The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1896-03-03


II was done in moment. INSTINCT
lively caught the burden and held 1t.
but the impetus with which he had
thrown It sent me reellng to the right.
and the lane being narrow fell against
the wall before could steady myself.
AS luck would have 1t, however. that
which should have destroyed me was
my salvation. happened to hit the
wall where doorway broke It, the
door. lightly latched. flew open under
the impact and fell inwards. anEht-
ed. In darkness, on my hands ana Knees.
heard a stftied yelp as OF d dog. ana IN
A second, though could see nothing,
was UP and had the door closed behind
Then, and not till then, listened.
pantIng and brcathless. and heard the
hunt 70 raving through the lane, and
the noise die in the distance. Until only
the beating OF my heart broke the close
silence OF the room In which stoou.
When this had lasted a minute or TWO
l began topper about and wonder where
/ was. and remembering the dog moved
stealthtly to find the latch ana escape
AS did 30 the bundle, TO which thIoush
almost dropped II. and then held
II from me with a swift movement OF
repulslon. II stirred again: II was
warm. In an instant the truth flashed
on me. It was q child!
Hot us had been before, the sweat
rose on ME at the thought. For saw
again the mans face OF livid terror
and guessed that he had stolen the
child. and / feared the worst he had
tnkerl the Tabble hootlng Mt my heels
for the avengers OF blood, and had been
only too thankful to rid himself OF the
damning fact and escape.
And now / had II, and had as much
or more, 20 fear. For an instant tue
impulse 10 lay the parcel down. ana
glide out, and 50 be clear OF II, was
strong upon me. And that thinK Is
what the ordinary man. however
brave. would have done. But for one
thing, I was desperate. 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 for the theft. restore the child. Be-
yond that saw vista OF pardon, em-
plnyment and reward.
Suddenly the dog whined again.
close to me. and that decided me.
had found the latch already, and now
warlly drew the door open and IN
moment was in the lane, looking up
and down. saw nothing 10 alarm
me; darkness had completely tnllen; no
one was moving: the neighborhood
seemed 10 be OF the quletest. made
up my mind 10 take the bold course.
TO return at all hazards TO st. Antoine.
seek my fnther-ln-law at the gate OF
the PalaIE Royal--where he had the
night turn-nnd throw the child ana
myself on his protection.
without doubt Il was the wlsest
course could choose. and as in those
dnys the streets OF Paris, even IN the
district of the Louvre and Palals Royal,
were ill-Iighted. and u network of lanes
and dark courts encruached on the most
fashionable parts. and favored secret
access TO them, l foresnw no great dit-
ticulty. short OF the moment when
might stand out In the lighted lodge
and exhibit my rage. But my evil star
was still above the horizon. i had
scarcely reached the end OF the lane.
and was still hesitnting thcre, uncer-
tain which way TO turn for the shortest
course. when q babel OF voices broke
on my ear, lights swept round dis
tant corner. and I found myself threat
ened with new danger. did not walt
70 consider whether this band, with
their torches and weapons, had aught
to dowIth me-my nerves were shaken,
the streets OF Paris were full OF terrors,
every corner had n gallows for me-but
turned, and, fleeing back the way i
had come, made a hurried effort to find
the house which had sheltered me. Fall
ing, in one or two trials. and seeing
that the lights were really coming that
way, and that in moment must be
discovered, sprang across the lane
and dlved into the alley by which the
child-stealer had vanished.
/ had not taken ten steps before some
thing, unseen In the darkness, trtppcd
me up. and I fell sprawling in the mud.
In the fall my burden rolled from my
arms, and was instantly snatched up
by dark figure. which, rising as by
magic beside me, was gone into the