Mountain Home Republican. [volume] (Mountain Home, Idaho) 1915-1946, 1921-12-24
~ a LII for one; and one for

This was the oath of the
four comrades: Of d'Artagnan, the
young guardsman, and Of Athos, Por-
thos and Aramis. the Three Mus
keteers.
Only three months had d'Artagnan
been In Paris, yet already he was the
chosen companion of the noblest three
In M. de Treville's picked company of
~musketeers, In the service Of Louis
XIII. A true Gascon, fiercely proud,
ready to fight at q word, the eighteen
yearsold provincial lad had won the re-
spect of the glorious three by challeng-
ing them, and their friendship by help
ing them to drive off the cardinals
guards who would have arrested them
for dueling. Indeed, this latter ex-
plot had won for d%'Artagnan more
than a glance from the king himself,
who vas not displeased to see Richie
lieu's men worsted by his own.
At Meung, even before reaching
Paris, d'Artagnan had had an honor
able encounter. his adversary being a
tall. commanding stranger Of Divine
complexion and SCARED on the cheek.
A beautiful woman had accompanied
this man. Both their faces were
stamped on d'Artagnan's memory.
Before he could be admitted to the
musketeers. d'Artagnan was to serve
probation as a guardsman: but already
he was a mHsketeer in spirit and his
comrades longed as keenIy as he for
the day when he would be allowed to
join their company. Athos, Porthos
and Aramis were alike only in soldier
ly qualities. Athos was Of noble bear
ing, and when he was drunk, he would
talk of a secret sorrow; Porthos was
a great lover of ladies', and declared
that his conquests would bring his
downfall ; Aramis, who had friends In
the church and a sweetheart at court,
pretended that he was only temporarily
a musketeer, and would Willingly
change his plumed hat for a monks
eowi when the time came.
One day d'Artagnan's landlord, Bon
ancieux. burst into the room with news
that Madame Bonancieux, a pretty
seamstress In the service Of the queen,
had just been abducted. From the
landlords description d'Artagnan rec
ognized the abductor as his man OF
Meung. and was anxious to help. the
more so when he learned that the OBJ
Ject Of the abduction was to force the
lady to tell what she knew Of the love
affair between the queen and George
VIlllers, Duke Of Buckingham, who
was coming secretly to Paris.
1t was in their resolve to protect
Madame Bonancieux, for whom the I'M
questionable d'Artgnan had suddenly
conceived an undying affection, that
the four comrades came together In
their oath.
Remember" said Aramis. "hence-
forth we are at issue with the Car
dinal."
Aided by d'Artagnan, who f'ught OF
the Cardinals officers, the lady con-
trived to escape. He declared his love
for her. but she would promise moth
Ing. Next time he saw her she was
conducting the Duke of Buckingham,
disguised as a musketeer, toward the
royal palace. If d'Artagnan had fol-
he would have learned that the
queen did indeed love Buckingham, but
was loyal to the king. AS a token she
gave Buckingham twelve diamond
the king had given her.
A spy reported this to Richelieu,
who saw in 1t an opportunity to attack
the king, the queen and the duke all
at once First Richelieu asked the
king to give a ballet for the queen and
ask her to wear the diamond studs,
and then he sent a message to Lady
de Winter In London, telling her to
two of the studs from Bucking-
ham. Learning of this plot through
Madame Bonancieux, d'Artagnan re-
solved to serve both his lady and his
queen by recovering the jewels. For
London the four comrades set out.
beset by the Cardinals men on the
road, three were wounded, and only