The Roanoke daily times. (Roanoke, Va.) 1895-1897, 1896-02-16
THE ROANOT1E TIMEs, SUNDAY, FEBRUARY l6. 1876

stood with his left hand resting lightly on
tho bar. In his right no hold small tum-
blor. Tho wan light iiltoring in through
tho ground glass of tho door fell upon it's
cloudy green contents, giving them an
unearthly glcam. Tho man, who was clc-
gontly and fashionably nttired, was young
and extraordinarily handsome, though his
face showed signs of dissipation, and his
dark eyes beneath tho thick brows had
bold, unpleasant expression. Ho wore o
white Hover i'll his buttonhole.
Ho lifted tho glass to his lips, but set it
down hastily. Octave Lafltto! 1t was
whisper, family dying breath, but ho
heard his own name distinctly pronounced.
He looked at tho deaf old man half asleep
In his chair. Then no stopped noiselessly
to tho door. Tho rain, striking him full
In tho faco Us ho opened it, blurred his Vi
sion for second "Mlle. Dcstran!
Looniol" no exclaimed, starting back sur
prised, his dark face flushing with pleas
ure.
She lifted her hand. "Stay, monsieur"
she said, speaking rapidly and in Fronch
There is no time for words. I was fol-
lowing you, and saw you enter here. I
have been waiting for you to como out
but dared walt no longer. You must
leave this state, this country, at once
Stay he was beginning to speak
'Toinette Fargo, on Bayou Desnoyers
near our plantation, has confessed to her
father that it Is you'-a wave of crimson
dyed her face and throat, but she con-
tinued to look steadily at him-"that it
is you who have disgraoed her and ruined
their homo. Old Dominique Fargo will
Kill you. He has sworn to hunt you down
like dog My father Is ill-wo fear no is
dying-ho could not come himself to warn
you-l did not even stop to change my
dress-I have been travelling all day."
She stopped, painting for breath, with her
hand pressed to hor side.
His Dyes wcro glowing. Flo smiled ex-
ultantly. "And you have done this for
mo, Loonio. for mop no whispered tom
dorly, moving toward hor with out
stretched arms. "Then you do caro- for
mo! You do love-
Sho drow away with q gesture of loath-
ing. CO. You! God Forbid" sho cried. II
do tho duty of the Dosarohnn to tho In
fitto," she added calmly. "But you must
go ut once, monsieur. dominique Fargo
may roach tho city at any moment Go
before it is too latc'--
1t was already too late. There was q
sound of footsteps above tho rush of tho
rain, and Dominique Fargo camo around
the cornor-a large, old man, with swart,
bearded face. His blue cotton shirt-ho
WIN Nv SOup-Mho OpSil III Uno UDrOut,
showing his massive chest, and tho unbot-
! toned sleeves fell away from his hairy
wrists. His deep sunken eyes woro blood
shot. His long, grizzled hair, soaked and
matted by tho rain, chung to his cheeks.
AT sight of his prey his face Lighted horri-
bly,. Iii move nomme!" ho hisscd with
forward spring.
Lnfttc, with his eyes on the upliftcd
hand stood rooted to his place. But there
was quick movement on tho girls part.
She had thrown herself in front of tho
intended victim, and the alligator knife in
Dominiquo's hand descending shcathod it.
self In her bosom.
Without cry and like q bayou lily
whose stem has been suddenly cut, tho
white figure sank into tho oozo of tho
banquette, her squirting blood dyein9 tho
succeed wall.
The old man passed his hand over his
starting eyes. Ho did not even stoop to
see If the child of his neighbor and old
comrado in arms were dead, but stopping
bnck pace no drew revolver from his
bolt and placed tho muzzle against his
forehead.
His body fell heavily ut her feet
Tho report of tho pistol brought a volu-
bic, hurrying crowd into tho drowned
street, but there had bcon no witnesses of
tho double tragedy-which caused extraor-
binary comment. No ono ever knew its
meaning. 'Toinotto Fargo, covering over
hor nameless infant in tho cabin on Bayou
Dcsnoyers, Honri Dostrohan on his death
bed IN the old Destrehan plantation house,
even these but dimly surmiscd tho truth.
Tho deaf old cabaret keeper camo out to
watch tho removal of tho dead bodies,
leaving tho little room quito empty.
Tho untasted glass of absinth on tho
bar glowcd like hugo scintillating opal
In the purple shadows.
a year later man driftcd at nightfall
ono day alono into cheap pothouse on
tho outskirts of Paris. Thore was nh air
OF decayed gcntility about him. His we'll
lifting clothes wero shabby. Tho lining
OF the topcoat no carried over his arm was
frayod and much soiled
HIS face, covered with n stubblo of black
beard, was hnggard. His dark, shifting