Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1921-08-19

4 Monsieur dc la Chatre appeared to be
in q bad humor, He gulped down his
| win hastily, seeming not to taste it.
With frown Of irritation he drew from
| his belt letter, of which the seal was
already broken. Opening it with quick,
angry motions, he held it before him,
and frownod the more deeply
sPeste1 he exclaimed, when the maid
had left the kitchen, and then he went
on in rich, virile energetic voice: ITO
I've met on the road by such = letter.
When | saw the courier in the distance
felt that he WAS bound for me, and that
| he brought ANNOYANCE with him. The
duke has never before used such q tone
i to me. III he were on the ground, and
knew the trouble these dogs OF heretics
give me, he would doubtless change his
manner of speech
.'Monseigneur the Duke of Guise GER
tainly wrote in haste, aud therefore his
expressions have an abruptness that he
did not intend" replied Montignac, in
low, discreet, dcfereatial voice, whose
very tone was attuned to the policy OF
subtle flattery which he employed toward
his master. "And he acknowledges, as
well, your many successes as he COM
dc Ia Tournoire.
So the letter by which the governor
was so irritated came from the Duke OF
Guise, and concerned myself My work
in Berri had not been in vain. Instinc-
lively | grasped the hilt of my sword,
and at the same time | smiled to myself
to think how La Chatre might have felt
had he known that, while himself and
his secretary were the only persons in the
iun kitchen, the Sieur de In Tournoire saw
and beard them from the crack OF the
slightly open door at the top OF the stair
way. To make myself safer from dis
eoverv, | now took my eve from the
crack, keeping my ear sufficiently near
10 catch the words OF my enemies. |
glanced at Blaise, who had heardvnough
TO acquaint him with the situation, and
whose open-eyed face had taken on an
expression of alertness and amazement
eomical to behold, He too, had me-
chanically clutched the handle OF bus
sword. Neither of us moving or speak
ing. we both listened. But the governors
next words were drowred by the noise
that came from outside, as the landlord
opened the front door to reenter the mn.
La Chatrcs men, now supplied with wine
had taken up a song with whose words
and tune we were well acquainted.
The singers uttered the word "Hugue-
nots, and the exclamation "ah. with
an expression of loathing and scon
which could have been equalled only by
the look of defiance and hate that sud-
denly ahghted on the face Of Rlaise.
he gave deep gulp, as il forcing back,
for safety, some answering cry that rose
from his breast and sought exit. Then
he ground his teeth, and through closed
lips emitted from his throat low growl,
precisely like that OF a pugnaeious dog
held IN restraint.
The landlord closed the door, and the
song of La Chatre's men sank into q
nidcly melodious murmur. The host
then went out by rear door, and the
governor resumed the conversation.
"Corb@ufl He is a fox, this Tour
noire, who makes his excursions by night,
and who cannot be tracked TO his bur
row"
I'VE know, at least, " put in the secre-
tary, in his mild way, that his burrow
is somewhere in the WOO cd mountains
at the southern border Of the province.
Then he knows those mountains
better than the garrisons dc" said La
Chatre. ''The troops from the southern
towns have hunted the hills in vain.
ITO be continued)