The Meridian times. (Meridian, Idaho) 1909-1938, 1921-11-18
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M
deeds OF valor and adventure,
and Dumas 10 a master In his delfnea-
ton of soldiers of fortune-th fatal
marksmanship, their matchless WELD
Ing of sword and rapier, and their
hairbreadth escapes.
In Twenty Years After he pre-
sents his Three Musketeers' some
what more matured and not as rollfck-
ing as when we met them in their early
manhood. but just as ready to cham
pion the needy and unfortunate.
Louis XIII of France lis dead. His
son, the king, is but ten years of age.
The mighty RicheIieu is in his grave.
Mazarin is cardinal, and though but
ghost of his ilIustrious predecessor, he
holds almost absolute control over the
queen--Anne of Austria.
The conditions are opportune for q
story of personal daring and bloody en-
counter.
Mazarin is an italian and is uni
yersally hated. Paris is Ieagued
against the ministry, and the soldiers
Of the royal guard are attacked and
their lieutenant - Cummings is
wounded. Everywhere there are fore
bodings and cries of "Down with MAJ
arin." The cardinal DISCUSSES himself
and tnspects the city. He finds the
"Frondeurs'-the nsurrectionists-in
full sway. Somehow he must secure
trusty servants or downfall awaits
him. D'Artagnan, the lieutenant of
the musketeers, Is recommended, to-
gether with his three sturdy col
leagues. Count de Rochefort is brought
from confinement In the BastiIe to tes-
tffy to D'Artagnan's allegiance, and
Is freed by the mob while being taken
back to prison. Mazarin is In despair
and tells the queen that ''the whole
world conspires to break their bonds"
and DArtagnan is directed to find his
three friends and attach them to the
royal service. Aramis-Abbe D'Her-
blay-is an ecclesiastic In love with
Madame de Longueville. He hates the
cardinal and refuses.
Porthos-the giant-living In lux
ury as Monsieur de Valon de Bracieux
de Pierrefonds, desires above all else
to be baron. He enlists.
Athos Monsieur de la Fere-re-
formed from drink and devoted to a
young ward-Visco de Bragelonne
lis still, as OF old, neble-minded
lover of the people, and will not serve
the cardinal.
Two for and two against Mazarin.
therefore the musketeers make their
way to Paris, where there is great
excitement because of prophecy that
Due de Beaufort-the grandson of
Henry ~ and the idol of the popnlace
will escape from the dungeon of VIM
cennes before Whitsuntide. Beaufort
hates Mazarin and uses ingenious
means Of ridicuIfng him. Grimaud, a
servant OF Athos, Is set to guard him,
and he. with Count de Rochefort, eff
feet his escape; and D'Artagnsn and'
Porthos, seeking to recapture him,
have an encounter In which they are
taken prisoner by Athos and Aramis.
but are set free and the four pledge
mutual friendship. Meanwhile the
preparations for insurrection are H.
tensified and new silly of the popu-
lace cause Is found In Able Scarron
the queens invalid" who is In con-
troll Of the mendieants of Paris, and
whose pension has been cut Off by
Mazarin. Another important charac-
ter is also introduced at this juncture
"A wounded soldier calls for priest.
and he who responds proves to be the
Monk Mordaunt. desperate eharac-
ter whose sole aim is to avenge the
death of his mother, In which the
Three Musketeers" participated.
Learning from the man to whom he
ministered that he had been the ex-
ecutioner OF Milady, Mordaunt stabs