln the livery-stable keeper in
the Rue de la Harpe, ask to see the
traveling-carriage that is to cali for
me here at ten o'clock; examine it as
a good servant should; test the springs,
see that the axles are faultless; and
when the hour comes, arrive, on the
box. My poor Armand, you must be
content to be my servant till we ar
rive at Vienna"
81 shall be your servant till I die:
Yes, but no my lackey-''
As4she spoke the clock on the man
tel struck eight. She rang the bell for
Rosine. -
Now you must go, and we shall not
meet again till you open the carriage
door for me at ten o'clock. There is
Rosine; go, my friend, for I am expect
Ing Monsieur de Sartines."
Monsieur de Sartines?"
Yes, and Monsieur de Maupeou. and
Madame de Stenlis, and several other
brilliant people who are much DINNER
since I have had to deal with them. Till
ten o'clock. then"
De Lussac kissed her hand.
What plan she was about to execute
he did not know, but he felt vaguely
uneasy, knowing as he did her spirit,
her hatred of the minister Of police.
and the latter's power and capacity for
trickery.
He left the ROOM, following Rosine.
and Madame Linden, passing into the
drawing-room, sat down. to await
events.