The Elk Mountain pilot., 1917-02-22
The Two War-Torn Roads to Lille in Dumas
By j. w. MULLER
Copyright BY J. W. Muller

Practically all the fighting on the
western front between British and
Germans has centered around the
region comprising La Bassee, Be
thune, Armentieres and the little
River Lys. all on the two War-torn
roads to Lille. Seventy-two gears
ago Alexandra Dumas made these
places famous as the final dramatic
scene of his immortal novel. "I'he
Three Musketeers."
A vast storm of rain and wind swept
the fiat country when D'Artagnan and
his friends, Athos, Porthos and Ara
mis-, the three musketeers of Louis
NH, rode out of the town of Bethune,
to hold their reckoning with the wom-
an known as Milady, the famous spy
and tool of the kings uncomfortably
powerful minister, Cardinal Richelieu.
Two other horsemen accompanied
them. One was an Englishman, Lord
de Winter, just arrived in France ex-
pressly to aid them. The other was
man known only to Athos, who had
added him to the party without intro
ducing him. Immensely tall, this man,
who was wrapped in a great red cloak,
wore a tight mask and accompanied
them in utter silence.
The powerful horses splashed
through mud and streams. Their riders
urged them headlong, although it was
so black that the road could be
glimpsed only by momentary illumina-
tions from lightning.
With the wind tearing through their
plumes, they passed through Festubert.
They skirted the wood of Richebourg.
At Herlier they turned to the left and
north of Armentieres.
In the outskirts of Armentieres they
drew rein. One of their men, sentinel,
advanced from the shelter of tree.
little, lonely house on the bank of the
River Lys, within a hundred yards of
a small ferry.
The musketeers ran at the house and
broke in. A woman, most beautiful,
richly apparelled, faced them with star
ing eyes.
1--WE want" said Athos in a terrible
voice, Charlotte Backson, who once
was called Comtesse de Ia Fere and
afterward Milady de Winter, baroness
Of Sheffield. D'Artagnan, 1t is for you
to accuse her first"
Before God and before. man." said
D'Artagnan fiercely, II accuse this
woman of having poisoned the girl
loved, Constance Bonacieux."
1--WE bear witness to this" said
Porthos and Aramis.
Lord de Winter advanced. Before
God and man, accuse this woman of
duke of Buckingham at behest of
Cardinal Richelieu. That Is not all.
My brother, who made this woman his
heir, died in three hours. Assassin of
buckingham, assassin of my brother,
l demand justice upon you"
my turnl" cried Athos, his great
frame trembling. II, who truly am
Count de la Fere, married this woman
when she was n young girl. l gave her
my wealth. I gave her my name. And
1 discovered that she was branded
marked with the fieur-de-lis, the hang
mans brand for thieves"
With n wild, futile effort, the woman
lifted her head and defied Athos to
name the tribunal that had delivered
such a sentence.
The man in the red cloak advanced
without sound. Slowly he took off
his mask. The woman's countenance
t,-;I hot TO vi So
above her face like something dread
fully alive.
"Help! Help!" she screamed. She
tore at the wall as If she would scratch
hole through it for escape. 1.-The
executioner of LIlle!' came from her
suffocating throat. 1.-THE executioner
of Liller
"What is the penalty you demand
against this woman?" demanded Athos
with hollow voice.
"The punishment of death ~ replied
the others.
Milady dragged herself toward them
on her knees. Without word, the
swordsmen's lackeys seized her and
bore her from the house, followed
closely by the executioner.
1t was midnight. The storm had
passed. The houses of Armentieres and
the skeleton of its high belfry stood
black against a slowly rising moon.
Low, stunted trees stood along the
Lys, like deformed, squatting dwarfs
watching the sinister scene.
The executioner bound the woman's
hands and feet and carried her to a
small boat. Athos handed him sum
of silver. Here" he said, sis the price
Of the execution, that it may be plain
we act as judges
at is correct" answered the eNecu-