, 1891-11-20

her white wrist. Her cheeks were very
pale. She looked as lovely as a spirit,
but in that warm spring air she was
strangely cold. Why was it? What
was it? 1
"Olympiar he said softly, "wakel it
is In She did not stir.
"Olympiar' clamored a wild voice, ris-
ing to a shrek, ~resounding and echoing
through the empty house. ''Olympiar'
And then n harsh cry struggling in the
throat-"Olympiar But Olympia heard
not. She lay pale and still as before,
with her cheek upon her hand.
After a while Keppel Darke rose from
his knees, another mar than when he
knelt down. His face was pinched and
haggard, but he was now calm. He felt
in his pocket, and an ejaculation of sat
isfaction escaped him as he drew out his
revolver. He had feared that, in the be-
wilderment of the morning, he might
have lost it. He examined the weapon
it was loaded, every chamber, and in
perfect order. He cooked it, and then,
bending down once more, kissed Olym-
pia's face. As he raised himself erect,
and placed the muzzle against his tenn
pie, he faced the window, and his glance
l4aNtltu u h1IpcS lhMh dllu hODdldlut
Dathed in the light of the declining sun
the lovely earth, rejoicing in. spring,
which he would never see again. At q
distance of a couple of hundred yards the
drive passed through a gateway and was
merged in a country road, extending in
the direction of theswamp, where lay the
bones of Francois Dupont. And just at
the turning of the road, half a mile away,
x.-oa xvs..I1., - - 49, Il IT,
moment, caused Keppel Darke to stay
his hand and lower the revolver. The
object was a carriage and horses, and be-
side it stood two figures. The carriage
seemed to have met with some accident.
Keppel gazed for a few moments with
burning eyes. Gradually a terrible smile
wrinkled his cheeks. He knocked the
revolver, slipped it back in his pocket
and bounded out of the room. Leaving
the house by a door in the rear, and tax
ing advantage of the c~oncealment of the
shrubbery, he gained the woodland, and
then set off at a swift, leaping run in the
direction of the carriage. His course
would keep him out of sight of the two
persons until he was close upon them.
In less than five minutes he was very
near. Peering out between the trees, he
saw that the forward wheel of the car
riage had come off, the pin having given
away. Garcia was working to remedy
the broken piece, and Sallie, clad in
mans clothes, was leaning against the
bole of a young oak hard by, with hei
hands hanging folded in front of her.
Her utter unconsciousness of the eyes
that were fixed upon her seemed strange
to Keppel. He was half inclined to sus-
pect affectation. To test the matter, he
drew his revolver, cooked and leveled it.
He was an excellent shot. He could hit
a shilling at twenty PAGES nine times in
ten. He o aim at a button on Sallie's
coat, just over heart. Only an imper-
ceptible contraction of his forefiner was
needed to send her to another world.
She did not change her position, but she
spoke to Garcia in an amused tone. lyon
don't seem as successful a wheelwright,
Nanak, as You are in other professions.
Let us give it up and walk"
This is my evil day-and yours, also"
said he whom she called Nanak. cat
six o'clock the worst will be passed, but
until them
THE worstl This has been the hap
piest n most successful day of my life!
If / were to die this moment / should die
satisfied. But you and /, my dear prince,
are not going to die just yet, in spite of
that broken wheelpin. You shall buy
back your kingdom, or intrigue it
back
"Be still 1t has comet" said the other,
rising to his feet as Keppel left his CON
cealment behind the trees and advanced
upon them, covering Sallie with his
weapon.
The s~uddenness of the apparition add
ed, perhaps, to other influences, over
threw tine woman's habitual self COM
mand. She crouched with the instructive
impulse to escape, but the muzzle of the
revolver followed her. a'Stand up!' said
Keppel.
Are you afraid to die?"
"Why do you do thisy' she demanded.
fiercely. Have 1 not kept my promise?"
Even her dead body is worth a uni
verse of souls like yours; but you have
taken her life, and you must join your
sister devils. 1t is no punishment; but
there can be none for you in this world.
You shall go elsewhere"
81 tell you she is alive! Speak to him,
Nanakl he will believe you. What does
he mean? She is alive!"
1T is the evil hour" said the man, in
differently. at cannot be averted."
He spoke in an distracted tone, and
stood staring on the ground with his
arms hanging by his side. The evil
hourp he repeated. st.
"Coward-not to help mel And you.
Keppel Darkel coward to kill a defence.
less womanl Oh, if l had a weapon,
Give me an equal chance and 1 will moi
be the first to cry for mercy"
Yes, it shall be so" said Keppel. II,
too, prefer it. You shall have the chance
you think SO valuable"
Have you another pistolT7 she asked
with fierce, searching eyes.
mo; but you shall have your chance
at this. We will draw lots for it. Gar
cha, pluck two grasses and hold them fol
us. The one who wins shoots"
Garcia complied. There was an ex
preston of weary contempt on his feat
: ures as he held out the grasses, con
cealing their length. "You cannot
, avert it" he said to Sallie, as she stood
trembling with suspense, now flushed
nou- ,rbita