Custer weekly chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, S.D.) 1890-1931, 1901-10-12

tated. He-a CayIus. Turning u him
again, / repeated my question impa-
tiently; Which shall 1t be? A mo-
ment and we shall be moving on and
1t will be too late"
He laid his hand hurriedly on my
bride and began a rambling answer.
Rambling as 1t was ] gathered his
him short with one word Of fiery indig-
nation and turned to Marie and spoke
quickly.
Twill you, them" I said.
But Marie shook his head In perplex-
lily, and answering little, said the same.
So 1t happened the second time.
strange! Yet strange as II seemed,
l was not greatly surprised. Under
other circumstances L should have
been beside myself with anger at the
detection. Now / felt as If I had half
expected 1T, and without further words
or reproach / dropped my head and
gave 1t up. / passed again into tho
stupor Of endurance. The vidame was
too strong for me. II was useless to-
light against him. We were under tho
spell. When the troop moved forward,
l went with them. silent and apathetic.
We passed through the gate at Ca
hors, n no doubt the scene was
worthy Of note; but l had only a ~listless
y ~ ~ AiAoNll ou1h Oil y az u itlohA
about to be broken on the wheel must
have for that curious instrument, sup
posing him never to ave seen Ii be-
fore. The whole population had como
out to line the streets through which
we rode, and stood gazing, with scarce
ly yelled ooks OF apprehension. at the
procession OF troopers and the stern
face of h new governor.
We dismounted passively in the court
xVa xI "a 49, a. l--
In together, when Bure interviewed. M.
de Pavannes," he said, pushing rather
rudely between us, will sup alone to-
night. For O gentlemen. this way,
IL you please"
/ went without remonstrance. What
VAS the useP l vas conscious that the
vidame from the top OF the stairs lead
ing to the grand entrance was watch
ing us with a wolfish glare in his eyes.
l went quietly. But / heard Croisette
urging something with passionate en-
ergy.
We were led through a low doorway
TO a room on the ground floor; a place
very like a cell. Here we took our
meal In silence. When II was over 1
flung myself or one of the beds pre-
pared for us, shrinking from my COM
panions rather In misery than In re-
sentiment.
No explanation had passed between
us. Still / knew that the other two
from time to time eyed me doubtfully.
i feigned therefore to be asleep, but l
heard Bure enter TO bid us good night
and see that we had not escaped. And
1 was conscious, too Of the question
Croisette put TO him: Does M. de Pa
vannes lie alone tonight, Bure?"
mot entirely" the captain answered,
with gloomy meaning. Indeed, he
seemed in bad spirits himself or tired.
The vidame Is anxious for his souls
welfare, and sends a priest to him."
They sprang to their feet at that.
But the light and its bearer, who so far
recovered himself as TO chuckle at his
masters pious thought, had disap-
pcared. They were left to pace the
room and reproach themselves and
curse the vidame in an agony of late
repentance. Not even Marie could find
a loophole OF escape from here. The
door was double locked; the windows
so barred hat a cat could scarcely pass
through them; the walls were Of solid
ma sonry
Meanwhile / lay and feigned to sleep,
and lay feigning through long, long
hours; though my heart, like theirs,
throbbed in response to the dull ham,
mering thai presently began without,
ana uOl ldT IIOIl US, anu luSlSu ulllll
daybreak. From our windows, set low
and facing the wall, we could see moth
ing. But we could guess what the noise
meant, the dull, earthly thuds when
posts were set in the ground, the brisk,
wooden Gathering when n plank was
laid to another. We could not see the
progress OF the work, or hear the
voices of the workmen, or catch the
glare OF their lights. But we knew
what they were doing. They were
raising the scaffold.
Concluded Next Week.)