Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1889-12-16
R E 7 R | B I Ito N .
BY "THE DUCHESS. I"
CHAPTER VIII.

the. light of the dim lamp it carries ap-
pears upon the threshold.
Millicent, benumbed, fascinated, star
ing with wide eyes, sees man dressed in
the common coarse fustian suit of an ar
tisan. The face is hidden; over it a mask
of black satin is drawn carefully. This
gives last touch of terror to a presence
already big with fearful mystery in the
eyes of the poor girl gazing at 1T, in
spellbound anguish, from over the frilled
and dainty linen sheeting.
1t is an impossible thing, in spite of all
wise writers to the contrary, to account
for human feeling-tO arrange for what
it will cause the owner of it to do or say
on certain occasions and under certain
circumstances.
Millicent q moment ago more dead
than alive, when her fear was hidden
from her, now that it appears before her
in flesh and blood and an abominably
bad suit of clothes, feels her soul rise
within her, her courage grow apace, and
lifting her eyes-thOugh still in very
agony of doubt and hOrrOr-she stares at
the intruder with some small semblance
of defiance.
a man of base mind, to whom lofty senti-
ments are unknown, returns her would-be
naughty glance through his mask with
an air calm as n summer eve.
.sGet upr' he says-neither more nor
less, but just this cOncisely.
1t is a demand that Miss Grey in her
newborn fit of courage sees fit to scorn.
4 shall notr' she says from her strong
hold behind the bedclothes.
However ANONYMOUSLY she behaves
afterward, it must now be said of her
that she is filled with high courage.
.SWon't you?'' says the man in fust-
iau His tone is remarkably high and
squeaky; noc-as Miss Grey remarks, even
at this awful moment-like the voice of
any human thing she has ever heard.
~ give you just three minutes to get
into your clothes: no more. Look sharp,
and never mind your hair. That is a
woman's first thought, isn't it? But 1t
must go for once
He laughs in so suppressed a fashion
that she hardly knows what the laughter
is like; but that it is wild and reckless,
and decidedly mirthful, is apparent to
her 1t did not declare itself to her then,
but afterward it occurred to her that his
whole air was hardly in accord with the
fustian.
Il shall not STIR she says vigorously.
''Then regret to say that must assist
you,'' returns he, advancing toward her
slowly.
This settles it, of course. Her high born
courage fades, evaporates. Her spirit
dies within her With both hands she
clings to the bedclothes.
''No, nor she gasps. II will get up
only-only''-
go? That, of course, says the man
as agreeable as he can in his squeaky
tones. Il shall go to the next room, for
precisely five minutes by my-no, by
the way-your watch. Don't, let me adj
wise you, let it be longer
He strides toward the door by which
he has entered, and then suddenly stops
short. So does her heart. Once again
she had dwelled upon the hope of what
ringing of the bell might bring forth;
but, as if the mysterious being had read
her inmost soul, he now turns to her.
''By the bye,'' he says, ''to ring your
bell may suggest itself to you. You
might ring a thousand bells in this house,
1 verify believe, without result; but still
1 decline to take the chance After all
/ think shall stay here, in this remote
corner, while you put on your dressing
gown"
"Oh, nor'
The words break from Millicent des-
perately.
''No? You would prefer not? Butt
81 swear to you 1 will not ring the
bell,'' declares she wildly. II don't know
why you wish me to rise; but yet give
if you will only go into that next room
and give me the five minutes you have
promised"
"a woman's oath is not worth a half
penny, to say nothing of her word, " says
the stranger pleasantly. "But still, ]
will grant your request with just this last
word. If You play me false, ii you seek
to summon aid in any way, L shall'-
drawing a revolver from his pocket and
10xx- I1roiT
outr'
The words fall from him in whisper
-delicately-so mildly, indeed, that nc
suspicion of violence should rest with
them Yet Millicent, as the door closes
behind him, shoulders vehemently, and
her teeth chatter as though she has been
stricken with q sudden chill.
With trembling haste she springs from
her bed, hurries ON her clothes, and hav-
ing covered herself finally with soft
warm dressing gown, stands shiverine
with expectation upon the carpet. She
must have got through her task with fan
greater speed than she had imagined-in
three minutes, instead of the allotted
five, as a good while elapses from the
time she had finished her hurried dress
ing to the dreaded moment when sgair
her foe appears before her.
'sYou are paragon he says. per
nit me to congratulate you. / said fiVt
minutes-I gave you seven; it appears
three would have been sufficient. Blu
now TO business. Where are those sap
phire and diamond ornaments that hav'
made YOU the envy of all behOlderS thi
season, and added faint luster to tn
brilliancy of your charms?'
YeS-certainly his manners are not II
keeping with his clothes!
my sapphires!'' gasps she feeb1y.
''And diamonds! Do not detract from
their value Comer'-sharply- u
have no nonsense. know you keep then
in this room or the one beyond; bu
where? / assure yOu-I beg you to believ
that / would not for worlds have rouse
you from your happy dreams had no
my failure to discover the jewels com
PEELED me to apply to you for assistance.
My uncle always keeps them, begin
the girl, telling her lie without regre
in the fond but vain hope that it ma
save her sapphires. All at once TIL
suave manner of the man disappears, an
an angry oath escapes him.
''Look here, girl" he says roughly
though his voice is fine and squeaky a
ever, mo trifingl 1 know these stone
to be in your keeping, and l shall hav
them tonight or''--
He pauses, draws the revolver agal
from his pocket, and significantly click
it. ''Where are the sapphires?''
cover here" says Millicent, now fairl
cowed She moves mechanically tOwar
the wall opposite, and raising her HAND
touches a spring that is evidently col
nected with some secret press in tt
wall-a press concealed by the papering
A small door flies open, and not ha'
ing the courage to actually give him ht
treasures Gewels are always dear to
woman, be she good or bad, she poin
family to the disclosed cupboard.
The man in fustian lifts his lanterl
peers curiously into the recess, and wit
q low cry of triumph seizes upon tt
different cases that lie side by side upC
the wooden shelf. Cool, even in the m
ment of victory, he opens the cases d
liberately one by one, to make sure of Il
contents. Yes, they all lie there-u
beautiful glittering things, for which
girl is crying, and for which a man
bartering his soull
Lifting his head, after sharp but hu
ried examination of the stones that a
parently satisfies him, he sees that Mil
cent too, is gazing earnestly at Il
pretty baubles once hers, so soon to
hers no longer; and that as she gazes, h
soft eys are full of tears.
''Seens cruel, ehY' he says. 1--WE
that you may say in the future / was n