Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1917-03-02

Germans has conferred around the
region comprising La BaSSee, Be-
thune, ArmentiereS and the little
River Lys, all on the tvo war-torn
roads to Lille. SeUenty-ttUo gears
ago Alexandra Dumas made these
places famous as the final dramatic
scene Of his Immortal novel, "Ihe
Three MuSketeerS."
A vast storm of rain and wind swept
the fiat country when DArtagnan and
his friends, Athos, Porthos and Ara
mis-, the three musketeers of Louis
XIII, 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-
tons 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, a sentinel,
advanced from the shelter of a tree.
DismOunting, they followed him to
little, lonely house on the bank of the
River Lys, within 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 la Fere and
afterward MiIady de Winter, baroness
of Sheffield. D'Artagnan, it is for you
to accuse her first"
Before God and before man." said
D'Artagnan tiercely, Il accuse this
woman of having poisoned the girl 1
loved, Constance Bonacieux."
eve bear witness to this" said
POrthos and Aramis.
Lord de Winter advanced. Before
God and man, accuse this woman Of
having caused the assassination of the
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,
demand justice upon you!"
"My turn ~ cried Athos, his great
frame trembling. 81, who truly am
COuhl NC III Il GIG ILLS NOllull
when she was young girl. gave her
my wealth. gave her my name. And
[ discovered that she was branded
marked with the tieur-de-lis, the hang
mans brand for thieves"
With wild, futile effort, the woman
lifted her head and defed AthOs to
name the tribunal that had delivered
such a sentence.
The man in the red cloak advanced
without a sound. Slowly he took off
his mask. The woman's countenance
became livid. Her hair seemed to rise
above her face like something dread
fully alive.
Help Helpw she screamed. She
tore at the wall as If she would scratch
a hole through it for escape. "The
eXecutiOner of Lillew came from her
suffocating throat. "The executioner
of Lillew
"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 a 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 it's 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 O
small boat. Athos handed him q sun
of silver. Here" he said, "is the price
of the execution, that it may be plain
we act as judges"
at is correct" answered the execu
toner. He threw the money into the
river.
The boat with its burden, passed tc
the left shore of the Lys. The Others
remained on the right bank, where
they fell on their knees.
/ n