The Washington herald., 1920-09-13

forgive me2 1t is surely not be-
coming that / should inquire
where he lodges"
Madame, do not say so. l live
in the"
NO. no, no; do not tell me. Now
l see that l erred. But | cannot
lose the interest l feel in this
house and all that is in it. Once
1t was my home. Often | come
here but to dream of those happy
days again. VIII you let that be
my excuse"
Let me tell you. then, for you
need no excuse" stammered the
poet. Il live in the top ioor-thc
small room where the stairs turn"
I'm the front ROOM" asked the
lady, turning her head sidewise.
The rear, madame"
Il will detain you no Jonger,
then, monsieur" she said, en-
ploying the round and artless eye.
She was gone, leaving but a
smile and a trace of sweet per
fume. David climbed the stairs
as one in slumber. But he awokc
from it. and the smile and the
perfume fingered with him and
hINtl W dlu uiu elInPT seem
quite to leave him. This lady OF
whom he knew nothing droYe him
to lyrics of eyes, chansons of
swiftly conceived love. odes to
curling hair. and sonnets to slip
pers on slender feet.
Poet he must have been, for
fNonne was forgotten; this fine,
new loveliness held him with its
freshness
perfume about her filled him with
strange emotions
On a certain night three per-
sons were gathered about a table
in room on the third floor of the
same house. Three chairs and the
table and a lighted candle upon
1t was all the furniture. One of
the persons was a huge man,
dressed in black. His expression
was one of sneCring pride. The
ends of his upturned moustache
reached nearly to his mocking
eyes. Another was a lady, young
and beautiful, with eyes that
could be round and artless, like a
child's, or long and cozening, like
a gipsy's, but were now keen and
ambitious, like any other con-
spirator's. The third was a man
of action. a combatant, a bold and
impatient executive. breathing
fire and steel. He was addressed
by the others as Capt. DcsrolIes.
This man struck thc table with
his fist, and said, with controlled
violence:
Tonight Tonight as he goes
to midnight mass. l am tired of
the plotting that gets nowhere. I
am sick of signals and ciphers and
secret meetings and such bara-
gouin. Let us be honest traitors.
The lady turned upon him a coz
dial look. Woman, however weu-
dcd to plots, must ever thus bow
to rash courage. The big man
stroked his upturncd mustache.
Dear captain" he said, in
great voice. softened by ha bit,
this time ! agree with you. Moth
ing is to be gained by waiting.
Enough of the palace guards be
long to us to make the endeavor a
safe one"
Tonight" repeated Capt. Des-
ROLES, again striking the table.
But now said the huge man.
softly. comes a question. Word
must be sent to our, partisans in
the palace, and a signal agreed
upon. Our stanchest men must
accompany the royal carriage At
this hour what messenger can
penetrate so far as the south door
way? Ribout is stationed there;
once a message is placed in his
hands, all will go we'll"
Listen" exclaimed the lady,
rising and resting her hands upon
the table: I'm garret of this
house lives youth from the prov
inces as guileless and tender as
the lambs he tended there. / have
met him twice or thrice upon the
stairs. j questioned him, fearing
that he might dwell too near the
room in which we are accus-
TONED to meet. He is mine, IL
viii. He writes poems in his gar
ret, and l think he dreams of me.
He viii do what / say. He shall
take the message to the palace"
while the conspirators were
thus engaged, David was polishing
some lines addressed to his amo-
rette descalier. He heard a tim
orous knock at his door. and
opened 1t, with great throb, to
oehold her there. painting as one
In straits, with eyes wide open
and artless, like a child's.
monsieur she breathed.- II
come to you in distress. / believe
you to be good and true, and 1
know OF no other help. How I
few through the streets among
the staggering menI Monsieur,
my mother Is dying. My uncle IS,
captain of guards in the palace
OF the king. Some one must ny
to bring him. May I,hope--"
Mademoiselle." interrupted Da-
vid, his eyes shining with the do
sire TO do her service, your hopes
shall be my wings. Tell me how
! may reach him."
The lady thrust scaled paper
into his hand. .