Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1898-02-24
Chapter XXI.-(Continucd.)


"No, Monsieur. that could not be, else
would she have warned her husband.
No, Monsieur Madame did not suspect
the wine She declined it because she
preferred lemonade
..Why did you not infuse the drugs in
that?'
"Monsicur 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 effectually
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 it still was, With the white
sheet.
1T is 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
Fitine. She proposed the use of chloro-
form. All, Monsieur, chloroform is
great agent of mercy, not only in the
hands Of the surgeons, but IN our
hands. as we'll! When, for instance. the
subjects Of our operations are likely to
be noisy or troublesome, instead Of be-
and still as though til esoul had de-
the face Of the victim, now cold. white
ing obliged to silence them by cutting
their threats. rs in former barbarous
times. we can seEd 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 ana
white, and still as though the soul had
fled.
Par exam pie. MademoiScllc pro-
posed its use if l thought l possessed
the courage and address to attempt its
administration With success. Ii. We'll.
Monsieur. arrayed myself in the hub-
it and mask Of our order. took the bot
tie and spDrgc and. Selling 4 favorable
opport;lu,:... slipped unoD>erved into
the s3>rcu precincts of the temple of
1ymer and concealed myself in the
bed curtains. l waited until | felt sure
that the whole house was plunged in
sleep. and Monsieur lie Colonel. in par
1icular. IL the heaviest hour of his in
sersibility. before l ventured upon my
experiment. Then it was easy to creep
up behind my subject. clap my hand
over her mouth. and hold the sponge
over her nose until she dropped into
this swoon-and it 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.
Il rule the Grand Master. Monsieur:
it is enough for my ambit;on"'
But tell me, truly. did no one sus-
pect your identity during the ten days
that you have been i'll the service OF
the family"
NO one. Monsieur. not even Madem-
oiselle Fifine. who did me the honor to
approve my moustaches, and immedi-
ately began to practice her destinations
upon me. She was rather disappointed
tonight when 1 was forced to reveal
myself to her.
This piece Of information was re-
ceived with low laugh and 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-
fish officer. the French cook. or any
thing else our interests require you to
be. is almost incredible!"
Truly? But you forget. Monsieur.
that this is my trade! / was an indif-
ferent comedienne before I became a
novice of this order. But we are losing
time. Monsieur And though we may
be perfectly safe from interruption, yet
there is so much to be done that we
had better hurry. But first let us OK
anime the condition of our beauty here!
1t will not do for her to recover in the
midst of our proeeedings!.'
With these wOfds the speaker united
and laid aside her own mask. revealing
the beautiful dark gypsy face Of 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,
saving:
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 sunken. She is in as deep swoOn
AS any woman may be and live! Yet it
is best to make assurance douhly 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 she never
once removed her glittering. snake
like eyes. until all the proposed devil
tries We're enacted in the room.
''Stand out Of my way all of you. 1
have something to do that requires
space commanded the woman called
N1ctorine.
She was Immediately obeyed by the
Others, who all with drew to the walls.
Now then. Monsieur! You are some
thing of surgeon. breathe this veinr'
she continued. stripping up the sleeve
and barring her left arm as she walked
up and stood before the person adj
dressed.
What now. Victorine|'
"Open this vein"'
'"For what purpose
Stupid! do you not understand that
this our deed Of darkness. must not
seem to be a deed Of abduction, lest we
should have the hue and Cry after US
That it must. on the contrary. seem :
murder, and his crime! That thus two