The Chanute times. [volume] (Chanute, Kan.) 1897-1913, 1897-02-19

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from the room down the staircase.
where a few Of the servants stood to
look at the bride and wish her happi-
ness. The countess followed them.
What strange, dismal bridal IT
seemed! the silent house, the anxious
faces, the secret uneasiness of all par
ties hardly concealed beneath the mask
Of smiles.
AS the bride entered the little ora
tory, the bishop came forward to meet
her. With a fiuttering color on her
cheek Felicie glanced around in search
Of the bridegroom. She saw slender
figure at the window, but M. Pierre's
square shoulders concealed his face.
Edward had been sitting by the win
dow, and he had not turned his head,
yet, to take his first view of his affl-
anced wife; when suddenly M. Pierre
blew a shrill blast upon whistle he
had been holding nervously in his
hand.
A dozen wild faces leaped up at ev-
cry window, brawny fists dashed the
glass into fragments, while the burly
figures leaped in upon them from all
sides. Edward was felled to the floor
by the first blow. With wild cry of
terror, the count turned to his trusted
oyerseer. The villain smiled grimly
and drew a pistol. One brief instant
was it given to the wicked man to real
ize his own folly and his servants
treachery, the next he fell a corpse at
the feet of his daughter.
Felicie's wild shrek rang through
the room. She strove to reach her
mother, ere brutal arm with its up
lifted pike should fall-saw the be-
loved form suddenly sink back and her
self sank fainting to the floor. he
yiying. she was conscious of fierce
ARRAY going on at the chateau, and
she herself lying amidst the cold
corpses of her friends. She crept has
tily as her weakness would allow to
her mothers side, and anxiously lis
tened for throb of breathing at her
lifeless heart. All in vain. And yet.
there was no. sign Of blow or wound.
Remembering how she had fallen
ere the pike descended, the poor child
had a dismal comfort in believing her
heart had broken at the sudden shock.
Suddenly now came the remem-
brance of her own hapless condition,
and the danger Of M. Pierre's return
with those brutal ruffians. The new
thought gave her strength. Hastily
disengaging black cloak from the
shoulders of the murdered bishop, she
wrapped it over her white robes, leaped
hastily through broken window, and
darted like a frightened fawn past
man pacing to and fro, as If guarding
against the approach of friend and
foe. She knew he saw her, and in a
moment heard his plunging steps fol-
lowing. But terror and despair gave
her feetness. She knew the path well
and though every now and then her
lace flounces caught upon brier and
bush. she tore them off with frantic
hands. and went leaping forward. She
stumbled twice and fell headlong-Dut
sprang up again like a 'eer, and at
length gained the wood. 1t was cas-
Ter TO elude him here; she darted in
and out among the trees, until she was
sure her dread pursuer had lost the
track. She heard his muttered curses
as he Numbered around, and lightly
as a fairy she flew on to the blessed
relief at hand.
She gained the tree, pressed the
spring with desperate hand, and rushed
in. A cold chill sank upon her heart;
1t was empty Where, oh, where, was
Emile? Was there no friend left her?
She sank shivering upon the earthly
floor. and buried her head in her hands.
She could not think over, then, all the
anguish that had fallen upon her-the
terrible bereavement of the past hour;
parents, bridegroom, home and friends,
all stricken from the hand that seemed
to hold them so securely. Her brain
whirled, a terrible sickening fear took
possession of her-that M. Pierre would
find out her retreat, or drag her forth,
or that Emile was killed also, and she
should perish there of starvation.
These absorbed every faculty, and
crouching and listening, she survived
two hours of almost intolerable agony.
Another hour would have turned her
brain; before its expiration, rapid
step came bounding to the tree, the
door was flung open, and Emie's voice
cried frantically:
Lady Felicie, Lady Felicie: are you
here?"
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