Show STORy Of j nlE RtD KING It BY GEORGIANA EVANS CopyrIght 1898 the s S McClure Coy I Fr Benoit and I wereIn the middle > of our game r chesshe Is good t enough to say that I theFool play the best game of all the chateaus Ctm it JV panywlfin came the page of the j pemolsell AIs to say that his mistress mis-tress followed upon him and lade u attend tQ speak with her Go tell toy niIstrcss my butterfly that lIen sage and holy men are in councilI began bravely enough when the arras parted again behind the stripling and a rose flung srpart ly struck me on the mouth Next came the Demoiselle Alys herself carryIng a great nosegay of her weapons it being be-ing June and her birth month She i bore the seal of it on her cheeks and I in her eyes which were blue as pan sics and clad in her green silk frock she seemed but another rose For the Demoiselle Alys was the merriest mer-riest or ladies When she was no longer than my bauble I held her upon my knee and I remember that she I laughed long before she learned to T14k c f LVif I i rj i I I BAUBLE SALUTE CRIED SHE ANTD FLUNG TEE PSES AT IE i M > I r I t II 2 ¼ z I I speakthough she learned that early tooShe She burst out laUghing now because we stared at her Bauble salute cried she and flung all her roses at me I went down on my knees to pick them lip and Fr Benoit chancing to smile at me she turned on him Thou too Tonsure and Cockscomb together And down he had to plump and helped me remake the bunch When it was complete the Demoiselle Demoi-selle Aly made us sit and stood before us leaning against the chess table Seeing Fr Benoit peering behind her t n see that she did not disarrange the pi ces she swept them all Into a heap t ith her little handall except the red kIDg which she held and turned around and around under the thoughtful gaze of her blue eyes Vas It tJJou Foolwh astnlay ing with the redo red-o quoth twas the holman yonder the innocent whites were miner > mine-r She turned to Fr Denoit Didst ever think upon The red king father Only when I castle replied thE > priest wondering at the seriousnesS of her tone Or when he is sore pressed she went on slowly 1ut tis strange how wo choose our color and our ldn not knowing if he be or stern stuff to fight wellor of the kind that cowers in a corner Vas the red king winning father 7 No he was losing confoundedly I broke in and hallst thou not come chattering hither I would soon have hung another bell in mY cap She sighed and tucked the rl king in the bosom of her frock Thou her fair little forehead clearer Now attend at-tend both of you she commanded I come on an affair ofof state Be ser lOUR at once Ve looked as reriom as we QuId looking at her She smiled back at us Wit bptuty holiness What a council we make Ve ought to contain great things So we would were thou downstairs again said Fr Benoit She made a littlE face at him lonsigneur irotle3 demanded sh of me tdil me what is the sadde thing in the world 7 1 An honest man looking in vain ford 1 for-d his price I replied Foolish as ever chirped the DnlCislc Als The saddest thing in the world is a friendless maiden YIHlt dost thou know of such asked Fr Benoit She sighed and laid the bunch or roses against her cheek then held them out and looked at them They are 1 faded already she mused aloud Tis thE same with every one I gather let it but lie a moment on my breast and it is withered Sometimes I thhik they hat me But If the flowers are not thy frIend said Fr Benoit still are thou not friendless Forget not thy father and mother and thy kinsmen Yell thenI have friends she pouted but I can never have aught that I desire 1 never remember thy failing of thy wish said Fr Denolt quietly Then thou hast forgot the day I was 5 years old and the merchant came and opened his packs and I cried for the blue beads and was not let to have themTumpery Trumpe things said the priest I not fitting for a demoiselle But I did nt ask to he horn a demoiselle de-moiselle cried the Demoiselle AIs ann I cried for them so Yell what is it now I cut in he Ing out or practice In silence More blue heads Or a puppet dressed in cIvet Or mayhap It is my bauble it goes equally well with motley or petticoat Perhaps she said saucily It is anew a-new fool I would like Having thusanqufsl me she grew S1lOUS and looked at us with strahge 4 eys toft and sllirni and shook her ehYf SdStOhft adn Shidrtif head then dropped it Dost wIsh me to shrive thee Fr Benoit asked Igndly butshcsHook her little drooping head again Perhaps I suggested it is the Id vic of voridh wisdom thou l1eedeRt Come I will teach thee retorwto tale all the wind out of thY ouslnIs bdls sails 1 can make them for m ptf1 she answered then looked UP with brightened bright-ened cheeks and eyes Dost know my bowerwo nan Rosalind she asked of Sr Benoit He bowed assent She Is Q lnjdve the foolish wench This time it WasI who nodded loAm1 she wishes to be married concluded the Demo selle Alys grave jrell it is right to speak to me of itt said Fr Benoit I will reid the banns Sunday Whom doth she wish to marry Z Qur demoiselle Irokcd at us with steady eye The Sieur dAudHly Now this Sieur dAudHlY was newly become the captain of l10nseigneurs arquebusiers and was as wild evil Darned handsome a goodfornothIng as ever one could find in a years jour I ney Tales 0 his doings lad come before be-fore him to the castle for he was indeed in-deed but a stranger among us and though I took note that they more concerned I con-cerned hIs conquests amo7Jg the petticoats petti-coats than victories over men with good weapons in their hands yet Mon lgneur who thinks all that is in any clegrte a part of his family and so he counted this young blood have virtues in their very vices had said that here was the man to make a valiant fighter An untried captain in truth he was I I Monseigneut would not wish his cap tain and kinsmen to stoop to his i daughters bowerwoman for wife I And yet being penniless and as I say I unstable it would seem that even poor TIosalind was too good for him Truly bowerwomen are become ambitious am-bitious since my day and striplings mor modest said 1 Father Benoit puffed out his lower lip and said nothing noth-ing ingI I suppose it Is not a matter of the rlck to marry above ones station snanpel the Demoiselle AIs No1 returned It is good to see nn arquebusier with a fine aim For as I saId Rosalind was a good girl Our demoiselle Hushed scarlet and her blue eyes shone like angry stars Who dares say ill of the Sieur dAu dilly All France and the maidens cheeks said I But I like to see thee defend thy kinsmen He is not my kinsman she crIed His fathers sIster married the brother bro-ther of my uncles wife That is not kindred No It is well perhaps since he is to marry thy bowerwoman She looked angrily at me and drew in her breath hard but did not answer me Father said she to the priest thou wilt marry them wilt thou not That is what I came to ask What What cried Fr Benoit thou art the maddest maiden I marry thy fathers captain to thy bowerwo mal Get thee back to thy roses and jet metaIl with thY father I In a minute she was on her knees by his side his hand in both of hers and her blue eyes and cooing voice hard at work Father thou cruel as if he 9uld consent And they soso much in love Thou hast not the heart to refuse re-fuse I know Didst thou not teach me Joy letters and my prayers and my catechism and I so good all the while save of course when I wIshed to play And Tf have asked so little of thee father dearest I know thou wilt not refuse And thoucanst marry them in a minute and they will never tell And theythey love each other lather when have r been troublesome before Oh thou shalt promise me this instant in-stant Oh if I must I must groaned the poor priest Oh thou art an angel and a dears dear-s c cried I always said thou wert indeed a saint Oh I will pray every night for thee to be made a bishop andand promise me thou wilt marry them this night We both started Of a truth said I thy Rosalind is not more hasty than a cat over the dairy sill Tonight said Fr Benoit to show how vain it was to try to corrupt him is an utterly unsuitable impossible time Oh father Dost wish me to think thee 110 better than a beast And thou so good I think my heart will break and a tear fell upon the good prIests I hand a tear dried directly by a pair of soft lips Oh there there cried he blushing very red 1 promiseI promise to marry the dauphin to the kitchen maid and thee to the stable boyonly get thee gone out of this quiet place Thou art the wiIIfullest most shameless maid Get thee gone I will make thee a discipline my next leisure I will go straightaway said the Demoise1lt Alys sprInging up with dancing eyes shaking back her brown hair with a ripple of laughter Oh but thou art a very dear I will send thee a token tonight and thou wIlt find Rosalind waiting Am I to give away the bride I asked It will go hard if I may not attend the wedding of my very child She drew her brows together but did not answer me Thou needest not fear rather there swill be horses waiting wait-ing and the next day who will know if they have been married or not Truly a fine plan I could not help saying Andand she will be very grateful to thee father all her lifeandand that is all I came to say The Demoiselle De-moiselle Alys left us without another word careless of the roses she had let fall beside the chess table Only as I held back the arras for her and unlatched un-latched the door she looked up at mt not kindly but in silence I watched her little figure out of sight down the winding stair be ore I came into the room again and then Fr Benoit had gathered up all the fading roses ana put them on the table beside the hud died che men blJll we finish the game father I I have forgot how the pieces stood Besides she hath taken the red kingVdry Vdry true and he began to fumble his book or hours for the office of TIerce Rosalind quoth I is a comely maid to look upon Iam nt a fqol to hear such things replied Fr BenoIt very quickly for one intent upon Tierce 13ul it can do thee no harm to hear that she is a wellconducted maid but quiet He made no answer Well father a man can die but once but he can be often whipped 0 I jj i > 1 i L I dci not see how that concerns me returned Fr BenoIt hIs eyes on his book Indeed father said I taking up my bauble AI wish with alI my heart that Motley may have i wider wisdom than gown and scapular And though a cockscomb In esse sits more lIghtly than a miter In posse methinltS one catches less col l on eaving It off Fr Benoit fidgeted in his chair arid turned over two lea yes at once Fool saId he thou hdst thy belly full because be-cause thy head is empty but I am not thy paymaster Here in thIs turret thou art at lIberty to rest thy tongue gratis Father I replied it is a pleasure to me to enlighten so apt a scholar God sends thee a lIfe as long as thy sermons and somewhat more cheerful And I went singing down the staIrs to rally monseIgneur and gNs him 111 good trim for his next weeks vIsit from the king I Beside his chair stood the Sieur dAu I dIlly teasing a great hound As I came up the hair was beginning to rise along the creatures back and the low thunder to rumble in his throat and the gallant captain pushed him away 1th a look of relIef that he had me to turn on Well Cockcpmb where hast I been rowing now Over a strange nest Peacock I He 4rew his brows together True It is midsummer he sneered I hln midsummer gossip said I to I monseigneur peacocks mate with doves didst know that I Eh How asked he smiling But I saw by the captains angry eyes that I was too careless The reason of that riddle we will lay before the king next week I answered answer-ed lamely enough But he was silent while the Sieur iAudilly talked of a IW nroject he had for lightening his nlens = ar It was with a beating heart that as soon as the great hall as dark and Quiet that night UD Fr Benoits stair I sped to find him pacing to and fro like a bear in a pitHe looked up sharp 13 as I entered but spoke 10 word and I flung myself into his great chair stretched out my legs and sighed Heigbo with such a chairas this to wait in no wonder thy soul is stored with patience Fool said he sharply is It Quiet below bloAs As Iuiet as thy conscience He ceased wmilklng and came to me and stood before me opening and closing clos-ing his 11ls as if he wished to sneak his fat face was pale his lIps dry Before he could find a word there was a light raD at the door I sprang to fling it open but no one was to be seen A small object lay upon he threshold I and I brought it to the tapers flame and held it fOI1 Fr Benoit to see It was I the chessmans red king He Jut It away from him so hastily that it fell and bounded on the tloor and rolled I away into a corner Ve had best go down now said he I took the taper and went before ind ing my baubles head in my mantl that the bells might not sound I I At thechapeldoor a womans figure I em lHQ Qu7ii 1 Of i I1tW1l1 Gj I c J I I I t Dal fr J A pro1 if > > 1 DJ I i l Fil iV s J lll 4i I I rL I SCENEs n TaD INTDTt OR OP I stood peering for our light She was vraped in a long cloak but the hood was pushed back and the tapers flame lit UD clear and full the comel features fea-tures of RosalInd My heart leaped up and Fr Benoit drew a long breath Let me lIght thee good fool said RcsalInd taking the taper from my hand I began a smart speech out of my nq w learninG about a fair Psyche lighting a sorry pair of antique Cupids but all confused because my heart was so lIght Just as our hands met some one jostled me from behind and I stumbled against Rosalind so awkwardly that my bauble jingled sulkily under my cloak and the girl to save herself from falling dropped the taper and started Ii i o i Jack A foot was set on th light and It went out we were aU in the dark 1m I groped for the chapel door and flung it open Efen then the light was dim and I could barely distinguish Rosalinds figure she had meekly < ov I ered her head with her hood on nter lug thechapel and she did not fling it back although the Sieur dAudUly stepped forth to meet us So straight and tall and fine a gallant he uhowed even in the faint light of the chaael that I could not but wonder again though Iloved hIm not why be should have stooped for wife to Rosalind But then I being but a fool had no business with that or aught else that concerns other men For a fool look you is but a caged fox who pas for his scanty share of the kennels leavings by yelp jug strange praises of his trap The two went up to the altar rail and knelt and Fr Benoit came out in sur p1ice and stoke and motioned me forward for-ward Never was EO strange a wedding wed-ding No feasting no flowers no gay company no witness but one and that a fool the groom a soldier of fortune and the brideO may God forgive us for that nights worl They were soon married and we four were again outside the chapel door and stealing through the passages of the chateau that led to the courtyard For neither Fr Benoit n9r I were mInded to let the young couple however ill mated go forth into the great world without a word of gOdspeed nor a hand to wave adieu The great door was guarded by a drowsy manatarms but I thrust the other back in the darkness and clapped the guard on the shoulder with a shout Halo Loys Break tryst and let me out tHe i outHe He sprang up with a howl of dismay but recognizing me sank down again with a grunt Thy place is in bed lucky fool Cats owls and lIkewIse birds need no sleep my dormouse And look you there is a maid In the village keeping vigil for want of a song under her window win-dow 0 O And this a sober household Leave homilies to the fat shaveling in the turret said I relishing this prick at Fr Benoit which for once he dared not return Thy bushless is to oven doom Or to keep them shut Eh 1 I tell thee I will not O Why should J fool Because doors are made to open canicns meat and because bauble is as mod no switch as the flat of thy lords sword And I rattled the bells of my bauble in hs face with a shrill laugh for I heard whispering in the shadow and wished not that it should reach his cars He began to argue that Is to curseand I was at a loss what to do when something small hit me on the cheek and jingled on the floor It was a piece of money flung by Fr Benoit I was certain und I began to grumble There I have lost the shining fellow that was to keep watch with thee tin his brother flew to meet him on my return Loys caught the ball at once and flung the door wide letting in the moonlight which fell In a great square on the stone floor and showed me the gold piece lying just below me I put my foot on it as Loys went on his knees to peer about and began to talk loud and rattle my bells and point out nothing in the shadows so that undercover under-cover of mrnoise and his abstraction my three might slip out This they did while Loys back was turned and as soon as I saw them well across the courtward I kicked the coin Into Loys face sprang out dragged the door shut with a great noise and sped after them I was almost at their heelsthinking all safe for I kniw that the Slur AudiIIy had the key of the postern in his pouchwhen a shout behind stopped me and I aw the door standing stand-ing open and Lays running after me shouting at the top of his lungs Treachery treachery A mol a mol Halt there The others had stopped short at the sound of his voice jut it was out of sheer bewilderment For one moment their shapes stood nut clear and sharp in the moonlight then they turned and began to run again the girl between the other two each Wiql a hand in hers Sdeing that tildy would not stay Loys hurriedly adjusting his arQue bus ° fired upon them Now whether it wa that his aim being without a staff on which to rest his heavy arque buse was unsteady or whether he did this horrible thing with full intent I do not knowbut the bolt sped straight at the slender muffled womanshape between the two men She flung out her two hanUs and fell wtthout a cry The blood hot in me l raIl hack tot to-t t I Lays and sprang upon him forcing him to the ground under my knee while I felt for my dagger Excited I as I was I could not find it so I had to strangle him with my hands he gurglIng horribly and jerking out his arms vainly to reach his sword But I am a wiry man and it did not take long He caught at my arms once or twicethen I shook him off and went to Fr BenoIt who knelt alone bending bend-ing over the girls body Without a word but shiverin lIke a man in an ague he drew backher hooq and the moonlIght streamed full upon her face It was the Demoiselle Alys She was not lulte dead Her heart moved feebly and her eyelIds fluttered but there was a darK wet stain upon the brolderies of her dress where the < t mantle fell back and it grew larger as I we gazed Water said Fr Benoit I went to where just inside the postern gate played a little fountain with a cup and a statue of our lady I wrenched the cup free filled It and began to mutter prayers and curses all mingled together togeth-er in my falling tears The gate was open and through it I aw a figure scudding down the hill lIke a scared rabbit It was the Sieur dAudIll So I we had married her to a craven and kiHed her into the bargain the one Eed balanced the other The tears dried on mJ hot face as I hurried back with the brimming cup The alarm of LaS had wakened no one and the court was as still as death as we bathed her white face and forced a little of the watcr between her lIDS Down in the valley a horse neighed as it Darted company with its fellow In a moment she opened her yes and said clearly seeming to recall everything at once I am dying Where Is he Fr Benoits fat face was workln7 and the tears chased each other down his round cheeks He looked at me in an agony It was no time to count words I took her hand and kIssed it He is dead madame She never doubted me A brIght smile shone on her lIttle face and her slender limbs relaxed I lifted her in my arms and Fr Benoit began the short absolution through his tears As he lifted hIs hand she raIsed her head on my arm and looked straight up between be-tween us and beyond She closed her eyes again and we thought her dead but she opened them once more and I smiled upon us just as she had smiled over her roses that very day I hoe you have not lost the red king saId she quite in her old voice You are both so carelessbut lost 01 found he Is still the red kingwas it not a brave token Perhaps she wandered wan-dered for all at once before we knew her blue eyes grew misty ncr body became be-came heavy in my arms and it was over So died the Demoiselle AIs who was the brightest merriest lady and whom I held on my knee before ever she was as long as my bauble Fr Benoit rose his wet face shining in the moonlIght and motioned me to follow himwe were both past speech and I carried her back through the great door along the passages of the great silent house groping our way for we had no light and sometimes stumbling stumb-ling in the darkness Once I felt something some-thing touch me and I heard a dors sniffing at my burden the creature seemed to understand and whined very softly and followed us pattering along behind us to the very chapel door where as no one had the heart to thrust him back he came In whininz as VC laid the Demoiselle Abs upon the step before the altar rail where she had knelt as a bride not half an hour before Ye fell on our knees Fr Benoit and I and prayed while the moonlight crept round the pillars and grew faint In the western windows and the eastern window win-dow brightened anu flushed and the birds began to twitter in the eaves I the fool and Fr Benoit and the dog well there were three hearts of u unlike as all three were while the Sleur dAudIIIy was saving himself at the rate of five leagues an hour So was mourned the Demoiselle Alys who as I said was the merriest lady and even when she vas the length ot my bauble her eyes1nere as blue as panslesonly some pansies are DurDle but her eyes were like the kind tat are blue |