The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1915-03-20

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sprang two steps back and stirred
dreadfully at tn, obstacle. Then he
gave little laugh of relief. 1t was only
a woman. and she dead. He knelt be-
side her to make sure upon this latter
point. She was freezing cold and rigid
| like stick. A little ragged finery
futtered in the wind about her hair.
and her cheeks had been heavily
rouged that same afternoon. Her poxk-
cts were quite empty. but in her stock
ing underneath the garter VilIon found
two of the small coins that went by the
name of whites. 1t was little enough.
but it was always something. and the
poet was moved with n deep sense of
pathos that she should have died be
| fore she had spent her money.
While these thoughts were passing
through his mind he was feeling half
mechanically for his purse. Suddenly
his heart stopped beating. feeling
Of cold scales passed up the back of
his legs and cold blow seemed to
fall upon his scalp. He stood petrified
for moment: then he felt again with
one feverish movement; then his loss
burst upon him. He cursed. He threw
the two whites into the street. He
shook his fist at heaven. He stamp
ed and was not Mortified to find him
self trampling the poor corpse Then
he began rapidly to retrace his steps
toward the house beside the cemetery.
He had forgotten all fear of the patrol.
which was long gone by at any rate.
and had no idea but that of his lost
purse. 1t was in vain that he looked
right and left upon the snow. Nothing
was to be seen. He had not dropped
it in the streets. Had it fallen in the
house? He would have liked dearly to
go in and see. but the idea of the grisly
occupant unnamed him. and he saw
besides as he drew near that their eff
forts to put out the fire had been I'M
successful. On the contrary. 1t had
broken into a blaze, and a changeful
light played in the chinks of door and
window and revived his terror for the
authorities and Paris gibbet.
He returned to the hotel with the
porch and groped about upon the
snow for the money he had thrown
away in his childish passion. But he
could only find one white; the other
had probably struck sideways and
sunk deeply in. With a single white in
his pocket all his projects for a rous-
ing night in some wild tavern vanish
ed utterly away. And it was not only
pleasure that fed laughing from his
grasp: positive discomfort, positive
pain, attacked him as he stood ruefully
before the porch. His perspiratiOn had
dried upon him, and although the wind
had now fallen Il binding frost was
setting in stronger with every hour.
and he felt benumbed and sick at
heart. What w@s to be done? Late as
was the hour, improbable as was sue
cess, he would try the house of his
adopted father. the chaplain of St. Be
mott.
He ran there all the way and knock
ed timidly. There was no answer He |
knocked again ard again. taking heart |
with every stroke. and at last steps |
were heard approaching from within. |
A barred wicket fell open in the iron |
studded door and emitted a gush of |
yellow light.
Hold up your face to the wicket"
said the chaplain from within.
Its only me-" whimpered Villon.
oh it's only you. Is it," returned |
the chaplain. and re cursed him with
foul. unpriestly oaths for disturbing
him at such in hour and babe him be
my hands are blue to the wrist"
pleaded Villon: my feet are dead and
full OF twings: my nose aches with the
sharp air: the cold lies at my heart |
may be dead before morning. Only
this once. father. and. before God. l
will never ask again"
"You should have come earlier" said
the ecclesiHstic coolly. Young men
require lesson now and then" He
shut the wicket and retired deliberate
" into the interior of the house
Villon was beside himself. He beat
upon the door with his hands and feet
and shouted hoarsely after the chap
lain.
A door shut in the interior, family
audible to the poet down long pas
sages. He passed his band over his
with an oath. And then the
humor of the situation struck him. and
he laughed and looked lightly up to
heaven where the stars seemed to be
winking over his discontinue.
What was to be done? 1t looked
very like a night in the frosty streets.
The idea of the dead woman popped
into his imagination and gave him d
hearty fright: what had happened to
her In the early night might very well
happen TO him before morning.
He passed all his chances under re-
view. turning the white between his
thumb and forefinger. Unfortunately
he was On bad terms with some old
friends who would once have taken
pity on him in such a plight. He had
them in verses: be had
beaten and cheated them. and yet now.
bs,r, l,3N In, 1In F0iF hxa
thought there WAS at least one who