Louisiana capitolian., 1881-11-05

voice prevailed over the others, and
said:
"What sort Of q woman Ii she ~
"Well, gentlemen" replied the land
lord, II don't know for sure, but / think
she's bride, and that they are on their
wedding tour.n
"a bride! |" roared the revelers; bring
her here. Fetch them both here, for we
want to drink to the bride and talk to
the husband"
Our friends in the blue room trembled ;
they feared an assault on them would
be made. But the same voice prevail
ed over the din, and it was evidently
that of a superior officer.
The night wore on. Leon and his
bride had almost forgotten their Eng
lish neighbor, when they heard q strange
sound in his room. 1t was that of the
fall Of some heavy body. Mingled with
this there was peculiar crashing, gra-
ting sound, followed by stihed cry.
Silence. Then there were two or three
oaths, and silence again.
The young couple shuddered. What
could it mean Leon tried to reassure
his trembling companion, but he was
interrupted by cautious opening Of
the next door. 1t was softly closed
again, and then slow, and apparently
careful footsteps were heard in the hall.
They were lost in the distance. They
ceased Again all was still.
Soon the young bride was sleeping
calmly. But not SO with Leon. Despite
himself the sinister face Of the English
mans nephew returned to his recollec-
ton. There was hatred, he thought,
in the glance cast upon the uncle by
the young man when he left him, and
then that roll Of bank notes in the va
lise. And that dull, heavy sound but
now, like the fall of body upon the
tloor-the cly--the curses. Such was
the train of thought that ran through
Leon's mind.
Mechanically he fixed his eyes upon
the door which communicated with the
Englishmen's room. There was little
space between the bottom Of the door
and the flooring. BY the DIM light fall
ing from the partially turned down gas
he could see something forcing its way
under the door.
"What can it be ~ thought Leon. "Is
it a knife. No, for it has divided into
two parts. And now it divides again
| and yet again. What can it be 1t is
some liquid"
The thing slowly crawled toward a
little blue slipper. 1t excircled its heel.
1t stained its front. 1t was q liquid, of
strange and unmistakable color--the
color of blood.
For - long time Leon lay and gazed
upon the stained slipper and the red
dish stream which encircled it, He
pictured to himself the corpse lying in
the next room; its discovery the follow
ing, the door opening directly into the
room of which the bolts were on his
side; the blood stained slipper. He
attempted to rise and hide the slipper /;
as he did so, his wife spoke and started
with alright rs she felt his icy hand.
"What is the matterW
Leon explained to her the terrible sit
uation in which they were placed. He
arose and attempted to remove the tell
tale stains from the slipper, but it was
useless.
Day was breaking. Already the seys
wants We're moving around tho hotel.
In o few hours the crime would be dis
covered. and the officers Of the law
would be upon them.
"Alasw said Leon, 'our only hope is
this: At eight o'clock the train leaves
for Paris. If the Englishmand's body is
not discovered before that time we are
safe. We will take the train and lose
ourselves in the great city. There we
shall be SAFE"
His weeping bride flung herself upon
his bosom. She felt almost as though
! she committed the deed.
But there yet remained two mortal
hours before the train left. At each
step in the corridor they trembled with
alright. They made their preparations
for departure. Leon's bride wished to
burn the bloody slipper, but he restrain.
ed her, and concealed it on his person.
Seven o'clock sounded. The hotel
was alive again with bustling servants,
Leon forced his wife to take cup OF
coffee, although she declared that her
marched throat refused to swallow.