News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1885-10-08
punished" replied Fielding, returning
Ii q

| L
and confronting him.
'eYou are wrong, = returnd the other.
icalnrly. 81 shall not destros YOU by any
. of the. vulgar methods. Lsok at that
safe. The walls are ten iches thick
, and air-tigbt. Inclosed in that vaitlt
you w6tild live but an hour. shall nut
you in there, close the safe With the Or
dinary combination, which is now set
? and leave you there. Tomorrow morn,
ing you will be found--deadl How YOU
came there will always remain mystery.
You are not known to have come here.
l am supposed to be twenty miles away,
as shall be as soon as / have completed
my work. What do you think of itP
Shall you escape, or shall be de-
tected2"
The devilish ingenuity of his plan
struck poor Fielding with erRhelming
force. ss.,.s.- Ass
LILO laas hieas'lnf'ffiihf Hin, and saw fhs5 ne woald
be as child in his hands. He saw that
the safe would surely do its deadly work.
There was no aid to be Looked for-no
mercy to expect. He was lost
"Well," said Reynaud, diyinihg his
thoughts, ''are you ready to accept the
other alternative"
''Nop' replied Fielding, firmly. 'Mur-
der me if you will!'
81 give you five minutes to reflect"
responded Reynaud, sitting down near
him and eying him curiously.
There was dead silence in the room
for moment; then the telegraph instru-
ment, disturbed by some exterior current,
| harror +r, o1icLy oh
A sudden inspiration-a faint ray of
hope-shot into Fielding's heart. He
knew that the wire communicated with
the Ashley mansion. If he could convey
his peril by means of it 10 any one there
he might yet be saved.
1t was slender thread upon which to
hang the chances of life and death. But,
alas it was his sole hope
The key of the instrument was imme-
diately behind him and within reach of
his hand. With the perspiration stream
ing from his forehead he slid the spring
which completed the circuit AT this
moment Reynaud, who had been study
ing his watch, looked up.
''Three minutes more" he said, in
suppressed voice, again fixing his eyes
on his watch.
Once more the yorng mans fingers
sought the key, and, while his brain
swan and his heart seemed 10 stop beat
ing, he tapped out this message:
"Hslp I am in the bank. Reynaud is
about to murder me by shutting me in the
vault.
i.RupERr FIELDING
It required but one mDment to tan ont
this brief appeal for help, but, OIL how
long that moment of agony seemedl
Reynaud still sat with his gaze fixed
the moments few by. Suddenly he
arose, with look of deadly resolution
in his eyes
''Your time is up, " he said IN measured
accents. ''Once again, will you go from
this place and never return?'
Fielding cast one last dispairing glance
around him.
There was no weapon at hand the
key of the instrument was silent, his
message had not been heard He was
indeed lost. Looking in thG face of his
relentless enemy, he Fef4sed firmly,
though family:
Il refuse; do your worst.
Then followed brief though terrible
struggle. Reynaud cast himself upon
the slight frame of the young man and
seized him bodily in his arms. There
was sound of stamping feet, painting OF
laboring chests and cracking of strained
muscles, and all was over. Fielding was
hurled into the vault, the door clashed
together and the bolts were shot Then
with an evil smile Reynaud took chair
and sat down opposite the living grave
of his enemy to exult in his triumph.
A half hour had slowly gone by when
there was violent rapping at the outer
door,
He started up and listened, evidently
with no intention of answering the sum-
mons.
The blows were repeated, accompanied
by voice that caused him to tremble in
every limb. 1t was Augustus.
"Let me inl" she cried. ''Rupertl |
Rupert Mr. Reynaud For the love Of
heaven, let me come imp
Then he went to the door and opened |
it. Attired in an evening dress, bonnet
less, and without shawl or wrap, Augusta
rushed into the room.
Rupert |" she exclaimed breathlessly,
seizing Reynaud by the arm. fWhat
have you done with him?"
"Why, my dear young lady," he re-
piled, with well-acted astonishment,
"what should do with him2 You see
he is not here"
EYES," she cried, passionately, strik
ing the heavy door of the safe with her
hand "you have locked him in here and
he is dying"
''Hush l'' he said, with a face which
would have terrified her had she not
been past all fear of herself. "What |
leads you to charge me with such a
crime?"
"Read that" she answered, handing
him slip of paper ON which was tran
scribed the message Fielding had sent.
"That came over the wire from this
room. was in the library and heard it.
Now, release him instantly, or will cry
out your crime in the Streets" she |
added.
Has any one but yourself heard that |
message, or have you told any one of
it2" he asked, in hoarse vbice.
"No," she replied.
He passed his hand intothe breast of |
his coat, and when he withdrew it she |
saw the shining barrel of 1 revolver.
For an instant she sfif-Ts- back at the |
sight of it, then faced hin again firmly.
" Kill me if you will !" she said. If |
Rupert dies l wish to die too."
He threw the weapon upon the floor |
with a groan.
mo, mop he muttered "Not for
life itself could l harm a hair of your
headrn
"Unlock the safe" she said, clasping
her hands appealingly. BE as merci-
full to him as you have beento me.
"Never!' he replied, hisface harden
ing again. "You spare because l love
you, even at the risk of my life; but he
he must and shall dier'
She fell upon her knees and seized his
hand.
In the name of heavenly all you
hold sacred / conjure you to give me
his life!'' she cried.
He shook his head
" You appeal in vain, he said, sternly.
She looked wildly around and her
eyes fell upon the revolver at her feet.
A strange smile crossed her lips as she
saw it.
With swift movement she seized il.
sprang backward and placed the muzzle
against her own heart.
He uttered gasping cry and moved
towards her
" Not another step, or fire y she ex-
claimed, firmly.
"Hear me-" he began, beseechingly.
g. will hear nothing,p she returned. |
H IF in one minnie YOU do not omen that