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sellor. His voice delivers my mind. Speak, friend, and give this messenger his answer."

"As I will, sire?"

"Yes, go on, go on. 'If Villon were the King of France!'" Villon leaped to his feet and advanced toward the herald. A wild exultation filled his veins with fire. He had always dreamed of the great deeds he would do, and now great deeds were possible to him, and, at least, he would try to do them. He looked straight into the herald's changeless face, but his heart shrined Katherine as he spoke.

"Herald of Burgundy, in God's name, and the King's, I bid you go back to your master and say this: 'Kings are great in the eyes of their people, but the people are great in the eyes of God, and it is the people of France who answer you in the name of this epitome. The people of Paris are not so poor of spirit that they fear the croak of the Burgundian ravens. We are well victualled, we are well armed; we lie snug and warm behind our stout walls; we laugh at your leaguer. But when we who eat are hungry, when we who drink are dry, when we who glow are frozen, when there is neither bite on the board, nor sup in the pitcher, nor spark upon the hearth, our answer to rebellious Burgundy will be the same. You are knocking at our doors, beware lest we open them and come forth to speak with our enemy at the gate. We give you back defiance for defiance, menace for menace, blow for blow. This is our answer this and the drawn sword. God and St. Denis for the King of France!"

There was contagion in his burning words, and every soldier present bared his blade and pointed it to heaven while Villon's cry was repeated upon a hundred lips. Katherine came swiftly down the steps and flung herself at Villon's feet.

"My Lord, with my lips the women of France thank you for your words of flame.”

"Mistress, what does this mean?"

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"It means, sire, that a man has come to court!"

-Justin Huntly McCarthy.

THE LION AND THE MOUSE

The Lion and the Mouse" is a story of American life of the present day. John Burkett Ryder, a great commercial pirate,

who is known as the richest man in the world, is the Lion of the story. He wishes to remove from office Judge Rossmore of the United States Circuit Court, because this judge has sustained an injunction against him in regard to some railroad scheme. Mr. Ryder is aroused more than anything else by the idea that anyone should thwart his will.

Shirley Rossmore, the daughter of the Judge, has written a book on the life of Ryder. She has given a fictitious name to the principal character, but everyone recognizes the man to be Ryder. She has also signed herself under the nom de plume of Miss Green. Jefferson Ryder, the son of the rich man, is in love with Shirley, and his father, knowing this fact, is bitterly opposed to the match.

Impressed by the cleverness of the writer, Mr. Ryder asks her to become his private secretary, not knowing she is the daughter of the man he hates. She consents, as she thinks by this means she will be able to obtain some letters which will prove her father innocent of charges Ryder holds against him. She begins to write Ryder's biography, and, in the meanwhile, Jefferson takes the letters from his father's desk, and sends them to Judge Scott, a family friend of Judge Rossmore. The letters are received too late, and, as a last resort, Judge Scott brings back the letters to John Ryder and begs him to have mercy on his friend, Judge Rossmore. But Ryder, beside himself with rage against his son, because he loves Shirley Rossmore and because he has taken the letters, dismisses Judge Scott from his presence and sends for Jefferson. The following scene is laid in the beautiful library of John Ryder's home. Mr. Ryder and Shirley Rossmore are present when Jefferson enters the room, and the scene proper begins. "You sent for me, father?"

"Yes. Have you seen these letters before?"

"Yes, I took them out of your desk and sent them to Mr. Scott in the hope they would help Judge Rossmore's case."

"So! You deliberately sacrificed my interests to save this woman's father-you hear him, Miss Green? Jefferson, my son, I think it's time you and I had a final accounting. Please do n't go, Miss Green. As the writer of my biography, you are sufficiently well acquainted with my family affairs to warrant your being present at the epilogue. Besides, I want an excuse for holding my temper. Sit down, Miss Green. For your mother's sake, my boy, I have overlooked your little eccentricities of character. But now

we have arrived at the parting of the ways—you have gone too far. The one aspect of this business I cannot overlook is your willingness to sell your own father for the sake of a woman."

My own father would not hesitate to sell me if his business and political interests warranted the sacrifice."

Shirley attempted the role of peacemaker. Appealing to the younger man, she said:

"Please don't talk like that, Mr. Jefferson." Then she turned to Ryder, "I don't think your son quite understands you, Mr. Ryder, and, if you will pardon me, I do n't think you quite understand him. Do you realize that there is a man's life at stake that Judge Rossmore is almost at the point of death and that favorable news from the Senate to-morrow is perhaps the only thing that can save him?"

"Ah, I see, Judge Scott's story has aroused your sympathy."

"Yes, II confess my sympathy is aroused. I do feel for this father whose life is slowly ebbing away-whose strength is being sapped hourly by the thought of the disgrace the injustice that is being done him! I do feel for the wife of this suffering man!" 'Ah, it's a complete picture," cried Ryder mockingly. "The dying father, the sorrowing mother and the daughter, what is she supposed to be doing?"

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'She is fighting for her father's life."

"His removal is a political necessity. If he goes back on the bench, every paltry justice of the peace, every petty official will think he has a special mission to tear down the structure that hard work and capital have erected. No, this man has been especially conspicuous in his efforts to block the progress of amalgamated interests!"

"And so, he must be sacrificed?" cried Shirley indignantly. "He is innocent of the charges brought against him," urged Jefferson.

"Mr. Ryder is not considering that point. All he can see is that it is necessary to put this poor old man in the public pillory, to set him up as a warning to others of his class, not to act in accordance with the principles of Truth and Justice-not to dare to obstruct the car of Juggernaut set in motion by the money gods of the country!"

"It's the survival of the fittest, my dear."

"Ah! Use your great influence with this governing body for

good, not evil! Urge them to vote not in accordance with party policy and personal interest, but in accordance with their consciences in accordance with Truth and Justice! Ah, for God's sake, Mr. Ryder !.do n't permit this foul injustice to blot the name of the highest tribunal in the Western world! Suppose, suppose this daughter promises that she will go away to some foreign country?"

"No!" burst in Jefferson. "Why should she? If my father is not man enough to do a simple act of justice without bartering a woman's happiness and his son's happiness, let him find comfort in his self-justification!"

Ryder made a quick movement towards his son and took him by the arm. Pointing to Shirley he said in a low tone:

"You see how that girl pleads your cause for you! She loves you, my boy!" Jefferson started. "Yes, she does. She's worth a thousand of the Rossmore woman. Make her your wife, and I'll -"

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"Well, what do you say?" demanded Ryder, Sr.

"Yes, yes, Shir - Miss Green, will you?"

Seeing that Shirley made no sign he said, "Not now, father; I will speak to her later."

"No, no, to-night, at once!" Addressing Shirley, he went on: "Miss Green, my son is much affected by your disinterested appeal in his behalf. He he you can save him from himself — my son wishes you he asks you to become his wife! Is it not so, Jefferson?"

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"Yes, yes, my wife!"

The girl shrank back in alarm.

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No, no, no, Mr. Ryder, I cannot, I cannot!"

Why not?" demanded Ryder.

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"Ah, don't decide.

Shirley, her face set and drawn, and keen mental distress showing in every line of it, faced the two men, pale and determined. The time had come to reveal the truth. This masquerade could go on no longer. It was not honorable either to her father or to herself. Her self-respect demanded that she inform the financier of her true identity.

"I cannot marry your son with these lies upon my lips! I can

not go on with this deception. I told you you did not know who I was, who my people were. My story about them, my name, everything about me is false, every word I have uttered is a lie, a fraud, a cheat! I would not tell you now, but you trusted me and are willing to entrust your son's future, your family honor, in my keeping, and I can't keep back the truth from you. Mr. Ryder, I am the daughter of the man you hate! I am the woman your son loves. I am Shirley Rossmore!"

Ryder rose slowly to his feet.

"You? You?"

"Yes, yes, I am the Rossmore woman! Listen, Mr. Ryder. Don't turn away from me. Go to Washington on behalf of my father, and I promise you I will never see your son again never!"

never,

"No, no, I will not. You have wormed yourself into my confidence by means of lies and deceit. You have tricked me, fooled me to the very limit! Oh, it is easy to see how you have beguiled my son into the folly of loving you! And you-you have the brazen effrontery to ask me to plead for your father! No! No! No! Let the law take its course, and now, Miss Rossmore will please leave my house to-morrow morning."

you

"Yes, I will leave your house to-night. Do you think I would remain another hour beneath the roof of the man who is as blind to justice, as deaf to mercy, as incapable of human sympathy as you are!"

"Leave the room!" shouted Ryder, beside himself, and pointing to the door.

"Father!" cried Jefferson, starting forward to protect the girl he loved.

You have tricked him as you have me!"

"It is your own vanity that has tricked you! You lay traps for yourself and walk into them. You compel everyone around you to lie to you, to cajole you, to praise you, to deceive you! At least, you cannot accuse me of flattering you! I have never fawned upon you as you compel your family and your friends and your dependents to do. I have always appealed to your better nature by telling you the truth, and, in your heart, you know that I am speaking the truth now."

"Go!"

"Yes, let us go, Shirley!" said Jefferson.

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