The Sauk Centre herald., 1897-12-16

ueStrly ~buo uSldy WOu1Q COSG ILL., i
thought that if this woman dies tonight
I shall have prevented poor Blaise from
receiving her last blessing. So over
came My scruples and made him go.
He promised to return this evening, and
to save time he will drive back I have
just bolted the doors after him. That
is why kept you waiting. Now, how
is that business affair getting along?'
Very well; but let us talk about
yourself. You should not have let Blaise
go. Even if he drives back he cannot
return before 10 or IL o'clock. My sole
confidence was in knowing that he was
near you, and now he is gone. And
then that boy who ran away before you
had time to think of making sure his
news was true! At any rate Blaise has
left you the two dogs and the gun, has
he not?'
"'The two dogs are asleep on the
porch. AS for the gun, Blaise must
have left it in the hall. I shall go and
make sure. Can you hear Marcel? He
is sitting in my lap and is saying good
night to you. Listen.
SOod hiSho, PApe3, SooOa iASoho'
Good night, my darlings I must
get bite of dinner now, and then I
will call you again.
"Once outside felt oppressed with
what my wife had just told me. I had
dissimulated-my own anxiety in order
not to add to her fears, but that uneasi-
ness, which had hardly been quieted by
the first conversation, now waxed stron-
ger at the thought of this strange, in
credible letter which had taken away
my wife's one defender, the only man
in the house. My thoughts took SO dark
a turn that by the time reached the
hotel l could not swallow mouthful.
left the table to return to the telephone
Office, but my agent found me and laid
before me a lot of details which were
essential to the success of my venture.
could not dismiss him Immediately, and
it was late when I re-entered the tele-
phone Office. My heart throbbed with
impatience and my hand trembled 80
that I could scarcely hold the receiver
to my ear. 1t was some seconds before I
could hear anything. ........
Hello, Louise, hello! cried. Are
you there? Answer me. .s....-..
cat last 1 heard her voice, but it was
low, oppressed, filled with terror.
"'Ch, it's you at last For the last
hour ihave beer nearly crazed. could
not find the gun-that boy must have
stolen it when he went away. Blaise
has not come back. They must have got
him out of the way on purpose. Oh, I
am losing my head! can scarcely
breathe for terror-I think I hear-in
the garden-far away Wait while l
listen. s.. T.
"Clutching at the box for support, I
could only cry, Louise, beg Of you,
do not leave me in this silence-what
do you hear?'
"'The dogs are growling-now they
are barking-barking furiously. They
have run to the bottom Of the garden
now, suddenly they are still. There is a
deathly silence. But-yes it sounds like
muffled footsteps on the pebbled walk
AS if some one were coming toward
the house.
eco on, speak, Louise! am stran-
Cling I shall go mad. What do you
hear-what do you hear now?'
Nothing now-almost nothing
yes there is gentle, steady grating
sound, as if a chisel were being slipped
under shutter to force it. The sash
gives way-a window is broken. Oh, !
am terrifedp
II shook the telephone box in my
agony. Telephone to Marseilles,
cried, to warn the policep
"'How can I? The city is three leagues
away. They would come too late-and
cannot-oh, am going mad
"Call for help or hide yourselves,
that's it. Take the little one and hide
"'I cannot have no strength left
they are coming, the stairs creak-they
are in the hall-they are feeling along
the wall-they try the door-Marcel
My God-help, hell
"There were two muff1ed cries Of ter
ror, then vague, confused noise, then
a tumble Of indefnable sounds, then
silence Something seemed to crack in
my brain, and fell unconscious.
Gasping as if he had lived through
this terrible scene again, M. Maroux
concluded: "From LIE Gazette Judi
clare you can learn the details of the
crime It is known as the Morande
atrocity.' By it I lost my wife, my
child and my two servants. But no re-
port can describe, no mere words can
ever express, the hideous nightmare
that modern science brought me, the
frightful torture of a man who, at a
distance of 100 leagues, hears the de-
spairing cries Of his wife and son, who
are being strangled while he is power
less to do more than batter impotently
Oh wooden telephone box. Trans
lated For Argonaut From the French
of Charles Foley.