Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1892-01-07
CHAPTER XIII.

AN ANXIOUS MOMENT.
Not a man who saw the stalwart
Frenchman dash from their presence
but knew that the light of madness was
cleaning in his eye. With the strength
of maniac he had hurled them on one
| side like so many children, with the
speed of wild animal he was bounding
on his prey-a timid, helpless girl, who
had nothing but her weakness to oppose
to the blind fury of his passion.
| And she was so cnwrapped in bitter
thoughts that she did not even hear the
| hurrying footsteps, but was going along
with low bent head, wondering whether
| the miseries which surrounded her
would ever end. She had heard the
story of Damiens' flight, and, though
she was 10th to believe such brutal vim
| dictiveness in even him, had more than
| half suspected the Frenchman's treach-
| cry.
| Suddenly hand was rudely laid up
on her shoulder.
! Before she could spring from his grasp
his arms were flung around her and his
hot kisses fell fast and furious upon her
lips and face.
| wanda! my own! my darling!' the
mailman cried in ecstacy, his eyes fash
ing with the CLEAN Of a tigers. 81
have you in my arms at last. Ha! Ha!
That poor, silly, blind fellow thought
that he was going to rob me of you; to
steal your kisses from my lips; but he
is lying yonder in the snow. Aye, the
brave bashaws did their work nobly.
l went out just to take one peep at him
as he lay there so cold and still, and
then-then l was frightened and fed,
l T,,f
Come to take you with me that we may
white face again
I would not like my reader to inn
agine that Wanda Arlington, for ali
her softness and delicacy, was at
ficted with nerves." and so must beg
him to remember that the poor girl had
endured great prostration and was at
the very moment of the assault in a
state of trouble bordering very nearly
on the historical. Therefore it is not
remarkable that she just closed those
heaven blue eyes of hers and fell back
without a sigh into her captor's arms,
blissfully unconscious Of everything.
He dragged he: along with rude
haste, hurting threats on the crowd
now gathering round HIM, and occa-
sionally kissing the white cheek, for
there was not man who dare6s fling
| himself upon him. Not that the riveE
siders were towards, or dismayed at the
Herculean strength Of the young
| Frenchman, but they looked with re-
Iigious terror on insanity, and there
! was not lad among them who did not
know that Alph, Sc Damiens was mad
as March hare.
But presently the ranks divide and
the square-set form of old Bladon is seen
in the front. He is spent with running,
and breathleSS. So he stays a minute
| that his painting lungs may breathe
more freely; then, with bound, he is
on his foe.
Damiens glared upon the old man in
savage wonder, threw the senseless
body of the girl upon the snow, and
! with q wild, hOarSe cry of fury, Sprang
upon his brave assailant.
It was an unequal contest. Youth
and age, and the thrill of madness lend
ing inhuman vigor to the limbs of the
| stronger.
/ With arms entwined around each
! other, as they swayed to and fro it did
not seem difficult to say who would fall
first, for the Frenchman was head and
shoulder taller than his aged antagonist.
and his superb limbs yielded not an inch
to Bladons vain efforts to throw him
backwards, while the old mans heavy
breathing told the tale of his distress.
Often to this day do the riverside men
tell the story of that wonderful strug-
gle.
It seemed as though there was no
hope for the brave old fellow-indeed,
not one of the many who, paralyzed
with fear, looked on in shuddering
wonder could for the life of them tell