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

know what he was about, but NUT
tering something 10 Marie l followed
the lad 70 see. At the foot of the flight
Of stairs l looked back Marie ana the
servant were standing in suspense.
where : had left them. / heard the
latter bid rs anCrily TO return.
But by this time Croisette was at
the end of the corridor; ana reassuring
the fellow by gesture, 7 hurried on.
until brought TO a standstill by man
/ opening a door in my face. lie had
heard our returning footsteps, and eyed
me suspiciously; but gave way after
q moment with grunt of doubt. l
fastened ON, reaching the door of the
room in which we had supped in time
10 see something which filed me with
grim establishments; so much so that
I stood rooted where l was, too proud
! at any rate TO interfere
Beers was standing, the leering
| priest at his elbow. And Croisette was
STOPPING forward, his hands stretched
out in an attitude of supplication.
Nay, but NJ. lie Nidame," the lad
cried, as 1 stood, the door in my hand,
1T were better TO stab her at once
than break her heart. Have pity on
her! If you kill him, you kill her!"
The vidame was silent, seeming TO
glover on the boy. The priest sneered.
Hearts are soon mended-especially
women's," he said.
But not Kit's!" Croisette said, pas
sionately-otherwise ignoring him.
Not Kits. You do not know her, Vi
dame. Indeed you do not!'
The remark was ill-timed. l saw
spasm of anger distort Beers face
/ Get up, boyi" he snarled, Il wrote to
mademoiselle what / would do, and
that l shall do! A Beers keeps his
word. BY the God above us-if there
be God, and in the devils name l
doubt it to-night!--I shall keep mine,
Col"
His great face was full of rage.
He looked over Croisette's head as
he spoke. as if appealing to the
Great Registrar of his vow, in the very
moment in which he had all but de-
MED Him. | turned and stole back
the way l had come; and heard Croi-
settle follow.
~. After that / seemed TO take no
heed of anything or anybody until l
was aroused by the grating of our Jail
er's key in the lock, and became aware
that he was gone, and that we were
alone in a small room under the tiles.
He had left the candle on the floor, and
we three stood around it. Save for the
long shadows we cast on the walls and
two pallets hastily thrown down in
one corner, the place was empty. L
did not look much at it, and / would
not look at the others. flung myself
on one of the pallets and turned my
face to the wall, despairingly. L
thought bitterly of the failure we had
made Of it, and of the vidame's
triumph. / cursed st. Croix especially
for that last touch of humiliation he
had set to it. Then, forgetting myself
rs my anger abated, / thought of Kit
so far away at Caylus-of Kits pale,
gentle face, and her sorrow. And lit
tie by little l forgave Croisette. After
all he had not begged for us-he had
not stopped for our sal1es, but for hers.
I do not know how long lay at sec
saw between these two moods. Or
whether during that time the others
talked or were silent, moved about the
room or lay still. But it was Croisette's
hand on my shoulder. touching me
with a quiz ering eagerness that in
stantly communicated itself to my
/ limbs, which recalled me to the room
and its shadows. "Annei" he cried
+ oAnDaf 1-t,,1 ~
What is it?" ] said, sitting up and
looking at him.
Marie" he began, "has-"
But there was no need for him to
finish. | saw that Marie was standing
at the far side of the room by the I'M
glazed window; which, being in a
4 slopingpart of the roof, inclined slight
4 ~ also. lie had raised the shutter which
closed it, and on his tip-toes for the
sill was almost his own height from the
/ floor = was peering out. / looked
sharply at Croisette. rs there a gut
ter outsider" l whispered, beginning
to Jingle all over as the thought of es-
cape for the first time occurred to me.
NO." he answered in the same tone.
j "But Marie says he can see a beam be-
+ low, which he thinks we can reach"
I sprang up, promptly displaced
/ Marie, and looked out. When my
+ eyes grew accustomed TO the gloom
discerned a dark chaos Of roofs
and gables stretching as far as l
could see before me Nearer, imme-
diately under the window, yawned
i chasm-a narrow street. Beyond this
was a house rather lower than that in
which we we're. the top Of its roof not
quite reaching the level Of my eyes.
/ II see no BEAM" ! said
Look belowl" quoth Marie, stolidly
1 / did 50, and then saw that Is or 16
feet below our window there was
narrow beam which ran from our house
to the opposite one-for the support Of
both, as is common in towns. In the
/ shadow near the far end Of this-it was
so directly under our window that