St. Landry democrat. (Opelousas, La.) 1878-1894, 1891-03-07
4 evil. That night for the FIRST time she

| of evil. That night for the first time she
remembered that her grandmother, SO
handsome yet and full Of life and spirit,
was really old; that In all probability she
must soon lose her. Perhaps it was this
she thought. 1t was enough.
She followed the old lady to her room,
! and was loath to leave her but all was so
pleasant there, so guarded, 80 comfortable,
and then the waiting maid always slept In
the small room adjoining, that she had no
| excuse for asking to stay.
With her diamonds still about her and
| her face growing more and more serious,
| she stole softly up the stairs. Dolmer was
locking doors and extinguishing candles
| with painstsking air. He bowed to her
| as che passed. His eyes and his dark
skin, with Its scars, made her think of a
tiger.
She hurried to her room and locked the
door. She had never done this before
She did not know why she did it now
The house she had known ever since she
was born felt unsafe to her.
At last she knelt down and prayed, felt
comforted, and, arising, began to undress.
She removed the diamonds. laid them in
their rich old cases, and placed them in
her bureau. She had not the courage to
60 to the safe with them-she who had
often boosted that she did not know what
fear meant. She threw her pretty dress
across o chair, sttired herself for the
night and slipped into bed, leaving the
night lamp burning It was a curious
little thing, from which a white moon
face, set In sea of blue, looked at one
with its almond eyes. when the lamp was
lighted. 1t usually had jolly expression;
no~ 1t seemed to give her glances of
warning. Yet she might have fallen
asleep even then but for new and hor-
rible thing that happened.
We all know that the coughing or even
hard breathing of any individual is q very
distinctive sound, alike in no two people.
Patrick, the dismissed servant had a
peculiar way of catching his breath when
fstigued.
Suddenly in the silence this sound
struck on Queens ear. Wss 1t magma
tion7 No, she heard it again. At once
she was assured that Patrick was con-
cesled In her room behind the curtains of
an alcove. 1t could bs for no other pur-
pose than that OF theft. Dolmer had been
right, an honest guardian of her aunts
interests-Patrick 8 wretch who deceived
his benefactYess.
She tried to think Of some means of es-
cape from the room. Should she rise to
cross it, Patrick, powerful and alert, could
stop her with finger She might bring
about her own murder. Perhaps to felgn |
sleep was the easiest and best thing TO do. |
At least grandma was safe for the pres
ent. Patrick must know the diamonds
were In her room. Again that sudden
catch Of the strong mans breath. Queen |
almost tainted.
Suddenly another sound struck her esr
"A step upon the roof of the porch, which
was below her window.
The shutters opened dark head pro-
truded into the room, 1.-THE figure fol-
lowed-Dolmer himself, q pistol in bis
hand
"Can this be true" thought the girl
This man whom suspected has proved
my guardian angel; he has come to save
NE from Patrick"
In her relief she sat up in bed, and clasp
ng her hands, cried:
"Dolmer-good, kind Dolmer
But his answer was an oath. A hand
struck her, not heavily but sharply, on
he shoulder, and Dolmer's voice hissed in
ler ear:
GOOD Dolmer. ehs All, now you ars
IfEaid was bad Dolmer this morning.
was to be dismissed. ehs Oh, yes, yes,
because | am so dres dful to behold
81 looked like an escaped convct7 Very
veil, | am-from the gslleys at Toulon.
For what was there, eh9 For killing a
woman. Now | kill another Then |
AXE the diamonds All, you did well to
,eep them In your room tonight, and at
aylight discover you are murdered and
obbed. Dead women cannot tell tales
'erhaps 1t Is Patrick who is dismi sed
rho Is the thief. Who knowsl Not
onest Dolmer, who goes soon to be rich
bis own country. hate you like
kill you l, who look like an ugly 1
ger, chr I
The girl shrank back powerless to move
r speak, but seeing what Dolmer does no, I
20; the alcove curtain thrown aside, ami |
reat, we'll built Irish figure emerging from S
/, and lifting its strong hand aoove Dol
lers right arm. The next instant Dolmer 4
on the floor, and Patrick, kneeling Oh /
Is bIeast, ties his hands together with q 9
I'd cotton handkerchief as be cries: q
mo fear now miss was up TO the .
tricks of the crsyther, and watched him.
knew he was xf'her thin di mints. and | Y
Nv him thry the windy to see II it was a
81 enthrin'; SO risksd me carackther for Z
le sake of the family, prsyin' the saints O
be wild me. Aisy, Miss Queen. He's
J helpless as a baby in me hands" $
Pat gave hi, testimony In court, when q
olmer was tried. in q way that made
UGH laughter, bus it was with him, not
him.
Dolmer, an escaped murderer, who had
lied lady for the sake of bracelet,
as returned to the authorities of his own tt
untry; and Patrick is now guardian. n
neral of the house and the ladies'. A T
ore faithful one could not be found G.