The Washington herald., 1920-09-13

Go to the south gate-the south
gate, mind-and say to the guards
there, The falcon has left his
nest" They will pass you. and
you will go to the south entrance
to the palace. Repeat the words,
and give this letter to the man
who will reply Let him strike
when he will This is the pass
word, monsieur, entrusted to me
by my uncle, Cor now when the
country is disturbed and men plot
against the kings life, no one
without it can gain entrance to
the palace grounds after night
fall. II you will, monsieur, take
hfm this letter so that my mother
may see him before she close her
eyes"
The poet thrust the letter into
his breast, and bounded down the
stairway. The lady, when he was
gone, returned to the room below.
The eloquent eyebrows of the
marquis interrogated her.
He is gone" she said. "as fleet
and stupid as one OF his own
sheep to deliver it."
The table shook again from the
batter of Capt. Desrolles' fist.
Sacred name" he cried; Il
have left my pistols behind, l can
trust no others"
Take this" said the marquis,
drawing from beneath his cloak
shining. great weapon, orna-
meDted with carven silver. There
are Sone truer. But guard it close
IL 70 .
crest, and already l am suspected.
Me. | must put many leagues be-
tween myself and Paris this night.
Tomorrow must find me in my
chateau. After you, dear countess"
David sped. At the south gate
of the kings residence a halberd
was held to his breast, but he
turned its point with the words:
The falcon has left his nest"
Pass, brother" said the guard,
and go quickly"
On the south steps Of the pal
ace they moved to seize him, but
again the mot de passe charmed
the watchers. One among them
stepped forward and began: Let
him strike" but a furry among
the guards told of a surprise. A
man of keen look and soldierly
stride suddenly pressed through
them and seized the letter which
David held in his hand. Come
with me- he said, and led him
inside the great hall. Then he
tore open the letter and read it.
He beckoned. to a. man uniformed
as an officer of smuskctecrs, who
was passing. Captain Tetr4u.
You will have the guards at the
south gate arrested and copfincd
Place men known to be loyal in
their Places To David h. said:
Come with me-"
He conducted him through
corner and an antcroom into a
spacious chamber. where 4 mel
ancholy man, somberly dressed,
sat broodins in a great, leather
covered chair. To that man he
said:
sire. I have told you that the
palace is as full of traitors and
spies as a, sewer is of rats. You
have thought. sire. that il was
my fancy. This man penetrated
to your very door by their con-
nivance. He bore letter which
] have intercepted. l have brought
him here. that your majesty may
no longer think my zeal EXCESS
ive.''
81 will question him" said the
king, stirring in his chair. He
looked at Davd with heavy eyes
dullcd by an opaque film. The
poet bent his knee.
From where do you Gomez"
asked the king.
From the village of Vernoy,-in
the province of Eure-et-Loir.
sire -
What do you follow in Paris?"
II would be a poet, sire"
What did. you in vernoy?"
Il minded my fathers -nock of
sheep" ...- .-...
"Ah! in the feldsp ... .-.
Yes, sire"
You lived in the fields: YOU
ing and lay among the hedges in
the grass. The flock distributed
itself upon the hillside; YOU
drank of the living stream; you
ate your sweet, brown bread IN
the shade. and you listened,
doubtless. to blackbirds piping in
the grove. Is not that so, shep-
herd?"
Nowhere. sire, so sweetly as
in Eure-et-Loir. l have endeay-
ored to express their song in
some verses that 1 have written"
Can you repeat those verses2"
asked the king, eagerly. "A long
time ago 1 listened to the black
birds. 1t would be something
better than a kingdom il one
could rightly construe their song.
And at night you drove the sheep
to the. fold and then sat. in peace
and tranauility.Sto to your pleasant
bresd. Can YOU repeat those
verses, shepherd2' -
They run this way, sire" said
David with respectful ardour:
Lazy shepherd. see your lamb
kins
Skip. ecstatic. on the mead;