The Beaver herald. [volume] (Beaver, O.T. [Okla.]) 1895-1923, 1899-05-04


! the moment when l should put my
design into execution. Twenty-four
hours was long to wait and raved at
! myself for having fixed such a time.
I Morbleu! ] might have had the sense
/ tn make Il five. or three. or two hours!
] I little guessed as | paced the cell IN
! patiently how many hours had passed
| since de Gomeron left me, and that il
/ was impossible 20 measure time in that
] Ioathsome dungeon. As / sat brooding.
I the profound silence was once more
| suddenly disturbed by the sudden jar
| ring Of bolt. II was not, however. the
| door OF my cell that was opened, but
little wicket about a foot square. and
through this there flashed again
/ binding light, and the face of Babette
pcered in. So malign was its aspect
/ that shuddered in spite OF myself, and
/ hen, in a fury ! could not control,
! luted out:
"Out of my presence, bag! Begone!"
/ "Oh. ho," she laughed, "a time will
| come when monsieur will go on his two
| knees and pray to Rabette-to good Ba-
bette-to kind Babette--in a day or so
]
shrilly. "But go MS you wish, to carry
your refusal to the captain"
/ She made movement as If to go; but
cursing myself at very nearly having
spoilt it all, burst out: "Stay"-aud
she looked back.
Monsieur" she grinned through
the wicket.
"See here" and in my eagerness my
voice was hoarse and thick, 300 crowns
If you free me from this, and l 600 more
if you will do the same for madame"
"Will monsieur add palace in the
moon to this?'
II give you the word of d'Auriac!
Fifteen hundred crowns is a fortune.
They will be yours in six hours from
the time you free us. Think Of it--1 800
crowns"
Never have / seen avarice blaze so in
a face as in hers. As | dropped out the
last words she shook her head from
side to side with the swaying motion of
a serpent. Her eyes glttered like those
of an asp, and between her half-parted
lips she hissed rather than spoke to
herself:
Fifteen hundred crowns! 1t Is
the price Of barony-I, who have
taken life for a half pistole!"
you will save two lives for this" !
pleaded
But the she devil, though sorely
tempted, was faithful. What de Com
eron's power over her was l know not.
l could add nothing TO my OfTer-I had
laid my all on the hazard, and it was
not to be done.
"Pouf!" she mociied, you do not go
high enough. You do not promise the
palace in the moon. But | waste my
time. Is it Yes or NO for the cap
tain?"
There was another chance still, and
would risk that. l made a step nearer
the opening.
Give me something to drink, and
will answer at once"
"Ah! ha! monsieur requires some
courage. Here is a flask of Frontignac,
but il is expensive, and monsieur,
am afraid, has left his belt outside his
room; the Frontignac is five crowns. -
You forgot my pockets" / an
| SNtTtus utIt dlt lNO piHlOi's manu-
me the wine"
"The money first''-and she stretched
out her hand.
Like flash | closed my fingers OH her
wrist and drew in her hand to the full
length of the arm.
"If you scream, if you utter a sound, !
will tear your arm from its socket"
The answer was shrek that might
have been heard half mile away, and
then foul oath and a howl of pain
II was hardly a knightly deed, but there
was too much at stake to mince mat.
ters. and on her scream | gave the
prisoners arm | held a wrench strong
enough to show that ! could keep my
; word. As the shrih echoes of her cry
died away ! could hear her breathing
heavily on the opposite side of the door
and she struggled mutely and with sur
| prising strength to free herself. There
was no answer to her call for help
there must have been many a shrek fol
help that had rung through that ter
rible dungeon and died away answer
less but for the mocking echoes. Anc
Babette knew this, for She ceased I,
utter sound after that one lonf
scream, and fought in silence like a sh,
wolf at bay. At last she leaned eN
hausted against the door, and | felt tha
half my game was won. II had been aI
unexpected thought, and had jumped
, at the opportunity Providence ha,
thrown in my way.
do you hcar?" ! said. "Open tn,
door, or"-and gave another half turn
, to her arm.
She VINO could inflict such suffering
on others was of those who were un
= able TO bear the slightest pain them
selves. She moaned in agony and calle,
; out: Free me, and promise prom
Use anything"
| only laughed and repeated my or
, der, relieving the strain on her arm
however, so that she could slip back
, half pace or so from the wicket. Thel
heard the great lock open and tn
chain put down, and Babette's vote
, trembling with anger and pain.
ut IS open
ITo BE CoNTINUEDl
soldiers Travelling.
, when soldiers in the service Of tn
United States are travelling their com