The Canton advocate. [volume] (Canton, D.T. [S.D.]) 1877-1897, 1881-11-10

decided to purchase either all or part of
it. 1t is an opportunity which will
never again present itself, but | would
prefer thousand times that he should
miss it to having him return without
notifying me"
"Why?"
Because some one has wicked de-
signs against him, and at night terri
BILE blow is soon struck. You know
there are two routes by which to return
here, one is longer than the other but
safer. am afraid lest he may return
by way of the Moulin Brule, the more
so as there is some one to see in that
direction. | tremble at the mere
thought of it. If l only knew"
The postman strove to calm her fears,
but she shook her head.
"You cannot think" resumed she
"what certain men are capable Of,
when they have grudge against any
body"
She seemed to hesitate and then
added:
"If l trerble, it is not simply be-
cause my husband will have to pass
through a dangerous spot with money
in his pocket, but also because there is
in the district wretch whose dearest
wish is to put five feet of earth between
them"
"This hatred dates from long ago.
When l was a young g irl he wanted to
marry me, but he filled me with horror.
He has never pardoned me for having
repulsed his offers, and has enveloped
in the same animosity the man pre-
ferred to him. He hates George and
myself for being in easy circumstances,
while he vegetables in want, as if honest
people were responsible for the mis-
takes of idlcrs and drunkards. This is
not all. A crime was recently COM
mitted; suspicious were aroused, but
the proofs were wanting. | possess
them and the guilty man knows it.
All! it is dangerous secret for a wo-
man who has only children around
her!
yesterday he accosted me to sound
me; l did not hide from him my con-
tempt. He saw clarly that he was I'M
masked in my eyes; he overwhelmed
me with insults and threats. | took the
unfortunate notion to say to him that
soon, when my husband returned,
when he had a man before him, he
would be less presumptuous. Oh, if
you knew what glances his eyes shot at
me; what an expression of hatred his
features wore! l know that often dur
ing the night he haunts the ruins of
the Moulin Brule. If this man should
discover that my husband is to pass
through that place, l tell you, Monsieur
Martin, he is lost"
What is the scoundrel's name?"
"Jean Bruno. 1t is lot astonishing
that you are unacquainted with him,
for since his return to the district he
has not publicly shown himself"
The postman was silent. He remem-
bered having heard the woman at the
drinking house call the man he had
met there by that name. He asked
himself in CONSERVATION if the letter
had not been stolen from him, but he
recalled all the circumstances and ban
ished this supposition. He felt certain
that the epistle had not been in his
sack; he reassured himself and sought
to resssure the woman, yet he resolved
to wait her husbands arrival at the
chief town of the district to advise him
to be prudent.
He FASTENED away, and when he was
alone his fears regained possession of
him. He again began to doubt, and
little by little was seized upon by q ter
ror he could not explain. He increased
his pace, and leaped over the hedges
and bitches with unusual nimbleness.
Unfortunately, his round that day was
exceptionally long, and the bad weather
in addition had considerably delayed
him.
He reached the postoffice little
later than was his custom. The woman
who distributed the mails, on being con-
suited by him, affirmed that he had
taken away a letter for Nine. Andre.
One of her assistants confirmed this
declaration.
The postman was thunderstruck.
He saw with fright the heavy RESPONSE
bility thrown upon him. His terrors
when he remembered that
time and again, at any moment of
opening the mail-bags, a man had pre-
sented himself, asking if there was
anything for Nine. Andre!
He flew rather than ran to the office
of the coach which carried the passen-
gers from the nearest station on the
railway to the chief town. George
Andre had arrived, but had set out i'm
on foot for his village.
The news gave Martin violent
shock. The prospect of catastrophe
for which he would be responsible arose
before him. He saw this man who had
returned with joy in his heart, encoun-
tering death at the threshold of his
home through his fault, and misfortune
overtaking the widow and orphans.
The darkest clouds troubled his mag
nation.
He did not hesitate, and, without
taking time to enter his dwelling, start
ed off again. Those who saw him pass
absorbed in his thoughts and noticing
no one around him, asked themselves
what grave affair could have caused this
breathless haste on the part of man
who must have come back from his
round broken by fatigue.
After having passed over fourth Of
the distance, he inquired concerning
the traveller, and asked if he had been