The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1894-09-12
INDIANA

resonant. on the staircase. He did not
look in as he passed to say ''Good morn
ing" That increased her suspicion. for
twas Stanis.as's way. even when going
to his political meetings, 20 take his
sailing orders" as he piayfully phrased
it, This time he went rapidly out. with
out saying a word, and emerged into the
street. He was carrying something In
the pocket of his coat. nursing il tenderly
as he went. ESTES heart stood still.
What could Stanislas be bent upon?
She couldn't bear the suspense. She
snatched up her hat and hurried eagerly
after him.
AS for Stanisias himself. he was by no
means in a hurry. He st-olled gently
a-ong, selecting the least crowded side Of
the street. and carefully avoiding con-
tact with anybody. Essie followed him,
nnperceived. logging his steps as be went.
but pausing behind the trees that lined
the boulevard whenever he looked behind
him with a glance Of caution. Even now,
she hardly knew what II all could mean;
she could not believe such horrors of any
one with whom she herself had mixed
on terms OF affection. Her simple little
New England mind could not grasp the
iuu aWesOmeness Of continental anarchy.
Laminski crossed the Pont St Michel.
with careless glance at Notre Dame as
he passed, and took his way along the
quays Of the North bank, by the least
crowded side. in the direction Of the
-.
AT the corner by ST. German TAuxmois,
the man who had spent so long a time
with him the night before stood Idly
lounging. Essie knew him in a moment.
As they passed one another, the two men
gave a nod Of recognition. with a mean
ing glance. The strangers eyes seemed
10 ask, rs everything ready" Lamlnskfs
answered, mutely Yes, ready, quite
ready"
They took no further heed of one an
other; but Essie noticed that when Stan
islas had passed on twenty yards or there
abOuts, the other man followed him, Just
as she herself was doing, with an atten-
tive air, as who should say, Il will watch
that you do it,
Stanislas turned aside toward the
church doors of ST. German The bells
chimed merrily. People were fioclIing in
and out to mass. Essie stood still and
trcmbled.
Stanislas took little bottle half i'm
pereeptibly between his left finger and
thumb and fumbled for a second with
the unseen object in his coat pocket.
Then he turned round with a look Of
recognition and triumph toward the
other man in the background. See
here he seemed to SAY; Il am keeping
our compact" At the very same in
slant, his eye lighted on Essie. Sudden
" his hand faltered; his cheek grew
pale; the daredevil look faded fast out
of his eyes, and a terrible fear seemed
Essie felt she must find out what it
meant. She rushed up to him implor-
tngly. Stanislas held a long, round
cylinder Of iron in his hand. With a
gesture Of fierce love Essie flung her
arms round him. His face grew deadly
| white. He tried to unwind her arms.
Take care, darlingr' he cried. Run
as far as you can! If it explodes, it
kills, you.s Il is not for such as you.
Go, go; it's loadedr'
10 70 u
bomb. bomb, Essie knew what it
meant now. A CHASTITY light burst in
upon her. These. then. were the meth
DDS of the Friends of Freedom! She
seized his hand in her horror.
"Stanislas," she cried, wildly, you
shall not do it. You should not burden
your soul with that awful crime. Though
l die, / Will save them. Though 1 die,
| will save YOU" And she caught it in
her hands, and tore it fiercely away
from him
"Essie. Essie." he shrieked, in an access
OF mad remOrse. its going TO burst!
Fling it away. Fling it away from your
But Essie held il STILL and rushed out
with a sudden thrill of heroic resolve
into the wide open space between ST.
German and the Louvre. She waved one
arm around. Danger! Dangerr' she
shouted.
The crowd. aghast, fell back to left and
right, Stanislas rushed after her and
strOve to wrench 1t from her grasp. But
just as he approached her, Essie dashed
1t on the pavement by the rails of the
Louvre, well away from the crowd of
awe-struck people. Whatever came of it.
she would save those innocent lives, she
! would save that guilty soul from the con-
| sequences of its own unholy endeavor.
A crash A flash. A white cloud Of dense
smokei Stanislas Laminski clapped his
| hands before his face. Essie stood there
| immOvable. When the cloud cleared
/ away. broken Fragments Uttered the DavA-
ment by the rails. and two bleeding
| corpses lay mangled on the ground-Lam-
| insld's and ESTES. Not one other was
: hurt. She had saved the innocent
She meant to set fire to the Louvre
said the papers, but, owing to a for
| tulate scuffie with her accomplice, the
| bomb exploded prematurely.''