Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1901-07-17
/ The COntrabandist; , E!:s
II THE
4 One Life'S Secret! , ,s ::
4.o~eo,->-oo~~-o,.-

y
come-Louis will come"
Mono. he will not-he will not
Gomez she cried, with feeble grief. Il
have not seen him this long time.
| thought we were to be married. 1t was
Il Dream was it mott" And agair that
heart-breaking, sorrowful glance was
fixed on him. Il don't know wh% am
/ lying here" she murmured sadly, look
ing about her. II ought to be ready to
/ Get him when he comes. But | am 80
weak-so tired! | believe have been
journeying somewhere. But -uch a
strange journey! | don't think 1t ever
will end; and / am wandering all alone.
And so weary, weary, weary! All, Louis
why don't you come and help mel You
said you loved poor Rose"
Mournful and plaiEtive grew those rest
less, feyerish tones; fearful and troubled
the brilliant eyes; but still. though ex-
hausted by her constant rawlings, and
though her cheeks burned more hotly, and
her heart throbbed with terrible violence,
and her breathing was short and painful,
there was no rest for her. Still she rayed
OF Louis, and begged him TO see how her
feet We're torn and bleeding with the long
and weary way she came, and then she
would moan that he never would come
never, never, never"
And that wild, mournful wall might
have drawn tears from stone; but Helen
Montauban was more than q stone.
The doctor went out, leaving Helen
Montauban there to battle the heated
forehead of the sick girl, and offer water
to those parched lips. And she said,
looking down upon the stricken form be-
fore her, "She is in my power"
Alas. only too completely SO! Made
mosehe Montauban had gathered
that NJ Merry had but slight hope of
Roses recovery. 1t must be. No turn
ing back. or flinching, or hesitating, for
that desperate nature nowi That hope
must never become a stronger one. Ii
was hers to see to it. Pouring out the
water for which the sufferer prayed. ever
and anon. her hand iuyoluntarily clutch
ed the tiny vial concealed in her bosom.
Yet-ro! A little delay; the disease
might terminate fatally in faw days,
and snare her the work for which she
was prepared. But in case it were not
so. then 1t was a poison, subtle and
sure as death itself. Few were there
who knew of such; few-almost no tests
that could detect its presence. To Helen
Montauban had been given knowledge
Of this poison in bygone years. and she
had guarded that knowledge like gold.
The secret, so long preserved, was likely
to become useful to her now.
1t was midnight All over the chateau.
there was Yeep and heartfelt rejoicing
but 1t was subdued in its manifestations
for the life that had so lately been pro-
nounced safe Was only slowly and family
iutterng up from the edge Of the grave;
and every voice spoke in whispers, every
footstep was muffied. All day she he'd
slept, and the exhaustion produced by
her violent and protracted delirium was
so great that that slumber had hardly
seemed like the rest OF living FORM. For
scarce the faintest breath could be per-
ceived, or the slightest motion vf that
feebly beating heart. Yet had the ply
stefan filed the breasts of those about
him with too delicious hope that hung
for certainty upon her awakening.
Then had the evil desire of Helen Mon
tauban grown to an intensity that was
fendish Watching. with her haggard
face and cleaning eyes, beside that
couch. she had fixed her serpent gaze up
on the almost lifeless being who lay there,
looking with cruel and terrible eagerness
for the sign of death to set itself upon
that young sufferers brow. Yet it came
not. and her eagerness grew almost into
madness. The one way remained She
would make that sleep a lasting one,
Bur there was another watcher there
The aged physician had taken up his post
also BIZ the couch. He. too, was waiting;
but it was for the angel Of life--not that
of death; and he stirred not from that
place. Not a morsel of food had passed
his lips that day. Since dawn he had
been there. And Helen Montauban, in
| her fierce desperation at her own inabil-
ity TO accomplish the work so long medi-
| tated upon, was almost insane. Still he
| watched there; never for an instant was
| hi. vigilance relaxed. And the hours
| passed on and Rose awokesafe.