Reporter and farmer. [volume] (Webster, Day County, Dakota [S.D.]) 188?-1946, 1897-08-12

mo, Monsieur, she refused the wine
in which 1t was infused"
1T could not be that she suspected
it1n
mo, Monsieur, that could not he, else
would she have warned her husband.
No, Monsieur, Madame did o suspect
the wine. She declined ii because she
preferred lemonade"
"Why did you not infuse the drugs in
that?"
Monsieur knows that the black drop
would deeply tinge and flavor SO deli
cate a liquid. Old port wine Is the only
medium in which the color and flavor
OF the black drop can be effcctually
hidden. And Madame Greville refused
the strong old port wine"
How, then. have you produced this
deep sleep?" inquired the leader. point
ing to the death-like form of the bride,
covered, as 1t still was, with the white
sheet.
1T IL not a sleep. Monsieur. 1t is
better than that. / will explain. Mad
anne having refused to touch the wine.
all seemed lost but for the quick wit Of
Fifine. She proposed the use Of chloro-
form. All, Monsieur, chlorOform Is a
d6tl vi u " CApy - ~
hands Of the surgeons, but i'm u
hands. as well! When, for instance, the
subjects of our operations are likely to
be noisy or troublesome, Instead Of be-
and still as though tn esoul had de-
the face of the victim, now cold. white
ing Obliged 70 silence them by cutting
their throats. as In former barbarous
times. we can send them off in a swoon
as sweet as the sleep Of infancy"
"And SO this is the swoon Of chloro-
form?" inquired the leader, lifting the
sheet, and holding the light TO examine
the face of the victim. now cold and
white. and still as though the soul had
fled.
par exam. pie. Mademoiselle pro-
posed it's use if / thought / possessed
the courage and address to attempt its
administration with success. III. Well,
Monsieur, / arrayed myself in the hab-
ii and mask of our order, tool the bot
tie AMI sponge and. Selling a favorable
opportunity, slipped unobserved into
the sacred precincts of the temple or
Hylnen and concealed myself In the
bed curtains. / waited until felt sure
that the whole house was plunged in
sleep. and Monsieur lie Colonel, in par
ticular. in the heaviest hour of his in
sensibility. before | ventured upon my
experiment., Then it was easy 10 creep
up behind my subject. clap my and
over her mouth, and hold the sponge
over her nose until she dropped into
this swoon-and Ii did not take twenty
seconds to effect it,"
.Victorine, you should be the Grand
Mistress Of our Order" exclaimed the
man she had called Monsieur.
II rule the Grand Master, Monsieur.
ii is enough for my ambition!"
But tell me. truly, did no n sus-
pect your identity during the ten days
that you have been in the service OF
the family"
NO one. Monsieur. not even Madem-
oiselle Fifine, who did me the honor 10
approve my moustaches, and immedi-
ately began to practice her destinations
upon me. She was rather disappointed
tonight when l was forced to reveal
myself to her.
This piece OF information was re-
ceived with a low laugh and 4 murmur
of applause from the dusky group.
"Your peculiar talent, no less than
your courage and fidelity. make you in
valuable to our order, Victorine! The
first mentioned is. indeed. amazing.
The ease with which you become in
turn the wandering Italian minstrel,
the old Irish crone. the gay young En-
lish officer. the French cook. or any
thing else o interests require you TO
be. is almost Incredible"
Truly? But you forget. Monsieur,
that this is my trade. | was an iEdif-
ferent coincidence before | became Il
novice of this order. But we are losing
tine, Monsieur. And though we may
be perfectly safe from interruption, yet
there is so much to he done that we
had better hurry. But first let MS ex-
anime the condition Of our beauty here!
1t will not do for her TO ecover in tho
midst Of our proceedings"
With these words the speaker united
ard laid aside her own mask, revealing
the beautiful dark gypsy face of a wo-
man not more than thirty years of age.
Then she lifted the sheet from the face
Of her victim, and bent to examine it,
saying:
THE chloroform has all been inhaled
or evaporated. The sponge is quite
dry. Yet her face is death-like, her res
piration impreceptible and her pulse
quite sunkeh. She is in as deep q swoon
rs any woman may be and live! Yet 1t
Is best to make assurance doubly sure
Fifine. take the bottle and the sponge
and stand beside her. Watch her at
tentively, and upon the slightest indica-
ton of returning consciousness. clap
the chloroform to her nose again. /
have other work to do"
The French waiting maid Obeyed.
took the bottle and the sponge, and
placed herself before the poor bride,
from whose CHASTITY features h never
once removed her glittering, snake
like eyes, until all the proposed devil
tries were enacted in the room.
Stand ou Of my way. all Of you! L
have something to do that requires
space.r' commanded the woman called
Victorine.
She was Immediately obeyed by the
others. who all with drew to the walls.
"Now then. Monsieur. You are some
thing of a surgeon. breathe this vein!"
she continued. stripping up the sleeve
and barring her left arm as she walked
up and stood before the person adj
dressed.
What now. VictorineY
"Open this vein!"
''For what purpOseY'