Morris tribune. [volume] (Morris, Minn.) 1880-2000, 1914-08-28

- Sometimes the wind made a
sally and scattered it in flying vortices;
sometimes there was lull, and fake
after fake descended out Of the black
might air, silent, circuitous, intermina
bile,
IS The cemetery of ST. John had taken
its own share of the snow. The clock
was hard on 10 when the patrol went
by with halberds and lantern, beat
ing their hands. and they saw nothing
suspicious about the cemetery Of st.
John.
Yet there was small house. backed
mp against the cemetery wall, which
was still awake, and awake to evil
purpose, in that snoring district. There
was not much to betray it from with
out. only stream OF warm vapor from
the chimney top, patch where the
snow melted on the roof and few
half obliterated footprints at the door.
But within. behind the shattered win
dows, Master Francis Villon, the poet,
and some Of the thieyish crew with
whom he consorted, were keeping the
night alive and passing round the bot
tie.
{ "A great pile Of living embers diffused
q strong and ruddy glow from the
arched chimney. Before this straddled
Dom Nicolas, the Picardy monk, with
his skirts picked up and his fat legs
barred to the comfortable warmth. His
face had the berry, bruised appearance
of the continual drinkers.
On the right Villon and Guy Tabary
were huddled together oyer q scrap OF
Darchment. villons making ballad
which he was to call the Ballad of
Roast Fish, and Tabary spluttering
admiration at his shoulder. The poet
was rag of man, dark. little and
lean. with hollow cheeks and thin.
BLACK locks. He carried his four and
twenty years with feverish animation.
Greed had made folds about bis eyes.
Evil smiles had puckered bis mouth.
The wolf and zig struggled together in
his t'ce 1t was an eloquent, sharp,
ugly. earthly countenanee. His hands
were small and prehensile, with fingers
knotted like a cord. and they were con
tinually AickeIing in front OF him in
violent and expressive pantomime.
As for Tabary. a broad, compIacent.
admiring imbecility breathed from his
squash nose and SOLDERING lips. he
had become thief just as he might
have become the most decent OF bur-
gesses by the imperious chance that
rules the lives of human geese and hu-
man donkeys.
At the monks other hand Montigny
and Thevenin Pensete played game
OF chance About the FIRST there clung
some favor of good birth and training,
as about a fallen angel Something
long, 1.-THE and courtly in the person;
something aquiline and darkling in the
face. Thevenin. poor soul. was in
great feather He had done a good
stroke of knavery that afternoon in
the Faubourg st. Jacques, and all
night he had been gaining from Mon
Eigny.
- Doubles or quitsw said Thevenin.
MOntigny nodded grimly.
Some may prefer to dine in state
silver plate. Or. or-help me out
GuidOp'
Tabary giggled
'Or parsley ON a golden DISH" scrib
bled the poet
The wind was freshening without
1t drove the snow before it. The colo
was growing sharper.
Cant you hear it rattle in the glib
bet?" said VillOn '"They are all dane
ang the devils jig on nothing up there
You may dance, my gallants. You'll
DE none the warmer. Whew. what
gust! Down went somebody just now
IA medlar the fewer on the three leg
ged medlar tree! | say. Dom Nicolas
4tll be cold tonight on the St Deni
3rOadY he asked
Tabary laughed immoderately owe
the medlars. He had never heard any
thing more lighthearted, and he hell
stis sides and crowed. VilIon fetchet
him FLIP on the nose. which turne,
mis- mirth into an attack of coughing.
''Oh. stop that row." said villor
'.and think of rimes to 'fishr Loo
s5Rf Monugny
All three peered covertly at tn
agamester. He did not seem to be Ell
a5Oying his luck His mouth was a Iii
tile to side. one nostril nearly shu
sind the other much inflated. Th
black dog was on his back. as peopl
I say. In terrifying nursery metapho
y and he breathed hard under the grew
some burden.
There was brief and fatal mov'
snent among the gamesters. The roun
vas completed and Thevenin was JIM