Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1896-05-14
..orr tonglle Is tied-you havN


pr ~ saems to me, Constance" said
,,.aaline grayely, that you are very
rtess. YOU seem ready to run great
risks" -, on 49, -,
.hont said Constance. Il have no
oa II any warnings or preachings,
III YOU. | must say that your an
-iatv for Lancelot's welfare confirms
~ impression as to your feeling about
him. If YOU wish to conceal your affec-
Ton 20 sedulously you should be more
nartieular as to what YOU say
~ swept from the room as she
.,,ta and Madeline was left alone. 1t
T,s perhaps natural that when she was
ralieyed from Constance's presence she
sbonld burst into passionate, shame
.trieten tears. She sobbed for some
,,roa. but at last calmness from sheer
exhaustion supervened and she was
a,la TO sit up and think quietly over
he situation. 1t was not am encourag-
inc one. although she could not help
he1lPNiUI IlldI d way Oul VI OlOl nil
acllty could be found.
ut is cruel of her to speak i'm that
vav." she said to herself, when at last
her tears were stayed. but when was
me anything but cruel? And she dis
/ likes me more than ever now because
saw her the other night with M. de
Narsac. | am sure it is not right that
Ne should meet her and come about the
house secretly as he does. / wonder If
lady Esler has any idea of it? No.
that is impossible. Ought I to tell?"
She hesitated a MON emit, then sighed
deeply and buried her face in her
hands. IF | were not so much in
terested | should know better what to
do. Il is because | care so much that
I am puzzled. | do not understand
C0nstance's motives nor what she hopes
to gain. She is playing double game
end it is mystery to me. | really
think said Madeline, with wintry
smile, that it would be an advantage
L her if she could make a confidant of
ne and tie my hands by trusting me-
Il would be quite the safest plan.
am inclined to believe that she is not
nearly as clever as I thought. I should
do differently if ! were in her place.
But Of course | do not kno,g the cir
camstances. so perhaps | ought not to
critcse
She sighed as she rose from her seat
and made her way to the open window.
where a soft summer breeze gently
moved the curtains to and fro. She
felt as if the fresh air upon her fore
head would revive her and when she
drew aside the blind and found that all
the outer world was bathed in golden
moonlight. she extinguished the lamp,
raised the sash of the window as high
a. possible and knelt by the windowsiIl
With her chin pillowed en- her hands.
The soft calm of the scene seemed to
enter into her whole being and to dit
fuse feeling of serenity in her Utmost
soul She felt stronger to endure. to
dare and to suffer, from the sight of
those blue depths of sky, the diamond
Ike glitter of the stars. the encircling
light Of the full-orbed moon.
Suddenly she heard a sound It
seemed like the opening of a door and
Madeline recognized the peculiar graf
MS noise which was always made by
he garden door as it turned on its
anges But who could possibly be
leaving the garden house by the garden
eoor between IL and ! o'clock?
The garden door was in a corner of
'ae building, just where small wing
'lFasd Az right angles to the main body
o. the house Madeline's room was sit
0aied In the wing and she could look
oogn almost directly on the garden
loof which, however, lay In shadow
ana was not easy to distinguish. But
@Fey-snrely 1t was open now and
*aEe figure stood within the passage.
Madeline gazed at it, half-paralyzed by
t5af Was ii one Of the servants adj
ldong a burglar into the house, or was
sae setting off on some clandestine ex-
l+lHion? Madeline wondered whether
ae ought not to alarm the house. But
'le decided to wait a little while. for
.le PALE figure was perfectly motionless
u tae shadow.
Presently a step was heard on the
s'e9eted path in the shrubbery II
MI evident that some one had been
."st9g Il the shade of the evergreens
~ VA now making his way slowly
4Al sealthily toward the house. But
was nor very easy for him to APP
n@ea without once or twice crossing
- moonlight spaces Of the pathway
m 9lte moment his face became
- clear and plain to Madeline.
III 'arank back with gasp Of hor-
4Al amaze It was the face OF
- Cunt de Marsac, and he was
9as ITO the house like thief.
Vas It to meet Constance
-. la7 suddenly remembered that
W. aoor opened on a staircase,
j. - g little suite of apartments
nown as Miss Esler's
Ihey were reached first, then
aasar fight OF stairs which led
lsitally occupied by Con