The Lady
Mount
By FREDERIC S. ISHAM
Author of
“The Strollers”
“Under The Rose
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rest; for hardly liacT the" sun seT its
seal in. the sky than from the forests
the appearance of a body of troops
rewarded the watchers. From hovel
to hut the word went, and men, wom
en and children, uukempt and curious,
ran down to the beach to await the
approach of the guard. Proudly had
It departed, with waving of plumes;
slowly it returned, a bedraggled pro
cession of staggering horses and
heavy-eyed men. Had it come back a
little earlier, the dark might have kept
the truth from the people; now the
pitiless red glare revealed to the full
the plight of the troopers. It told, too,
the disappointment of Monsieur le
Commandant, who looked neither to
the right nor to the left; and the de
spair of my lord, the Marquis, pale
counterfeit of his debonair self.
“Her Ladyship! They haven’t
brought her back!” Low murmurs
arose; grew louder; some one laughed.
But sullenly, without answer, the sol
dieis dragged by, Into the town, and
laboriously up »o the top of the Mount.
At the gate liis Excellency waited;
cast one glance at the company—their
leader—and silently turned! Later,
however, was he closeted with both
the commandant and the Marquis—a
brief period with the former who de
parted, carrying a look eloquent of the
unpleasantness of the interview.
“And now,” said the Governor in
tones somewhat strained, as the offi
cer’s dejected footfall died in the dis
tance, "we’ve got rid of that dolt, let
us consider, my Lord, the purport of
this outrage ”
"Purport?” repeated the Marquis
petulantly, stretching his stiff legs.
"Did they not tell me that if anything
happened to the Black Seigneur, they
■would hold her, Elise, answerable for
It? You see they had learned,” bit
terly, "of your intention to hang him
after the wedding!”
"From which you infer?"
“They will keep her as hostage! In
deed, they said as much, when—"
"They bound you, my Lord?”
The color came to the young man’s
face. “It was a trap,” he said, his
voice pitched higher; “and they came
prepared, not for one man, but the
guard!”
"Still it was very ill-advised—a great
mistake—to have taken the shorter
■way through the forest alone.”
“The proposal did not originate with
me! Elise suggested it. She seemed
in a wild, headstrong mood; nothing
would stop her. Now,” moodily he
rose, “mon dieu! What has she
brought upon herself? Where is she
now ?”
His Excellency did not stir; his
face, like a pale mask, was turned
aside. "I do not think," he said slow
ly, as arguing to convince himself,
"she is in any immediate danger.”
But my lord caught irritably at the
word. "No danger! She is surround
ed by it. And we? what are we to
do? Sit idly here? Give me a ship,
your Excellency, and I will follow the
boat of this Black Seigneur, and when
I find it, force them to—”
“■\Vhat?" The Governor’s eyes
swerved dully. “Have you forgotten
their threat? Their last words to you
that if we attempted to follow, to res- ]
cue—that, rather than give her up—”
“They would not dare!” cried my
lord with sparkling glance.
But his Excellency shook his bead.
“No; no; it won’t do! And now,”
again looking away, “leave me, ir.y
Lord, to consider.” With which, the
interview, as unsatisfactory to the one
as the other, terminated.
Several days that passed were not
calculated either to alleviate hia Ex
celleny’s anxiety, or the Marquis’ im
patience; for during that period of
waiting came no word of my lady, or
news of her captors. Mysteriously as
a phantom ship had the boat that had
carried the Governor's daughter away
appeared on the coast and vanished,
and from none of the Governor's ves
sels, or any of the flsing craft could be
gleaned information of its where
abouts. My lord, the Marquis, annoyed
at what seemed but fruitless delay;
was still for setting forth and inviting
battle; but of this his Excellency
■would not hear, arguing, no doubt, to
himself that in temporising lay great
er assurance of safety to Ills daughter
than in precipitate action. So the sit
uation grew hourly more trying, until
—as if it already were not intolerable
enough!—a new concern added Iron
ical weight to present perplexities.
My young lord, between whom and
the master of the Mount had been
growing a more strained relationship,
sought the Governor one day, and, in
excited tones, announced he had just
learned that the prisoner, the Elack
Seigneur, was ill and probably would
survive but a short time longer in the
dungeon where he was confined. As
his Excellency knew, the fellow had
been wounded, and now with scanty
nourishment, want of air, and close
quarters, was generally in a bad way.
His Excellency heard; moistened his
lips and seemed about to speak, but
was silent, while more anxiously the
young man went on. Of course un
der different conditions, with care and
attention—a well-lighted room and ex
cellent feed—they might hope to re
store their prisoner’s strength; at
least, preserve for a time one so pre
cious to themselves, upon the thread
of whose life hung my lady’s!
His Excellency still answered no
word; only looked down, and, knitting
bis brows, the young nobleman rest
lessly watted. At length, with an ex
pression on his face the Marquis had
never before seen there, his Excel
sency rose, moved like an automaton
to the bell, and called for the jailer.
“Monsier le Marquis has a few in
structions to jjlve /oa“ The Gov
•nfi-T's vo'ce, tTiit a TTreatk, foiil what
he words cost him.
T’.j i «in tespcatW gravely, look
iif ‘i ons to t-K oihrr.
“l.sc your own judgment, in tha
ia‘.i r, Ujy Lord,'’ went on his Kxcel
aaey, and left them together.
After that, & change, subtle but
'eep-rooted, came over the Governor;
i silent man always, now his taciturn
ly become most marked. Under stress
>f untoward circumstances, all the
tuesfs at the Mount, save the young
ic'jic, departed; but his Excellency
ippear'd hardly to notice their going;
.lr,.\.ing his cloak of reserve closer
about him; seemed only to ask for
that solitude, not difficult. to find in
his aerial kingdom. Sometimes for a
• ong while he would stand in the clois
ter, gazing seaward; again wander in
the church, look at the monuments,
always to pass one of them quickly.
Only on a single occasion, when the
Marquis, who was da ill' beecmir.-.
more nervous, sougne nun. wirn a in
vcrable report cf his prisoner-patient,
did the Governor give sign that be
neath this apparent apathy yet stirred
malevolence and rancor.
“Yes, yes,” he returned, a spark of
Ill-concealed venom in his glance; "he
is doing well, no doubt! I am sure be
will do well. But well or ill, I wish to
hear no more of him! No mere. Mon
sieur le Marquis!” Kis voice vibrated;
surprised, the kinsman of the King
stared, then stiffly turned away.
So matters stood, when one day,
alone in the cloister, his Excellency
was disturbed by a rough-looking fel
low who brought a letter and said
he would await the reply at the tavern
in the town.
Deliberately the Governor took the
missive, tore open the envelope, and
Surveyed the small bit of paper it con
tained. Whatever the brief message
told him, his Excellency's face did not
change, and he was still coldly, care
fully studying sentences and words
after his fashion, when through the
door my lord, the Marquis, stepped in
seme haste Lifting his eyes, the Gov
ernor had no difficulty in reading the
question on the young man's counte
nance. For a moment they looked at
each other, and then the long, white
fingers of his Excellency again sought
the letter.
“They,” his voice seemed to clip
the words, “propose an exchange of
prisoners, and give me three days to
consent to It!”
CHAPTER XXX,
A Sound Afar.
About midway in the curve of one ol
the numerous bays, marking the coast
line, and several hours distant from
the Mount, stands a stone cross erect
ed by an English marauder to indicate
the place of his landing. The symbol
is visible on all sides from afar, for
before it are the sands and the sea
and behind stretches the land barren
of wood—low, level, covered only with
marsh grass. Toward this monument
of man’s conquest—most prominent
object in a prospect, dreary and mo
notonous—rode, late one afternoon, a
band of horsemen. At their head gal
loped my lord, the Marquis; in the
center could be seen a man with
bound arms whose horse was led by
one of the others. This person—a pris
oner, thin, haggard, yet still muscular
of frame—from time to time gazed
about; a look of inquiry or calculation
in the black undaunted eyes.
“What prison are you taking me to
now?” once he asked the trooper who
held the reins of his horse. “And why
do you g<j in this direction? Is it you
dare not ride along main highways on
account of the people?”
“Never you mind!" came the gruff
answer. “And as for the people,
they’d better look out!"
“Bah!” laughed the prisoner. “You
can put some of them in cells, but not
all!”
“There may be something worse
than a cell waiting for you!” was the
malicious retort.
“No doubt!” said the other stoically.
But as his eyes again swept the ho
rizon, from the opposite direction ap
peared another band of riders. At
first the prisoner, regarding them,
looked puzzled; then as the new-com
ers rode straight and rapidly on to
ward the cross, his countenance ex
pressed a faint understanding. A
fresh relay of men, he concluded; one
his present guard would consign him
to, and then themselves return to the
Mount. Still was the meeting-place an
odd one. and the demeanor of the two
boaies of men not entirely consistent
with his conclusions; for, as they
drew nearer, both parties slackened
their pace, suspiciously to scrutinize
each other.
“Twenty—the number agreed upon!”
muttered the Marquis, and spurring on
fast, led his troops nearer the cross.
Not many paces distant the word
v. as given to halt, and, us they obeyed,
" f 'c other side o' the monument the ,
strange men likewise drew rein. At
| the same moment, there flashed on the
I cf stive's mind a discovery. These
j races, iookuik .•>< grimly out over the
i marshy field at them, were not the
woocen visages or paid soiciera, but of
men he knew—his men! Across the
space separating the tve parties hi
could read their quick looks—their
satisfaction—their complacency! He
watched them with eyes in which
oride and tenderness mingled. And
then, for the first iime, did he observe
they had brought some one with them
—a woman, or a girl—the Governor’s
daughtei'
The bold black eyes of the prisoner
regarded her fixedly. What did it
mean? said his keen gaze. Colorless
as marble, my lady held herself very
erect on her horse; then while his
glance yet probed her, the proud face
slowly changed; on the cold cheek
youth’s bright banner flared high. The
voung man turned; following the di
section of her gaze, looked at the Mar
quis; my lord's features radiated fe
licitations; his eyes shone with wel
come. And a fuller understanding
came over the prisoner; in some mys
terious manner had the Lady Elise
been made captive, and now had the
nobleman come to escort his betrothed
back to the palace.
Even as the Black Seigneur reach--'
this conclusion, he became cogniza
his bonds had been loosened; the rein,
placed in his hands. “You are free,’
said a voice and mechanically he rode
toward his comrades.
Thus, near the crumbling and time
worn cross, was the exchange of pris
oners effected; the girl whirled away
by my lord, who seemed fearful of
treachery, and the Black Seigneur left
to the greeting of his men.
“Now, by the tuneful Nine”—the
poet, Gabriel Gabarie, pushing his bur
ly form to the front, was the first to
extend a hand—“but, from your looks,
:he Governor looks ill to the welfare
of his lodgers!”
“And had we riot captured my lady,”
spoke up another, gazing after the
party of the Marquis, “he would have
looked yet worse to the welfare of one
of them, no doubt!”
“Drink this, Seigneur;” cried a
third; “you must drink this—a spe
cial bottle we brought for the occa
sion!”
“Sent by old Pierre when he heard
we were coming for you!” added the
poet. “Your drinking-cup, lads! Un
fasten the skin for yourselves! To
I mon capitaine!”—
Once, twice, deeply they drunk—
toast and vintage alike to their taste;
hen straightening, looked at the Black
leigneur whose eyes yet burned in the
•'.irection my lady had gone. With a
start he seemed to recall himself to
:he demands of the moment; his first
questions they expected; the ship—
where did she lie? Snug and trim in
t neighboring cove, ready to slip out,
if occasion required and danger
pressed—which contingency they did
not just then expect, since at the
moment was his Excellency more con
cerned with affairs on the land than
matters pertaining to the sea. What
these paramount interests were, the
voung man, on whose thin cheek now
burned a little color, did not at once
ask; only gazed inquiringly over the
group, where one, whom he might have
expected, was absent.
“Sanchez—he is not with you?"
A look of constraint appeared for
an instant on the poet’s face.
“No, he’s with the people, I expect,
fou see,” he went on, “things have
been happening since you elected to
enact the mountebank. The bees have
been busy, and this little hive they
call France is now full of bother and
bustle. The bees that work have been
buzzing about those that don’t; they
made a great noise at Versailles, but
the King Drone only listened; did not
try to stop it, fearing their sting. They
hummed at the door of the Bastile,
until the parasite bees, not liking the
music, opened the doors, let them all
in—”
“The Bastile has fallen?” The
listener’s voice rang out; his eyes,
searching sharply the features of the
bard, seemed to demand only tb«
truth, plain, unadorned.
“It has,” answered the other gravely.
“And the tune sung in and around
Paris has kept on spreading until
now It is everywhere! You may hear
it in the woods; along the marshes;
out over the strand! The very Mount,
immovable, seems to listen. When,
will the storm break? Today? To
morrow? It needs but a word from
Paris, and then—”
The poet broke off, and silently the
Black Seigneur seemed to be weigh
ing the purport of the news; for some
moments stood as a man deep in
thought; then, arousing himself, spoke
a few words, and gave a brief order.
| Swiftly the riders swept away in the
direction from which they had come,
and only when they had gone some dis
tance did the young wan once more
>turn to the j>oet with a question
At the Opera House
MONDAY MARCH 10, 1913
One Night only
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Funniest of all Farce Comedies
Ole Olson
IN SPIRITIAND
A Three Act License For Laughter
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HMs5^ * All our own special scenery
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CONTEST BULLETIN
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And everv contestant who turns in §25 will get a hand bag
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Get busy and get a fine prize. Call the Contest Manager
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Prize To Be Awarded At Close Of Contest
Special Prize Awards
The candidate that has turned in the most money be
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