The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1895-07-10

The Emperor glanced at me ana sihchVnsu
his pace little, SO that l came wiShip w,binp
that had my hilt well to the 'front.', anu
that had a very good look at these IWo
persons who were approaching us. Inc
one was tall, remarkably SO, ana Oh
very spare frame, while the other Mus
rather below the usual height, ana hau
a brisk, determined way of walking
They each wore black cloaks, which were
slung right across their figures ana huhg
down upon one side like the NANTES 1l
Murats dragoons. They had HAT, plack
caps, like those which have since seen IN
Spain, which threw their iaces INTO uarN
ness, though i could see the gleah ol
their eyes from beneath them. Win the
moon behind them and their long plach
shadows walking in front, they Nere
such figures as one might eNpect 10 ineet
near the Abbot's Beech. | can remember
that they had stealthy way OF moving,
and that as they approached the moonshlne
formed two white diamonds between
their legs and the legs OF their shaooWs
The Emperor had paused and these TWO
strangers came TO stand also Wlthlh
few PAGES of us. | had drawn up close
to my companions elbow SO that the
four OF us were facing each other without
n word spoken. My eyes were particu-
larly fixed upon the taller one, because ne
was slightly the nearer 10 me, hhu
became certain as / watched him thar ne
| lean figure was quivering all over, ahu
heard quick, thin painting like that OF
| a tired dog. Suddenly one OF them gave
a short Kissing signal. The tall man bent
| his back and his knees like diver ABOUT
! to spring but before he could move L had
| iumped with drawn sabre in front OF
| him. AT that same instant the smaller
man bounded past me and buried long
| poinard in the Emperor's heart. :,
My God the horror OF that mornenti ~
! Is a marvel that did not drop dead my
| self As in dream i saw the gray coat
| whirl convulsively around and caught
| glimpse in the moonlight OF three inches
| of red point which jutted out from be-
| twnen the shoulders. Then down he fell
with a dead mans gasp upon the grass,
and the assassin leaving his weapon
| buried i'm his victim, threw up both MS
hands and shriekedwith joy But IL drove
my sword through his midriff with such
| frantic force that the mere elbow OF the
hilt against the end of his breastbone
sent him six PAGES before he fell ana ne
left my reeking blade ready ior the other.
/ sprang upon him with such lust ior
blood upon me as j never felt, and never
have felt in all my days. AS L turned a
dagger flashed before my eyes and feit
the cold wind of 1t pass my neck ana the
villains wrist jar upon my shoulder 1
| shortened my sword, but he WINGED
| away from me and an instant aftGward
was in full flight, bounding like deer
| across the glade in the moonlight.
] But he was not to escape me thus. knew
that the murderer's poniard had done is
work. Young as / was had seen enough
of war to know mortal blow. paused
but for an instant to touch the cold hand.
"Sire! Sirel' i cried in an agony, and
then as no sound came back, and moth
ing moved save an ever widening dark
circle in the moonlight, / know that al
was, indeed, over. / sprang madly to my
/ naf nd
the top of my speed after the remaining
| assassin.
Oh, how / blessed the wisdom which
had caused me TO come in shoes ano
: CATERS. And the happy thought which
? had thrown off my coat. He couic
1 not get rid of his mantle, this wretch
or else he was too frightened TO think o
it. So it was that | gained upon him
! from the beginning. He must have been
out of his wits, for he never tried to bury
himself in the darker parts of the woods
but he flew on from glade to glade until
UP to the great Fontainebleau quarry
| Thus had him in full sight, and h
. | knew that he could not escape me. III
' ran well, IL Is true-ran as coward run
! when his life is at stake. But l ran a
3 Destiny runs when IT gets BEND man
= heels. Yard by yard drew in upon him
7 He was rolling and staggering. coul'
: hear the rasping and cracking of hi
4 breath. The great gulf of the QUAR-
suddenly yawned in front OF his pat
and, glancing at me over his shoulders
: he gave shrek of despair. The mex
= instant he had vanished from my sight
: Vanished utterly, you understand.
= rushed to the spot and gazed down int
\ the black abyss Had he hurled himsel
= over? / had about made up my min
{ that be had done so when gentle SCUM
9 rising and falling came out of the dark
y ness beneath me- II was his breathin
y once more and il showed me where b
= must be. He was hiding ia the too
house.
= At the edge OF the quarry and beneat
a the summit there is a small platform
upon which stands a wooden hut for Oh
=, use of the laborers. II was into thi
y then, that he had darted Perhaps b
. had thought, the fool, that in the dark