Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1896-03-12
PART III.

PART III.
1t was done in n moment. Instinct
lively 1 caught the burden, and held it,
but the impetus with which he had
thrown 1t sent me reeling to the right.
and the lane being narrow l fell
against the wall before l could steady
myself. AS luck would have it, how
ever. that which should have DO
stroyed me was my salvation. | hap
pened to hit the wall where a doorway
broke it, the door, lightly latched, few
open under the impact, and | fell in.
wards. | alighted, in darkness, on my
hands and knees, heard u stifled yelp
as of dog. and in a second, though /
could see nothing, was up and had the
door closed behind me.
Then, and not till then, l listened,
painting and breathess, and heard tho
hunt go raving through the lane, and
the noise die in the distance, until only
the beating of my heart broke the
close silence Of the loom in which |
stood. When this had lasted minute
or two, j began to peer about and won
der where | was; and remembering
the dog, moved steathily to find the
latch and escape. AS did so the bun
die, to which through all had chung,
moved in my arms.
almost dropped it; and then held
it from me with swift movement OF
repulsion. 1t stirred again; it was
warm. In an instant the truth flashed
on me. 1t was a child
Hot as l had been before, the sweat
rose on me at the thought. For ] saw
tgain the mans face of livid terror,
and guessed that he had stolen the
child, and feared the worst He had
taken the rabble hooting at my heels
for the avengers of blood, and had been
only too thankful to rid himself of the
damning fact, and escaped
And now l had it, and had as much,
or more. to fear. For an instant the
impulse to lay the parcel down, and
glide out, and so be clear of it, was
strong upon me. And that think is
what the ordinary man, however
brave, would have done. But for ono
thing, was desperate. l knew not,
when outside, whittier to go or where
to save myself; and for another, my
clerks wits were already busy show
ing me how, with luck, might use the
occasion and avoid the risk, might dis
cover the parents and, without suffer-
ing fer the theft, restore the child.
beyond that l saw vista Of pardon,
employment and reward!
Suddenly the dog whincd again,
close to me, and that decided me
had found the latch already, and now |
warily drew the door open and in q
moment was in the lane, looking up
and down. ] saw nothing 10 alarm
me; darkness had completely fallen
no one was moving, the neighborhood
seemed to be of the quietest. made
up my mind to take the bold course
To return at all hazards to st. Antoine
seek my fathcr-in-law at the gate OF
the Falais Royal-whcre he had the
night turn-and throw the child and
myself on his protection.
Without doubt, it was the wisest
course l could choose; and as in those
lays the streets of Paris, even in the
al, were ill-lighted, and a network OF
lanes and dark courts encroached OF
the most fashionable parts, and fa.
vored secret access to them, foresov
no great difficulty, short of the moment
when might stand out in the Lighted
lodge and exhibit my rags. But my
vii star was still above the horizon.
aad scarcely reached the end of thu
ane, and was still hesitating there
, uncertain which way to turn for the
shortest course, when babel of voices
broke on my ear, lights swept rounG
distant corner, and l found mysel
threatened with a new danger. l die
lot wait 70 consider whether thi.
band, with their torches and weapons
aad aught to do with me-my nerve:
we're shaken, the streets of Paris wel
hull OF terrors, every corner had gal
Ows for mC-but turned and, fleein,
pack the way | had come, made hur
lied effort to find the house which hac
,heltered me. Failing, in one OF two
Tials, and seeing that the lights wer,
.cally coming that way, and that In {
moment must be discovered, spranl
pcross the lane and dived into thu
llley by which the childstealer hac
vanished.
) had not taken ten steps before some
hing, unseen in the darkness, trippet
ne up, and I fell sprawling in the mud
N the fall my burden rolled from m,
'rms, and was instantly snatched NJ
by a dark figure, which, rising as b,
magic beside me, was gone into thu
gloom almost as quickly. l got VI
imping and flung curse after both
but the lights already shone on thu
mouth of the alley, and 1 had no tim
10 lose if l would not be detected. / Sc
,R running down the passage, turnet
10 the left at the end. and along q lane
thence into another lane and wide
'oad; nor did l stop until had laft al
igns and sounds of pursuit behind me
The place In which came to stan,
ut last was piece of waste land, ap
parently in the suburbs of the city
High up ON the left could discern
tight or two, piercing the gloom of tn
sky, and knew they shone from tn
windmills of Monmartre. In ever,
other direction lay darkness; desola
ton swept by the night wind; silenc
broken only by the dismal bowling O
far-OfP watch dnoa ,nipht ho va hao,