The herald., 1895-04-03

frightened. This time however, iidn'1
waste any time in airs and graces nekngsl
we had fenced two minutes 1 ran him
clear through the body, and he was dead
before 1 could fairly draw out my sword.
Then 1 turned and bowed to the woman,
not as a free and independent Americas
citizen bows, but after the style of some
ridiculous French dancing master, anq
saying to the smaller man, Fellow, open
the door and show the lightp l walked
out. The man did as ordered him, but3
before 1 had gone down the first flight Of
stairs the door was shut, and was in2
darkness again.
II climbed down slow and cautioua
holding my sword in my hand with the
point in front of me- Suddenly there wa
a gleam OF light which instantly disap-1
peared. l knew what 1t meant. Some
one had opened the door Of the room
where we had been fighting and had shut
1t again. Probably the little man had
plucked up courage enough to pursu6 me
and stab me in the dark.
Il waited where 1 was with my back
up against the side Of the house, for cal
culated that If the man was following me
he would keep hold of the banisters. !
After a bit distinctly heard some one
coming down tho flight above, but max
ing hardly any noise. The man had cvi-
dontly taken off his boots. which would
help him to move faster than / could, boz
sides preventing him from making any
noise.
II waited, hardly allowing myself 70
breathe, till l judged be was close to me,
and then lunged with my sword. / felt
the sword point strike bin and pierce
4 ,,,ko Ia -~-1r a ~
man fell heavily on the stairs, whilo his
sword won't rattling down to the bottom.
i wasted no moro time with him, but
drawing out my sword wiped 1t as wcll''
as 1 could in the dark on the inside OF
my coat 1t seemed to me that those,
stairs had multiplied since climbed them,
when Of course they hadn't, and that
would never reach the street again. How
ever, I came to the bottom ct last and
out into the street. Not soul was to be
seen. ran at tho top of my speed down
the dark street till j camo to the little
open square. l naGc u few moro turns
and found myself ia well lighted andS'
crowded street, where l soon picked up d
cab and got back to my hotel, carrying
tho sword hid under my ovorcoat.
"rho next morning did my level best
10 find the house whcro had been that
night, but / coudn find it, though
walked till was dead tired. Then, think
Ing that l had better get out of Rouong
before the police should hear Of the affair,
| took the noon train to Paris"
MY idea" said /, is that you dreamed
the whole thing"
Roebuck got up, and unlocking closet
brought out an old fashioned rapier.
There" said he, is the sword I brought
away with me- couldn't very we'll
dream solid stcel and brass, could I!''
l looked at tho weapon. On the hilt
was a coat Of arms partly obliterated with
rust rubbed it with my handkerchief
until it was SO plain that it could readily
be perceived. 1t was the arms Of the De
Chevreuil family.
/ gave the sword back to my friend,
calling his attention to the coat of arms,
which he had not previously noticed. IF Z
you were really Do Chevreuil, said,
''this would have been the sword of one cf
your ancestors Go to some doctor who
has made study of heredity and tell him
the whole story. Perhaps he can explain
it, but l am very sure that l can't" left
Pa1ls the next day for month in Swift
zerland, and when I returned found that
Roebuck had gone to America. l have
never heard of him since. Often after he
had gone 1 thought Of going to Charcot
and telling him the story just as Roebuck
told it to me and asking him ii there was 4
any theory by which he could explain 1t, (
but of course 1 never did anything of the
kind, and now Charcot has gone where he
is done with theories. Hs-'a tsstA y -.