The Kimball graphic. (Kimball, Brule County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1905, 1890-08-01
THE RED FLAG.
NJ. e. BRADDoN.
Author OF LADY Audley's Secret"
ctr etC etc.

You were, Mauaiile Hlicilei, the ar Oh your
present abode cannot agree with YOU"
He wished her good-eyening and trotted
away lingering his bunch Of keys. Two
minutes afterwards she met Philip Durand
fac. to face.
Yes, she was changed. The woman of
the people, the amazon, the petroleuse, was
curiously subdued and softened. Some
Christening influence had suhjugated her We
hement nature, and altered the expression
If her countcnancc to n degree that was al
most a transformation.
"Mensicur Durand!' she exclaimed, with
q startled look; and then she said quietly Il
am a stranger i'll this neighborllood now. 1t
Is like coming back to an old life. How is
your xife?'
/. "She is very we'll"
"Aud her sister-Madame Mortcmar?"
"She is-dying."
dying! That is a strong phrase"
ut is the truth. We have done all that
care and love could do, bIt she is slipping
away from us. ] have no hope that she will
last to the end of the month";"
What is her malady?"
"a broken heart"
"Ah, that is more common than doctors
believe. Has she never got over the loss Of
her husbands"
Suzon had turned to accompany Philip,
and they We're walking side by side towards
the Rue Git lie CGur.
Never"
u suppose, though, she is glad that Seri-
zier was taken the other day?.'
She was CAD; it was her own work. She
only lived to bring the murderer to justice
and that being accomplished, it seemed as
If the handspring of her life was broken"
She brought him to justice y cried Suzon.
What do you mcanT'
Simply what l say; Serizier's arrest was
brought about solely by my sister-in-!aw;
she watched and waited for him, day by
day, for three months. 1t was she, and she
only, who brought him to his doom"
" read in the papers that it wa q wo-
man, but | thought it was a jealous woman
some discarded mistress, perhaps. And
you say that it was she-that lily-faced girl
she who tracked the murderer to his hole?."
She, and no other"
And she is dying%
Eyes, she is dying. The task weakened
the sources of life; body and mind were
alike exhausted by the long patient effort
mshared, unknown by those who loved her
and now Il broken heart has done the
rest
'tShe shall not der cried Suzon, with q
voice SO loud that it startled the passcrs-by,
who turned and stared at her; "no,'' she
went on hmricdly, breathtcssly, "if there is
n God in heaven she shall not die. If there
is no God, well, then this earth is a sham
bles, and the innocent have no friend. She
shall not diet
What can you do to save her?' q
Give her something to live for, give her
so strong a reason why she should live that
the tide of If will flow back to her veins,
tho weary heart will beat strong with hope
and love-"
You are mad!"
mo, al not mad. Go and get fly.
Can she be moved, do you think? Could she
bear to be driven a little way?"
God knows. She is as weak as an in
fant!'
20, only so and get the carriage. We viii
manage it, we will carry her. Go; l have
but to whisper in her ear, and she will have
the strength of a lioncss. Bring the car
riage to the door yonder; l will run on and
see your wife"
Durand thought she mustbe mad; but hcI
earnestness, her energy were electrical, and
lie obeyed her. In a case so hopeless any
CLEAN of hope was welcome. There was
some secret to be told, some revclat on
coming. He scarce asked himself what, bui
hurried off to engage the first providing fly
he could find.
Suzon ran upstairs to the third floor. She
listened at the door of Kathlecn's sitting.
room. There was a faint murmur of voices
within, and she entered without knocking
Kathleen was lying on the sofa near the
fireplace, her wasted cheek white as the
pillow on which it rested. Rose sat BY her
bending over her, talking TO her i'll lowmuv
murs. The room was dimly lighted by
lamp on the mantelpiece.
Suzon went across the room and knelt BY
the invalid's side.
sit is l, Suzon Michel" she said, "the wo
man who once hated you, but who has sine,
learnt to pity you, and who now lionors YOU
Is it true that you tracked that wild beasttt
his lair? that when all the police in Pari.
had failed to find him, you hunted that tige,
townP'
YES, / found Serizier. They say he will
be shot"
"Sdc'c NOM, yes, he shall be shot. The
women of the Place d'Italie-the peopI,
who lived in fear and dread of him, tc
whom his name was a terror-tliey will no
let him escape, now the law has got him
Madame Mortemar, will you come with me:
| want to take you to my home, yonder
close to the spot where your husband fell
Kathleen started up into a sitting position
1t was like a sudden awakening to life, a
II some magic wand had been waved owe,
her, magnetising the feeble clay.
"WhatV' she cried, you live there!
thought it must be so, that night. Yes, yes
lake me to the spot where he fell. Let III
see itoncc morc-once before l die. To IN
1t is as sacred as a grave. l cannot go t
his grave" she added despairingly.
Deal love, you are too weak to stir,
pleaded Rose tenderly, with her arms abou
her sisters wasted form.
She is not too weak to come with me
She should come If she were in her grave
clothes. You can come with us-you ca
help me carry her downstairs. Yoar hus
band will have q fly ready. Ycs!' erie,
Suzon, running to the window, "it is there
at the door below. Bring some brandy i
a bottle-wet her lips with q little first. /
warm shawl, So" wrapping it round her a
II she had been n child. You are not afrai
to come, are you, my little onc? / hav
good news for you at the end of the joul
ney."
Her impetuosity evolved a correspondent
energy in Kathleen, who was tremulou
with excitement. Rose understood ths
there was new life at the end of this suddc
journey. Yes, there was q revelation {
hand, about CASTOR. She kept herself cali
and steady while those two others were o
fire with excitement. Between them sr
n Snzon Michel carried Kathleen dow
stairs to the fly, the three women got insid,
Kathleen wrapped in thick shawls. Phil
got on the box beside the driver; in a crac
or so Of his whip they were rafting into til
Boulevard st. Michel.
1t was a longish drive to the Plac
dItalie; but, urged by Suzon, the man &c
over the distance very quickly. The du
slde-street looked u~nspeakably dreary
the wintry gloom, the lamps burning diml,
ehe windows showing little light-signs {
aallure and poverty on every side.
The fly stopped before that empty hous
which Kathleen had noticed in the SUNNI,
cleaning. The board was still hangin
above the door, the windows were all blan
and dark but Suzon opened the door wi,
her key, while Durand lifted Kathleen o,
of the vehicle.
Garry her upstairs, following me-" sal
Suzon; but she and l mustgo into the roo
Lava