Part 5 (1/2)

The tide of regal life ebbed and flowed through those saloons, and along those corridors There is the chaland, sister of Henry VIII, andof Louis XII, passed the weary years of her hood It is still called the chamber of the ”white queen,” fro Three hundred years ago, these Gothic turrets, and gorgeously ornalea of Scotland, Jahter of Francis I, to the bridal altar Here the haughty faal retinue--vying with the Kings of France in splendor, and outvying them in power

These two palaces, now blended by the nuptails of decay into one, are converted into a museum of antiquities--silent despositories of h their deserted halls They present one of the hts of Paris

In the reflective mind they awaken emotions which the pen can not describe

2 The Lourre --When Paris consisted only of the little island in the Seine, and kings and feudal lords, ine and wassail were reveling in the saloons of China, a hunting-seat was reared in the the dense forest which spread itself along the banks of the river

As the city extended, and the forest disappeared, the hunting-seat was enlarged, strengthened, and became a fortress and a state-prison Thus it continued for three hundred years In its glooroaned and died; and countless tragedies of despotic power there transpired, which the Day of Judgo, Francis I, tore down the dilapidated walls of this old castle, and conificent Palace of the Louver upon their foundations

But its construction has required candle, while Gilpin, as taller and stronger than either of the other boys, bored the hole in the door, in the place which Rodolphus indicated When the hole was bored, the boys inserted an iron rod into it and running this rod under the hasp, they pried the hasp up and unfastened the door

They opened the door, and then, to their great joy, found themselves all safe in the office

They put the dark lantern down upon the table, and covered it with its screen, and then listened, perfectly whist, a

”You go and watch at the shed-door,” said Gilpin to Rodolphus, ”while we open the desk”

So Rodolphus went to the shed-door He peeped out, and looked up and down the village-street, but all was still

Presently he heard a sort of splitting sound within the office, which he kneasopen of the lid of the desk

Very soon afterward the boys came out, in a hurried manner--Griff had the lantern and Gilpin the box

”Have you got it!” said Rodolphus

”Yes,” said Griff

”Let's see,” said Rodolphus

Griff held out the box to Rodolphus It was very heavy and they could hear the sound of the money within All three of the boys seemed almost ith trepidation and excitean to hurry the, ”Co here”

”Wait a ain!” said Rodolphus, ”and then we'll run”

Rodolphus hid the tools behind the wood-pile, in the shed, where they had been before, and then the boys sallied forth into the street They crept along stealthily in the shadows of the houses and the most dark and obscure places, until they came to the tavern, where they were to turn down the lane to the corn-barn As soon as they got safely to this lane, they felt relieved, and they walked on in a ot fairly in under the corn-barn they felt perfectly secure

”There,” said Griff, ”was not that well done!”

”Yes,” said Rodolphus, ”and now all that we have got to do is to get the box open”

”We can break it open with stones,” said Griff

”No,” said Gilpin, ”that will make too much noise We will bury it under this straw for a few days, and open it so for the box You can get the real key of it for us, Rodolphus, can't you!”

”How can I get it?” asked Rodolphus

”Oh, you can contrive soet it fro is to bury it now'

To this plan the boys all agreed They pulled away the strahich was spread under the corn-barn, and dug a hole in the ground beneath, working partly with sticks and partly with their fingers

When they had got the hole deep enough, they put the box in and covered it up Then they covered it up Then they spread the straw over the place as before

During all this ti upon a box pretty near by, having been put there by the boys, in order that the light ing As soon as their as done, the boys went softly outside to see if the as clear for the the lantern on the box; and while they were standing at the corner of the barn outside, looking up the lane, and whispering together, they saw suddenly a light beginning to gleam up from within They ran in and found that the lantern had fallen down, and that the straas all in a blaze They ian to tread upon the fire and try to put it out, but the instant that they did so they were all thunderstruck by the appearance of a fourth person, who ca them from the outside They all screamed out with terror and ran Rodolphus separated from the rest and crouched down a mo that there would be no safety for hiardens, in the direction toward Mr Kerber's He looked back occasionally and found that the light was rapidly increasing Presently he began to hear cries of fire

He ran on till he reached the house; he scrambled over the fences into the back yard, cli under the chiot in as fast as he could, undressed himself and went to bed, and had just drawn the clothes up over hi at the door, and Mrs

Kerber's voice outside, calling out to hie, and that he et up quick as possible and help put it out