Show AFrrm ff Ti ii UISIANA BY MjARY EEVEREUX WTH ILLUSTRATIONS BY DON C WILSON tbJgnyl 190 by LIW cnn aaCanpy VII RIiWJ RtJCnrd CHAPTER II Through the weeks of the late summer sum-mer old Tatro the butler had been attending the meetings held by the peasants But being a firm believer In tho old regime ho hurt reported faithfully to Monsieur lo Baron all that hud transpired at these gatherings gather-ings telling him of the vicious speeches made by Fauchel I and of the letters evident determination to Influence In-fluence the peasants against the people peo-ple of the chateau On a certain September morning after one of these reports from Tatro the baron said Find Margot and send her to me When the faithful old servant had Jeft the room his master looked out of the window toward the park but his darkly circled eyes saw something quite different from the trees silhouetted silhouet-ted agailist the cloudless blue of the pkyThey They saw the pale angry face of Tomas Fauchel the young schoolmaster schoolmas-ter who meeting the baron as ho came from the magistrates door with the pretty sixteen year old daughter of the Huguenot minister clinging to his arm had said as he barred their way Today Monsieur le Baron you havo won and have taken for wife her whom her dead father gave to me when he refused you a Papist But I warn you to bewaro of tho day when I shall seek my revenge x The baron In the strength of his vigorous manhood and In the happy dreams of his passionate love had fuelled at the melodramatic threat of his humble rival And today whltehahed and lonely ho smiled disdainfully as he recalled It But the smile died softly in a sigh that was almost a moan as thought I of the narrow mound he had looked upon tho spring before banked with violets and snowdrops In the old churchyard by the Loire near the cottage where he had known a brief years dream of happiness The baron was now standing by tho side of his desk and pressing tho edge of a panel In the oaken wainscoting wain-scoting It flew open disclosing a small recess wherein were a small metal box and a number of little canvas can-vas bags Come here ho said turning to look at Margot over his shoulder Sho came to his side See he explained you do so and so showing her how to manipulate tho secret spring Then after closing tno panel ho added See now If you can open It She did so and the panel opened again Ah that Is well Now you know where tho boys fortune Is hidden and I trust you to guard It for him The bags contain gold coin and tho uox holds a few Jewels that are his as they were his mothers also some papers for which the future may show need should any ono seek to deprive him of his tights as my son I shall leave It to your discretion as to when and where you will take them from their present hlding place Remember Re-member Margot I charge you solemnly I sol-emnly that when I am not here If I if I am taken away I trust you above all others to protect my boys future and provide for his welfare That will I do with my life I Margot Mar-got declared fervently It was toward sunset that same day when Jean camo running In to announce an-nounce that he had seen soldiers riding rid-ing up the winding roadway that led through the park Bidding the boy keep out of sight until the cause of such n visit could ho ascertained Monsieur lo Baron descended de-scended to tho reception room whore the officer In command of the soldiers idlers i-dlers soon presented himself and delivered de-livered a letter from Couthon in which the barons hospitality was requested re-quested for the bearer and his escort Tho fact was that Etlennerecently angered by his fathers refusal to increase In-crease his already liberal allowance had with characteristic vlllany let fall some Insinuations Impeaching tho latters loyalty to tho Revolutionary cause and the officer who had been ordered upon a mission which would take him several leagues beyond the chateau was Instructed to stop thereupon there-upon his return tho object being that tho Commltteo might from tho man nor in which the baron received his uninvited guests form a better Idea as to his true sentiments Jean did not deem it wise to present pre-sent himself until the dinner hour should arrive but had passed the time In questioning Margot and Tatro as to the probablo meaning of this strango Invasion of the chateaus prl vacy Then going In to the dining room with an unusually subdued air although his heart was fluttering with I excitement the lads shyness evaporated evapo-rated In a glad shout at sight of the officer standing before the fireplace where burning logs made cheerful tho apartment and warmed tho chill evenIng even-Ing air Aha ho cried precipitating himself him-self upon his fathers guest whoso arms went quickly around the boy h kv i dci II 111 tifi ri J i Yy I lrv ° tl I j 1 cl0 I I i I 1 I 1rn h III r l l i Is It thou my beloved Plzarro But he now roused himself as Margot Mar-got entered and bade her to be seated seat-ed Margot I have sent for thee that I may unburden my mind somewhat as to matters which have been weighing weigh-ing heavily upon me for many months past he began > Margot looked at him In silent wonder won-der mingled with some alarm as she could see no reason for his words nor for tho mood which seemed to Inspire tlmemThese These are troublous times he resumed re-sumed more calmly and dropping the familiar manner of speech he had previously pre-viously used times when but a few hours sufllcc to turn affairs from apparent ap-parent security into confusion and danger I wish therefore to place a considerable sum of money in your care for I feel that perhaps It may bo safer with you than with me It Is all I havo of my own to give Jean and It will relieve me to know that no matter what may como to me or how over Etienne may seek to rob the boy my Jean will never know actual want Ish form Is it thou my beloved Pizarro Truly it Is little Monsieur de So to answered Lieutenant Bonaparte laughing as ho kissed Jeans Hushed cheeks while the baron looked on with amazement and old Tatro paused in tho report ho was making as to the soldiers dinner In the outer hall to stare with equal surprise at these demonstrations of affection be tween the stranger and his masters son I sonWhen they were seated tho officer explained to Monsieur lo Dnronal though In a way not to bring in the name of Etlenne how ho had come to know the boy and Jean now quite In his element and entirely at ease rattled on after a fashion that relieved his father from any extra effort in en tertaining his guest It was nearing ten oclock Tho of ficer and his host wero seated In tho drawing room having a game of chess with Joan very proud and correspond ingly sleepy because of sitting up so long beyond his usual bedtime watch ing them from a nearby divan when I Tatro his face and voice showing tho greatest alarm rushed Into the room and exclaimed Mon Dieu Monsieur lo Baron The peasants A great crowd of them arc coming the up avenue ave-nue Hark you can hear their shouts The chessmen and board fell to tho floor as both players sprang from their chairs and Jean all sleepiness banished from his eyes stood beside themCall Call my soldiers at once ordered Bonaparte speaking to Tatro Monsieur Mon-sieur lo Baron ho added turning to him wo will do all In our power for your protection Tho dozen soldiers appeared and wero ordered to post themselves In the hall where they stood with ready arms behlifd their commander and the baron who were nearer tho stout ly barred door listening to the wild hubbub of voices now close to tho chateau Tho lieutenant waited until there was a lull In the nolco then raising his voice ho called out have a care what you do for tho baron Is not without with-out protectors I am an officer of tho Assembly and In Its name I bid you disperse r < ERICAN There was silence ns iF tbdme ospect of side were surprised it signs il ti I resistance I unexpected merlcun There wcro moro than fifty mej ted ns I side with them wore some afas and xo nail Tomas Fauchel was their lei port ant l Monsieur lo Baron UU You to 201 II mlt mo to arrange the defenc toed nt see fit Inquired tho young QI ar me turning to his host ere Is a I Most assuredly sir for 11 I hate ire wIlE confidence In nulllt the 1 your ability wet ds al reply st of t Then extinguish every light lJ Int1 the hall and close all the doors C lyfr lea frol m from It that all t so here will bt Shown darkness said the lieutenant > I mtS own fro speaking authoritatively And dotl mrs Grelolro looking toward his Idlers er Ceum Gern dlerswlth Murler and Leb m only a stand here besldo e Monsieur le BaJ romlse prenist Watch that broken window P and ball into head I I e piece a every that apni Icates there fated 01 Grelolro saluted silently and the I made I fleer continued If Tatro will actl and c guide to pilot myself nail the otlj over t1 out through some unobserved way c two CI will make a detour and treat i each I friends t6 an attack In tho flank ns 10 Somo of the hurled In torches 1 owed tl lit tho hall for a moment but Ii t a Inn wero quickly extinguished by large baron de A moment later the discharge musketry outside told that the lil EACH tenant and his men bad come cI the scene Then tho air was rent I rtsbyti more yells and Imprecations but t j Pi a sound In them bespeaking dlst Rev Jon J-on the part of tho surprised maraJ preachers preach-ers his h 1 crsA till F < A second volley rang out andtl officers voice was heard SteaT tthel 11 my men Load and fire at will or ell l 1 the r rt was your muskets Teach these peopl > t lesson ono In tho name of the i dl was sembly nlven sl was e Those in tho hall now saw a flaJ Ing torch thrust through the wlnd tIt t-It was held by Tomas Fauchel I J waved it wildly as he shouted Sl < thyself thou craven baron for acid man nor devil shall force me frcj this place until I have kept my oa and killed thee I The light of his torch fell upon til t uplifted face white and sternof ttj baron who said laying his hand tip too musket with which Leboeuf n taking aim at the halfcrazed fanati Do him no harm let him live Fauchel who had heard the worJiJ I answered them with a mocking laugh and quickly extending his other hacil pulled the trigger of a pistol as ttl tossed his torch into tho hall aiil yelled Die thou damnable Papist and take to hell with thee no thank of rnlno for sparing my life old I Tho baron reeled for ho was struck owns fairly In the forehead But he WI e P caught by Leboeuf and his dead faro now was not laid upon the floor before Grel union loire had planted a musket ball lap e I Fauchels head and tumbled htal enen from tho ladderdead as the man tt loofe had assassinated nee His fallowers terrified by the lieul as b tenants unexpected attack were now Irdo flying Ilka scared sheep and the fight R was ended Ion An hour later the silence tfiatl t wrapped tho chateau would have repelled O re-pelled tho thought of such an uproar having raged within It so recently ngll The dead had been laid in upper rooms and Margot had gone to heron A her-on part of tho house leaving Jean amt In the drawing room with the lieu tenant er ten-ant who was now lowdown walking up and down and now sitting on the dran ca beside tho passionately lam grieving boy to whom ho spoke words of tenderest ho sympathy stroking tho dark hair or 1011 holding tho burning hands In a cool e clasp that was infinitely soothing ua Some of tho soldiers took turns at ea mounting guard In tho lower hall for na fear of a possible renewal of the attack ier at-tack But tho peasants outburst was a evidently spent for the present at S least as nothing happened to disturb as tho silence of tho succeeding hours sac To be continued ev |