Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1897-10-14

And yet, unless was mistaken, a fur
tive step, q subdued whisper were borne
TO me on every breeze, from every quar-
ter. And the night was full of phan-
toms.
erhaps all this was mere nervous
ness, the outcome Of my position. At
any rate / felt no more of it when
Croisette joined me. We had our dag
gers, and that gave me some comfort.
If we could once gain entrance TO the
house opposite, we had only to beg, or
in the last resort force our way down
stairs and out, and then to hasten with
what speed we might TO Pavannes'
dwelling. Clearly it was question of
time only now; whether Beers band
or we should first reach it. And struck
by this l whispered Marie to be quick
He seemed to be long in coming.
lie scram oled down hand over hand
ar last, ana then l saw that he had not
ling, req above for nothing. He had
contriyed after getting out of the win
dow TO let down theshutter. And more;
he had at some risk heightened our
rope, and made double line of it, so
that it ran round a hinge of the shut
ter; and when he stood beside us, he
took it by one end and disengaged it.
Good. clever Marie!
"Bravo!" | said softly, clapping him
on the back. Now they will not know
which way the birds have tlown!"
So there we all were, one of us,
confess, trembling. We slid easily
along the beam to the opposite house.
But once there in u row one behind the
other with our faces to the wall. and the
night air blowing slantwise-well am
nervous on a height and l gasped. The
window was a good six feet above the
beam. The casen'ent-it was unglazed
was open, yelled by thin curtain,
and alas! protected by three horizontal
bars-stout bars they looked.
Yet we were bound to get up and to
get in; and l was preparing to rise to
my feet on the giddv bridge as gingerly
as / could, when Marie crawled quickly
over us, and swung himself up to the
narrow sill, much as l should mount
a horse on the level. lie held out his
foot to me, and making on effort I
reached the same dizzy perch. Croisette
for the time remained below.
4 narrow window ledge GO feet above
the pavement, and three bars to cling
70! covered to my holdfasts, envying
even Croisette. My legs dangled airily,
and the black chasm of the street
seemed to yawn for me. For a moment
turned sick. l recovered from that to
feel desperate. / remembered that go
forward we must, bars or no bars. We
could not regain our old prison if we
would.
IL was equally clear that we could
not go forward if the inmates should
object. On that narrow perch even
Marie was helpless. The bars of the
window were close together. A woman,
a child, could disengage our hands, and
then-I turned sick again. l thought
Of the cruel stones. glued my face to
the bars, and pushing aside a corner of
the curtain, looked in.
There was only one person in the
room-a woman, who was moving
about, fully dressed, late as it was. The
room was mere attic, the counterpart
OF that we had left. A box bed with
canopy roughly nailed over it stood in
one corner. A couple OF chairs were by
the hearth, and all seemed to speak of
poverty and baroness. Yet the woman
whom we saw was richly dressed,
though her silks and velyets were dis
ordered. | saw a jewel CLEAN in her
hair, and others on her hands. When
She turned her face towards us-a wild,
beautiful face, perpleXed and tear
stained-I knew her instantly for gen
tlewoman, and when she walked hastily
To the door, and laid her hand upon it,
and seemed to listen-when she shook
the latch and dropped her hands in de-
spair and went back to the hearth,
made another discovery. l knew at
once, seeing her there, that we were like
ly but to change one prison for another.
Was every house in Paris then dun
geon? And did each roof cover It's trag-
edy?
"Madamei" said, speaking softly, to
attract her attention. "Madame!"
she started violently. not knowing
whence the sound came, and looked
round, at the door first. Then She moved
towards the window. and with AN af-
frighted gesture, drew the curtain rap
idly aside.
To gF cONTINI.Eu