Custer weekly chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, S.D.) 1890-1931, 1901-08-10

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words were scarcely audible. II am
known to be such! None better known
in Paris, M. lie ~Coadjuteur."
Men are known by their works."
the priest retorted. Nov, now" he
continued, abruptly, raising his voice
and lifting his hand in a kind of ex-
altation, real or feigned, lis the APP
pointed time. And now is the day of
salvation! And woe, Mirepoix, woe!
woe! to the backslider, and to him
that putteth his hand to the pillow and
looketh back tonight"
The layman covered and shrank be-
fore his fierce de%nunciation; while
Nine. dc Pavannes gazed from one to
the other as If her dislike for the priest
were so great hat seeing the two thus
quarreling, she almost forgave Mire-
polk his offense. "Mirepoix said he
could explain" she murmured, irreso.
lutely.
The coadiutor fixed his baleful eyes
on him. "Mirepoix,' he said. grimly.
can explain nothing! Nothing! 1
dare him to explain!"
And certainly Mirepolx, thus chal-
lenged, was silent. Come" the priest
continued. peremptorily. turning to
the lady who had entered with him,
your sister must leave with us at
once. We have no time to lose"
But what-what does 1t mean?'
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hesitated even now.
lis there danger still2"
Danger" the priest exclaimed, his
form seeming to swell and the exalta-
ton / had before read IN his voice and
manner again asserting itself. II put
myself at our service, madame, and
danger disappears! | am as God to-
night with powers of life and death!
You do not understand me? Presently
YOU shall. But you are ready. We will
go then. Out of the way, fellow!" he
Numbered. advancing upon the door.
But MirepoiX, who had placed him
self with his back TO 1t, to my astonish-
ment did not give way. His full bour-
geoise face was pale; yet peeping
through my chink, / read in 1t q des-
perate resolution. And oddly-very
oddly, because l knew that, In keeping
Mime. de Pavannes n prisoner, he must
be in the wrong-l sympathized with
him. Low-bred trader, tool Of Paw
annes though he was, l sympthized
with him, when he said firmly:
"She shaH not go!"
II say she shall!" the priest shrieked,
losing all control over himself. Fool!
Madman! You know not what you
do" AS the words passed his lips he
made an adroit forward movement, sur
prised the other, clutched him by the
arms, and with a strength l should
never have thought lay in his meager
frame, flung him some PAGES into tn
room. "Fooln' he Missed, shaking his
crooked fingers at him in malignant
triumph. There is no man in Paris,
do o hear-or e~ither-shali
thwart me tonight"
rs that so? Indeed?'
The words, and the cold, cynical
voice, were not those OF Mirepoix; they
came from behind. The priest wheeled
round, as if he had been stabbed In
the back. / clutched Croisette, and
arrested the cramped limb l was NOV
ing under cover of the noise. The
speaker was Beers! He stood in the
open doorway, his great form filling 1t
from post to post, the old gtbing smile
on his face. We had been so taken up,
actors n audience alike, with the
alteration, that no n had heard him
ascend the stairs. He still wore the
black and silver suit, but 1t was half
hidden now under a dark riding cloak
which just disclosed the glitter Of his
weapons. He was booted, spurred and
gloved as for a journey.
us that SOP" he repeated mockingly,
as his gaze rested in turn on each OF
the four, and hen ~raveled sharply
around the room. $50 you will not be
thwarted by any man in Paris, tonight,
Ell? Have you considered, my deaT
SStAN v lloN Il sc llulllbCl IA DCo-
pie there are in Paris? 1t would amuse
me very greatly now-and I'm sure II
would the ladies too, who must par
don my abrupt entrance-to see you
put to the test: pitted against-shalI
we say the duke of Anjou? Or NJ. dc
Guise, our great man? Or the admiral
Say the admiral foot to foot?"
Rage and fear-rage at the intrusion
fear of the intruder-struggled in the
| ,ns,,Nr. faa, sIIa.,y - 80 o1x.
here, and what do you want?" he in.
CURED, hoarsely. If looks and tones
could kill. we three, trembling behind
our flimsy screen, had been freed tina
moment from our enemy.
Il have come in search Of the young
birds whose necks you were for stretch.
ing, my friend" was Blazers answer
They have vanished. Birds they mus
be, for unless they have come into this
house by that window, they nave flowT
away with wings"
They nave not passed this way" the
priest declared stoutly, eager only tc
get rid of the other-and l blessed him
for the words! l have been here since
l left you"
But the vidame was not one to ac.
cept any mans statement. Thank
you; / think 1 will see for myself" he
answered, coolly. Madame" he con
tinued, speaking to Mime. &c Pavan.
mes as he passed her, permit me-"
He did not loo at her, or see her
emotion, or 1 think he must have di.
Vined u presence. And happily the
others did not suspect her OF knowing
more than they did. He crossed the
floor at his leisure, and sauntered tc
the window watched by them with i'm.
patience. He drew aside the curtain
and tried each of the bars, and peered
through the opening, both up and
down. An oath and an expression OF
wonder escaped him. The bars were
standing, and firm and strong; and Il
did not occur to him that we could
have pessed between them. i an
afraid to say how few inches they were
apart.
AS he turned he. cast u casual glance
at the bed-at us; and hesitated. HI
had the candle in his hand, having tax
en- 1t to the window the better to ex'
anime the bars; and it obscured hi!
sight. He did not see us. The three
crouching forms, the strained whit,
faces, the starting eyes, that luFked IL
the shadow OF the curtain escaped him
The wild beating of our hearts did no
reach his eaars. And It was we'll To-
him that it was SO. If he had come III
to the bed / think we should have
killed him, | know that We should have
tried. All the blood in me had gone {,
my head, and | saw him through 1
ha~ze-larger than life. The exact spo
near the buckle Of his cloak where
would strike him. downwards and up
wards. an inch above the ,collar-bone-
this only 1 saw clearly. l could no
have missed it. But he turned Way
his face darkening, n went back t
the group near the door, and neVe,
knew the risk he had run.
CHAPTER vi.
MADAME'S FRIGHT.
), And we breathed again. The agon,
of suspense, which Beers pause hat
created, passed away But the Idgh
already seemed TO lis n week of nights