The Black Hills union. [volume] (Rapid City, Pennington County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1889-1904, 1901-08-15

NO NO one spoke: The priest looked
From what?" Beers Continued
with grim playfulness There is the
mystery. From the clutches of this
proIlgate Mlrepoix, I suppose. From
the dangerous Mirepoix. Upon nv
nonof, with a sudden ring of resolu-
Llon IN ms tone, II think you are safer
mere; l think you had better stav whara
you are, madame, until morninS, "i And
risk Mirepoix"
emily. e''eu' Veleii'-
oh, yes! yes!" he replied. "What
think sop oi you
The priest looked down sulenly His
voice shook as he murmured in an.
swer: Madame will please hersllf
9he mas character, NJ lie Vidame.
but II she prefer to stay here-wen!"
On, she has a character, has shco''
reJo1ned the giant, his eyes twinkling
win evil mlrth,, land she should go
nome with you, and my old friend.
NINE. dO, to save it! That is it, is it?
NO, no." he continued, when he had
had his silent laugh out, Mime. de Pa
Vannes will do very very well here
very well here until morning. We
nave work to do. Come. Let us 20
and do it,
DO you mean it?'' said the priest,
starting and looking up with a subtle
elldllehse-almoSt Ii threat-in his tone
Yes, L do
Ihelr eyes met; and seeing their
looks, l chuckled, nudging Croiset.e.
mo rear OF them discovering us now. 1
recalled the old proverb which saws
that When thieves fall out honest men
come by their own, and speculated on
the chance of the priest freeing us once
1a
But the two were Unmatched, The
Vldame could have taken up the other
with one hand and dashed his head on
the floor. And it did not end there.
doubt If in craft the priest was his
equal. Behind frank brutality Beers
unless his reputation belied him
concealed an Italian intellect Under
a cynical recklessness he yelled a rare
cunning and constant suspicion: en-
Joylns IN that respect a combina ton OF
apparently opposing qualities, which I
have known no other man to possess in
an equal degree, unless it might be his
late majesty, Henry the Great A
enid would have suspected the priest;
veteran might have been taken in by
the vidame
And indeed the priests eyes present
ly sank. Our bargain is to go for
nothing?' he muttered sullenly.
IL know of no bargain quoth the
Vldame. And 1 have no time to lose,
splitting hairs here. Set it down to
what you like. Say it is whim of mine,
a rad, a caprice. Only understand that
Nine de Pavannes stays. We 60 And"
ne added this, as a sudden thought
seemed to strike him. though I would
not willingly use compulsion to a lady,
think Mime. DO had better come too /"
YOU speak masterfully," the priest
Sald with sheer, forgetting the tone
ne had himself used few minutes be-
fore to Mirepoix
Just SO. 1 nave 40 horsemen over
the way" was the dry answer. FOR
the moment, I am master Of the le-
gions, Coadjutor.'
That is true" Nine. do said: SO
softly that 1 started She had scarcely
spoken since Beers entrance AS she
spoke now, she shook back the hood
from her face and disclosed the chest
nut hair clinging about her temples
deep blots Of color on the abnormal
whiteness of her skin THAT is true
NJ. de Beers" she said. You have the
1egions. You have the power. But you
will not use it, l think, against an old
friend. You will not do us this hurt
when L But listen"
He would not. In the very middle OF
her appeal he cut her short--brute that
he was! No, madame." he burst out
violently, disregarding the beautiful
face, the supplicating glance that
might have moved a stone that is
just what 1 will not do. l will not lis
ten! We know one another. Is not
that enough?"
She looked at him fixedly He -e-
turned her gaze, not smiling now, but
cycling her with a curious Watchful-
ness.
And after a long pause she turned
from him. Every WELL" she said softly
and drew a deep, quivering breath
the sound Of which reached US. Then
let us 60" And without-strangest
thing of all-bestowing word or look
on her sister,, who was weeping bit
terly in a chair, she turned to the door
and led the way out, a shrug of her
shoulders the last thing marked
The poor lady heard her departing
step, however, and sprang up. II
dawned upon her that she was being
deserted. Diane! Diane" she cried
on Crsisette to keep him quiet, there
was such fear and pain in her tone
II will go! will not be left behind II,
this dreadful place! Do you hear.
Come back to me, Diane!"
It made my blood run wildly. But
Diane did not come back. Strange!
And Beers too was unmoved. He
stood between the poor woman and the
door, and by gesture bid MirepoiS
and the priest pass out before him.
Madame" he said-and his voice
stern and hard as ever. expressed nc
1ot of compassion for her, rather such
an impatient contempt as a pulling
child might elicit-"you are safe here.
And here you will stop! Weep If You
please he added cynically, you will
have fewer tears to shed tomorrow.
His last words-they certainly were
odd ones-arrested her attention. She
checked her sobs, being frightened,
think, and looked up at him. Per-
haps he had spoken with this in view
for while she still stood at gaze, her
hands pressed to her bosom, he slipped
quickly out and closed the door behind
him. I heard a muttering for an in
slant outside, and then the tramp OF
feet descending the stairs. They were
gone, and we were still undiscovered.
.sg For madame, she had clean forgotten
our presence-of that l am sure-and
the chance OF escape we might afford.
On finding herself alone she gazed a
short time in alarmed silence at the
door. and then rs1 20 the window and
peered out still trembling, terrified.
silent So she remained awhile.
She had NOT noticed that Beers on