Show I J rw w I AEITTI y 11 I UlSIANA I BY ARY EEVEREUX 11TH ILLUSTRATIONS BY DON C WILSON < JOIT7SAt roes ty Liffo ffrorvt arrf Crpy C4j1 OlFj1la PrJe7t CHAPTER I I Paris In tho year 1700 and the garden gar-den of the Tullerles bright with tho sunshine of an autumnal day Two boys seated In tho grass near a path riot far from one of tho ponds were playing with a turtle they had captured cap-tured The humble origin of tho elder a lad of thirteen was evidenced by those physical signs which arc usually usu-ally associated with people of his class but tho other three years younger bore all tho Indications of gentle birth His sire was a baron of tho ancien regime while Pierres father had been a peasant and his widowed mother the faithful nurse other ot-her who had lived but two months after giving birth to the boy Jean whom Margot loved as her own Pierre Presently there came along the i promenade a trio of court gallants attired In the extreme of the prevailing prevail-ing fashion berullled bejeweled and perfumed Ono of them was a slen derly built young man whoso sharp features pale bhe eyes set closely together to-gether thin lips and weak chin gave ample proof of his nature and disposition dispo-sition A more striking contrast to the younger boy could not well bo imagined imag-ined Yet the same blood ran In their veins for the newcomer wasP was-P Jeans halfbrother who had for some tlmo past been occupying an unimportant position at court He espied the two boys before they noticed him so engrossed were they i in headlngoff the turtle whose instinct i in-stinct seemed to tell It how to find away I a-way to the nearby pond The three courtiers paused In tho pathway and Etienne stepping quickly over the grass gave the turtle tur-tle a welldirected kick that sent It splashing Into the water Ho and his friends then laughed boisterously while Jean and Pierre sprang to their feet tho formers eyes 6 p v r I y im II JL I4 1 t II h I III IJ r I r i r V i I am an officer monsieur as you can sec blazing angrily as they met those of his halfbrother Sneaking spoilsport How dared you cried tho boy Dared repeated Etienne Jeeringly Jeering-ly while his companions again laughed uproariously Macs you impudent im-pudent young cub I think It were well to cool your temper by sending you after your turtle With this bo seized Jean by tho collar as If t to throw him Into tho pond Tho lad mute with passion strucl out fiercely with his fists until Etienne his rage making him forget his dandyism and fine raiment grasped more firmly the jeweled cane ho carried and began to rain blows upon tho head and shoulders not so very far below his own not great height while ho held fast to Jeans collar with a grip whoso firmness was out of keeping with his frail and puny build A clear Icytoned voice suddenly cut the air like a flash of steel Pardon monsieur but would you not hike assistance H was tho sonslieutenant whose look had affected Jean so oddly a short time before I have been an unintentional spectator spec-tator of your unmanly conduct monsieur mon-sieur continued the young ofllcor In the same low oven tone as ho calmly faced Etlenno and what I have heard and seen of Its beginning compels com-pels mo to take the part of this young gentleman you have so needlessly abused and angered Dame Who nro you to dare speak to mo In such fashion Etienne demanded fuilously his white fingers again gripping tho cane In a way suggestive sug-gestive of n desire to use It In a new quarter while ho advanced a few stops toward tho souslieutenant who stood with his hands still clasped behind be-hind his back and a fine scorn touching touch-ing tho severe lino of his lips I am an officer monsieur as you can see ho replied his tone In keep ing with his disdainful composure and one who by training as well as by nature cannot hut object to see I mien a display of cowardice In any man be ho courtier or simple cltl ten I Mlle < tonnerrcs I cried Etlonnc I white with rage But you shall answer an-swer for such Insolence I As you please monsieur and whenever when-ever you shall say replied the SOUSe lieutenant glancing past him at the two boys who were now close to one another directly behind Etienne their faces filled with surprise and satisfaction at seeing him thus brought to bay I know you for what you are you CorsIcan beggar Etlenno hissed backing off over the grass and never nev-er fear but that I will remember Then ho turned and tho trio departed depart-ed When they were gone the sous lieutenant Joined tho two boys who were now standing by the edge of tho pond searching for some trace of their late captive As he approached Jean looked up at him and with characteristic Impulsiveness Impul-siveness caught ono of his hands while Pierre with a peasants dumbness dumb-ness gazed at him with an admiration Ills stupid tongue would never have been able to express I love you for that exclaimed the younger boy his face aglow with enthusiasm Ah but it was a fine thing to see Etlenno balked for once onceAnd And who is this Etienne Inquired In-quired the officer scowling as he looked down at tho water My halfbrother Your balt brother repeated the questioner his voice showing surprise sur-prise Sacrc Your life must bo a pleasant one If what I saw be a fair sample of his usual mood and manners man-ners ItCCSThis This day was followed by many another an-other which at Irregular Intervals through the next two years found tho mID and boy together and a strong loyal lovo sprang up between these two so far apart In age and still farther In their respective natures f t Seasons came and passedsprings summers falls and winters to bo strung like beads ujvm tho rosary of time and nearer were drawing those bloody days of France which are to live forever with their gory hue undimmed although the crimson flow that stained them has been dried by the suns of many years In late April of 1792 Monsieur lo 1 Baron was still domiciled nt his Paris house and early April usually found l him In his Languedoc chateau For two years past Etlenno tho simpering coxcomb of n usi wtits VJA lit UUIJ seven had retained his position at court and the atmosphere thus brought about his father tended to throw tho latter more Into the company ot former for-mer friends many of whom were deep In political Intrigues and sought to claim him after his dozen years absence from their circles At the suppers and card parties which made unusual gayety In his fa thers longclosed house mouse Jean was admitted with tho freedom of an ac knowledged favorite Keen of wit and somewhat precocious owing to the intimate companionship of Monsieur Mon-sieur lo Baron he absorbed the talk going on around him and assimilated It with an Intelligence to which his elders gave no thought Unusually tall for his years he had a slender sinewy body and I limbs whoso muscles had been thoroughly developed under tho careful tutelage of old Talro tho barons butler who until middle life had been a soldier It was ho who had taught Jean to ride and shoot and ho had Initiated tho lad young as the latter was Into the Intricacies of foil and rapier practice Affairs In Paris were becoming more and more unsettled Tho law lessness and brutality of the masses grew In strength and daring and ninny of the nobles had fled from France or burled themselves In the country away from the violence which they were helpless to prevent or too loyal to seemingly countenance by their presence and neutrality It was early In the summer when with many misgivings as to time future fu-ture Monsieur lo Baron finally left Paris and retired to his country place In Languedoc Jean together with lIar ol her boy Pierre and a major i ty of the servants went trJlh but a few of tho latter remain tho Paris house with Etienne detesting the quiet llfo of Lantu v f refused flatly to go there I Another reason for his delen tlon lay In the fact that ho War secretly of course In it splbrros employ a thing Mot 1i > j lo Baron suspected but of ehltl lbled had no absolute proof and the ctsexs ants who stopped with tho young Sofii were Revolutionary In sentiment r iiM At the beloved old cOllntryb Jtb1 where everything was more to t o tl taste than In other hr any spot on utthrai Jean forgot much of what had tjfS8 the air of Paris with such Von t and Pierre rioting in vigorous h ails went roaming about hunting ibl park for small game or hidden I snugly In a remote part of the v devoured n book of travels which of pirates and soldiers of fOri who had reaped many a harvest 1 1 riches upon the Spanish main degr This book was tho keynote 1re 1 Jeans dreamworld and It had Iia t been a pastime of the boys that ceill should read It aloud while Pierre l eia ened with absorbed attention Thus It was that the thalll v Soto Pizarro Cortez and tho 1JIj M leaders of adventurous bands tel I for these two boys the Ideals of vi 1 1 their own careers should be t I manhood set them free to art I M their ambitions Time gardens about the place wen TW m wilderness of bloom left very IJIt hili to nature and entirely free from wh J marks of that formal science lelw showed in the generality of Frej toy gardensthe style which had c Into vogue with Lo Notre in the ti J 1ae of Louis XIV IltI But outside the park where boys were not permitted to go iti easy to realize something of the A moll that was shaking Paris tvr away and also tho country nci tvlil about where the peasants were I the Ing meetings secret at first butli yes coming more open as the Jao waxed stronger with each succe day dayTime principal leader and epee Nlfo among the peasantry was ono Ton Fauchel who had recently come fcj f Paris and who appeared for EO reason to have an especial hatred ij sat Monsieur lo Baron But the lat cot whose attention was engrossed by I books and papers know nothing j s ea this as ho rarely went abroad hie seemed to grow more reserved bol gloomy as the days wore on iao The 14th of July the annlversrj of the French nations independei a came and went and on tho nisi tin of August 10th the Assembly haT removed from Paris all the regime nil suspected of being loyal to the kl do there was no armed force to res tho mob that insane with blood lh rib ty passion broke into the Tinted tr butchered the kings attendants ar took away as prisoners the few r I f wero still alive mOver m-Over the chateau in Languedo n that August night the same stars tbi 1 Iii glittered above the carnage of P sl shone upon a scene of peace IJI am Monsieur lo Barons heart was gro ming m-Ing heavier and hit wakeful err q were fixed upon the stars as he 1 It 1 tl in bed looking out of the window 5 foreboding of evil crept chilling C about him and a note of coming wj seemed to sigh In the wind stir among the olive and pepper trees thr mado a small grove outside But In his chamber beyond Jea h unconscious and happy slept a sta t such as could never more be kno lu on earth by the kings little EM h whom only a few months since II r two lads Jcfln and Pierre hil looked at with worshipful awe asf 1 being Infinitely above themselves a I one vho could by no possibility er experience the hard bruits of life 1 Viewed In the light of such t change men seem but lIttle bettej than the pieces upon a chess boart t Fate and time are Invincible powei moving pawns Into the knight squares and sweeping kings quee and knights Into oblivion To be continued |