Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-12-28

Scotch novelist and poet author Of pr ?;
S GshkiyyJn ana Mr. HSae, ;, Kidnapped
Denis de Beaulieu was not yet two
and twenty, but he counted himself a
grown man and very accomplished
cavalier into the bargain. He had put
up his horse, supped with due delibera-
ton, and then in very agreeable frame
of mind went out to pay a visit to a
friend 1t was not a very wise pro-
ceeding He would have done better to
remain at home in his inn. For the
town was full of the troops of Bur-
gundy and England under mixed COM
mand and though Denis was there on
safe conduct, his safe conduct was like
to serve him little on a chance en-
counter.
1t was September, 1929. The weather
had fallen sharp. Dennis walked fast.
and was soon knocking at his friends
door, but though he promised himself
to stay only little while, it was al
ready past midnight when he left
Denis was ill-acquainted with the intri-
cate lanes of this place. Even by day
light he found some trouble in picking
his way. In this absolute darkness he
soon became lost.
| Suddenly he saw a light coming to
meet him and heard loud voices speak
ing together in the echoing narrows of
the lane. 1t was a party of men-at-
arms going the night round with
! torches. Denis assured himself that
| they had all been making free with
wine and were in no mood to be par
| ticular about safe conducts or the nice
ties of chivalrous war. 1t was as like
as not that they would kill him like a
| dog and leave him where he fell. I'm
! fortunately, as he turned to beat a
retreat, his foot rolled upon a pebble
He fell against the wall with an ejacu-
lation and his sword rang loudly on the
stones. He was pursued.
Denis darted into dark doorway, to
draw his sword and back up against
the door to defend himself if need be.
The door swung inward. Denis took
the unexpected refuge. stepped in, and
pushed the door to- Nothing was fur
Their from his thoughts than to close it
altogether, but for some i1eXplicable
reason the ponderous mass of oak
| whipped itself out of his fingers and
! clanked to.
When Denis found himself prisoner
for there was no way to open the
door, as he discovered by trying-he
sought an explanation. He went to the
only light he could see and entered a
| large room, where he recognized the
arms of the house of Maletroit, a we'll
known name. He met there the elderly
Sire de Maletroit, who informed him
OF most preposterous arrangement pre-
pared for him.
Denis was to marry the Sire de Male
! troit's niece, whether he would or no
! something about the honor of the fam
| lily, all of which was a mystery to Denis
The door had been arranged. Denis
had fallen, quite by accident, into a
| trap set for some other man!
| The Sire de Maletroit introduced
Denis to his niece and left him alone
with her. The girl turned upon Denis
with flashing eyes.
And what, sir" she demanded, may
be the meaning of all this?"
God knows" replied Denis gloomily.
IT am a prisoner in this house, which
seems full of mad people. More 1
know not, and nothing do I under
stand"
And, pray how come you here?" she
asked.
He told her as briefly as he could
For the rest" he added, perhaps
you will follow my example and tell me
the answer to all these riddles, and
what, in Gods name, is like to be the
end of it."
She stood silent for a little, and he
could see her lips tremble and her tear
less eyes burn with a feverish luster.
Then she pressed her forehead in both
| hands.
"Alas! how my head aches!" she said
YEARLY, ito say nothing of my poor
heart. But it is due to you to know
am called Blanche de Maletroit.
have been without a father or mother
| for-oh, for as long as I can recollect-
| and, indeed, have been most unhappy
all my life Three months ago a young
captain began to stand near me every
day in church. l could see that I
! pleased him. am afraid I am silly,
but was so glad that any one should
love me, and when he passed me a
it with great pleasure. He was so
anxious to speak with me, poor fellow,
and kept asking me to leave the door
open some evening, that we might have
two words upon the stair. For he knew
how little my uncle trusted me.
MY uncle is a hard man, but he is
very shrewd. He has performed many
| featS in war, and was a great person
at court. How he came to suspect me
I cannot tell, but this morning as we
came from mass he took my hand in
| his. forced 1t open. and read my little
message. When he had finished he
gave it back to me with great politeness.
1t contained another request that I
leave the door open, and this has been
the ruin of us ALL My uncle kept me
strictly in my room until evening, and
then ordered me to dress myself in
this costume of bride, as you see me
a hard mockery for young girl, do you
not think so? 1 suppose when he could
not prevail with me to tell him the
young captains name he must have
laid trap for him, into which, alas!
you have fallen in the anger Of God"
Denis, as became cavalier, inlmedi
ately sought out the Sire de Maletroit
to tell him that he refused his niece's
hand. Whereupon Denis was con-
tronted with a choice-to marry the
niece or to be hanged out Of one of the
hlgh windows at dawn. Such were the
rough habits of the period that so emf
nent man as the Sire de Maletroit
could use even such methods to secure
ms oeslres. And armed men were about
10 see that Denis did not escape.
alone.