The Red Cloud chief., 1902-03-07

this matter %cai,aly. I grant that you
have brought me here in a manner
that Ioes you credit and | seem 20 DO
in something OF a hole. Perhaps we
can arrange IL all In some sort of COM
promise
Womanlikc, the countess took this
as a sign of weakness and became
more positive in her demands.
The paper will not be sent upon
only one condition, monsieur"
"Ah! yes, and that"
You will rcnounce forever all de-
sire TO make this girl, Hildegarde,
your wife, and agree to bestow upon
me the regard | crave"
He sat In silence for several min
utes. knowing that he was INJECTING
torture upon her with each passing
second of time.
well. have you decided, monsieur"
yes
"And the RESULT" bending forward
eagerly.
~ must respectfully decline the
proposition"
She bit her lips-hope had made her
heart throb like a triphammer, but
now 1t seemed to hang almost dead
and ~lifeless within her.
You know the consequences"
mot wholly, but 1 am prepared to
meet them as they come"
III am surprised"
You expected m to be overwhelm-
ed. My dear countess, l have spent
my boyhood on the plains of Texas
among cowboys, who early learn to
depend upon themselves in an emer-
gency. We Americans do not easily
yield"
80 I perceive. And a French.
woman is said to be equally stubborn
in her way"
Then 1t is a Roland for m oliver.
This is not so very bad, you know"
stretching his limbs, and making him
self a little more comfortable, III 1t
were not that 1t comes about against
my will"
Paul. although seeming to take the
affair in a careless manner. was cud-
ceiling his brains as to the means that
should be employed to effect his es-
cape.
What would his generous benefactor
think when he failed to show up in
the morning?
He groaned in spirit and his feeling
toward the adventures drew rapidly
toward the line where hatred would
supplant indifference.
Paul had half turned with the in
tention of making vigorous demands
Upon his fair jailer, when, without the
least warning. as II in response to
some signal OF the countess, the lights
went out.
Instinctively the American sprang out
OF his chair and sought to lay hold of
the woman to keep her as q hostage,
but his arms only clasped the chair
in which she had been seated, which,
unable to withstand his sudden as
sault. fell over to the floor, taking /!
along with it.
He heard the swish of silken gar
ments, following the miserable chair
He was not in any too good humol
after the little episode. since he had
bruised his hand, and made n fool o,
himself generally, as he believed.
Standing there in the dark, he lis
tened.
All was quiet within the house
though the noises of the city came In
a faint, confused murmur.
He struck n match and by the ait
Of the brief illumination he was ablt
to take a cursory view OF his surround
ings.
There must be a door somewhere
and his next duty was to find 1t, bu'
the search was vain.
AS he was unable to discover tht
cleverly hidden door, Rhinelandel
changed his tactics.
Surely there must be some othel
means of ventilating the apartment
a window, scuttle or trap door, FOL
instance-he was In n humor where
the means counted but little In thu
race. the end being the main feature
So he began another series of in
v~estigations.
Ito be continued.)