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Show pOUCHE kf MaQl oohatinl BEGIN HERE TODAY. A death warranL charging him with sedition, forces ANDRE-LOUIS MOREAU to fleel from his native town of Gavrlllac. and delay revenge on the great nnd powerful MARQUIS DE LA TOUR TYAZYR. When the Marquis had deliberately! tricked the idealistic divinity stu- dent, PHILIPPE DE VTLMORIN, Into a duel I and killed him, because he feared that Philipple had a "dangerous gift! of eloquence," Andro-Ixuis swore to carry on his friend's work of do- stroylng the power of the nobles. His second motive o'alnst the Marquis Mar-quis was his love for the beautiful ALINE DE KERCADIOU, niece of the Lord of Gavrlllac, who was pop-1 Ularly believed to be the father ofi Andre-LoulS. The profligate marquis sues for the girl's hand. Warned by Aline that he is about to be arrested, Andre-Louis flexes and takes refuge with a band of strollinK players presided over by MONSIEUR BINET GO ON WITH THE STORY. The conversation becoming general, gener-al, Andre-Lou I soon learned what there was to learn of this strolling band They were on their way to Guichen. where they hoped to pros per at the fair that was to open on Mondav next And then M Dlnet ' fetched a sigh. "But we shall miss Felicien." M Binet returned to Andre-Louis "He was our property man, our man of af j fairs, and occasionally he acted The three ladies had taken their de-(partur? de-(partur? to the chaise The men were aln'adv climbing into the house un wheels, when Binet turned to Andre Louia "Wo part here, sir," said he, dramatically. dra-matically. "Ihe richer by your acquaintance." ac-quaintance." He put forth his podcy hand Slowh Andre-Louis took it in hh own. He had been thinking swiftly In the last few moments. "I part from you reluctantly," Andre-Louis continued. "The more reluctantly since I do not perceive the absoluto necessity for parting " "How?' quoth Binet, frowning, and slowly withdrawing the and which the other had already retained ramer longer than waa necessary- "Thus." Andre-Louis explained him self. "You may set me down as a sort of knight of nWul countenanct in quest of adventure. Onour sld-you sld-you tell me that you are in noed of someone to replace your Felicien." M Bluet was musing What should you say to ten livres a month''" "I should say that it isn't exactly the riches or Peru " ' I might go as far as fifteen." said Binet, reluctantly. 'But times are bad." ' I'll make them better for vou." "I've no doubt you believe it Then we understand each other?" "Perfectly." said Andre Louis dryly, dry-ly, aud was thus committed to the service of Thespis. CHAPTER III. At o o'clock that evening the curtain cur-tain rose on "The Heartless Father." The performance was in every sense unexciting, the audience meager and unenihuslastic By the time M Binet had paid the expenses there was not likely to be very much left toward the wages of his players "And what do you think of it0" he asked Andre-Louis. "Possibly it could have been worse; probably it could not." said he. In sheer amazement M. Binet chocked chock-ed his stride, and turned to look at his companion. ' Huh'" said he ' Dleu de Dieu1 But you are frank." At supper a half hour later he re-rived re-rived the topic. "Our latest recruit." he announced, "has the Impudence to tell me that possibly our comedy could hav been worse, but that probably It could not And he blew out his great round cheeks to invite a laugh at the ex pense of that foolish critic Prom the tail of the table Andre-Louis Andre-Louis was challenged by Cllmene. who sat there between Columbine and Madame. "You would alter the comedy, would you. M. Parvissimui? she cried, giving him the name which earlier he had suggested a approprl ate to the least of the company "I would suggest that it be altered he corrected. Inclining his head. I should go back to the original and help myself more freely from It "The original?" questioned M. Bine, the author. "It is called, I believe. 'Monsieur d Pourceaugnac,' and was written t Mollere " . . "You do not imply that I have been stealing from Mollere?" "I advise you to do so. monsieur, I was the disconcert Inc reply. "He is outrageous." said mademoiselle, mademoi-selle, Indignantly. "Outrageous Is the. word. I thank l you for It, my dear You sit at my table and to my face you advise mo to become a thief - the worst kind of thief that is conceivable, a thief or spiritual things, a thief of ideas' It is insufferable. Intolerable'" He was very angrv His voice boomed through the little room, and the company sat husb"cd and something some-thing scared, their eyes upon Andre Louis who was the only one entirely unmoved by this outburst of virtuous indignation. M "You realize, monsieur," bet sane, very quletlj, "that you are Insulting the'memory of the illustrous dead""' "Eh?" said Binet. "You Insult tho memory of Mollere. I the greatest ornament of our stage. one of the greatest ornaments of our j nation, when you suggest that there la vlleness in doing that which he never hesitated to do, which no great author yet haa hesitated to do. Ti ou cannot suppose that Mollere ever trou bled hlmaclf to be original in the matter mat-ter of Ideas. " Ii was as a consequence of this 'bat Binet retired soon after, taking Andre Louis with him The pair sat together late that night, and were again in close communion throughout the1 whole of Sunday morning. CHAPTER IV. At 4 o'clock on Monday afternoon the curtain rose on "Figaro Scara-mouche" Scara-mouche" to an audience that filled three-quarters of the market-hall M Binet attributed this good attendance to the Influx of people to Guichen for the fair. Tho company excelled itself The audience followed with relish the sly intrlguingn of Scaramouche, and de-llghted de-llghted In the beauty and freshness of: Climeno On Tuesday the success was repeated re-peated artistically and augmented f nanclally Ten louis and seven livres was the enormous sum that Andre Louis, the doorkeeper, counted over to M Binet after the performance Never jet had M Binet made 30 much money in ono evening And then the tragedy occurred. It announced itself In a succession of bumps and thuds, culminating In a crash outside the door that brought them ail to their feet in alarm. Pierrot Bprang to open, and behell the tumbled body of a man lying at the foot of the stnlrs It emitted groans, thereforo it was alive Pierrot Pier-rot went forward to turn it over, ann disclosed the fact that the body wore the wizened face af Scaramouche, a grimacing, croanlng, twitching Scaramouche Scara-mouche Binet rolled through the group of players, scattering them to right ana lft Apprehension had been qulon to sieze him. Fate had played him such tricks before. 'What ails you?" quoth he, sourly. "My fuot's broken, I think," Scaramouche Scara-mouche complained Tho doctor came. Having seen the patient, he reported that nothing very 1 serious had happened. He had sprained sprain-ed his foot a little. A few days' rest ; and all would be well "A few days!" cried Binet. "God of God' Do you mean that he can . j walk?" "It would be unwise, indeed inipos ' sible for more than a few steps " I M Binet paid the doctor's fee, and sat down to think I He thrust his arm through Andre- UOU1B, and lea mm out inio me l street, where there was still considerable consid-erable nioN ement. "I am thinking of you in the part of Scaramouche " Andred-Louis disengaged his ami "1 begin to find you tiresome," said he "A moment M. Parv IsslmUB. B I jam to lose that fifteen louis. you'll not takt- it amiss that 1 compensate myself in other ways?" "That is your own concern. M. Bl I net" "Pardon. M ParvlSSlmUB It may possibly be also yours" Binet took, I his arm again. "Do me the kindness I to step across the street with me., Just as far SB the pbl tofflce there I I have something to show you " I Andre-IyOiil3 went Before they I reached that sheet of paper nailed j upon the door, he knew exactly what 1 would say. And in effect it was. as he had supposed, that twenty louis would be paid for information lead ink-to ink-to the apprehension of one Andre-Louis Andre-Louis Moreau, lawyer of Gavrlllac. j who was wanted by the King's Lleu-; Lleu-; tenant in Rennes upon a charge of j sedition. M Binet watched him whilst he j read Their arms w ere linked, and Binet's Krlp was firm and powerful (Continued In Our Next Issue.) on |
