Condon globe. (Condon, Gilliam Co., Or.) 189?-1919, 1903-12-31
The COntrabandist; .F;:! E;:s
E-==-=-= OF
| One Life's Secret! ,,;:s, Fl. # !:


"You are awake. my dearT8 she said
gently. "Ah, you have slept 80 nicely
1 And now, you arc thirsty. Walt mo
inent, dear Roae."
/ She turned and took up the silver cur
on the stand. A mingling Of Joy and hor
ror the most intense, seized the muir
deress by the hearth.
zone moment, my dear madame" said
NJ. Merry, hastily, rising and going to.
wards her. LET me give II TO her."
lie took the cup. from the hand Of the
| countess, glanclng back as he did So al
| Mademoiselle MontaubAn. Her brilliant
| eyes, fixed upon him with an awful fas.
eination, were Instantly ayerted, He
stirred the contents Of the cup slowly.
III appears 10 me-" he said, with fear.
fui deliberation, 'that there Is something
here which will do our little invalid no
good. will remove It, II you please.
madame. and bring something different. "
And following the stealthy figure OF
Mademolselle Montauban, as II glIded
from the apartment he closed the door
behind him.
They were alone together In the gallery.
lighted only by a single lamp, which but
falnuy revealed that ghostly form, NOV
Ing swiftly towards the opposite cham
ber. But, quicker than lightning, his
grasp was upon her arm. Her weird.
white face cleaned awfully upon him
through the dim twilight. But abe spoke
no word.
Come with me-"
II was ell he said. There was no pow-
er OF resistance In the form beside him.
Rapidly those two descended the stair
case He entered the library. with her
arm locked in his; then he closed and
locked the door. He stood before her.
She was very still-very white. Only
those terrible eyes burned like live Goals
amid llfeless ashes. He held the cup In
his hand; he made her look at It.
you know what this lsT' be said.
There was no answer.
Y0u do know. You piaced IL there. l
was witness OF the deed. Unhappy
woman! What evil has that sweet child
done TO you? Would you murder your
own slster--Marguerite Montauban?"
one moment the guilty woman gazed
at him wildly, A gasp, struggle, a
faint cry, and she sank In awfnl con.
vulsions at his feet.
That was a fearful night which fol-
lowed, but 1t was only the commence
ment or season fraught with agony
The marquis returned to the chateau
from the deathbed OF his brother, to find
Helen struggling between life and death.
For weeks she lay unconscious OF every
thing about her: only coming out OF the
dull stupor that wrapt her. to fall. ever
and anon, into those terrible commissions.
IN which It seemed that nature must
sink, worn out with the contest. The
agitation produced by this circumstance,
strange and sudden as 1t was. anl the
death OF his brother. would have been
beyond his power TO bear had it not been
for the inexpressihle happiness which it
was permitted him 10 enjoy in the dis
coyery of his long-lost hid. How would
he have shuddered had he known the
fearful fate which that sweet child had
so narrowly escaped!
But the scenes enacted within thp walls
OF the chateau that night were mercifuly
concerted from him. Fortunately for
Helen Montauban, In the illness which
succec led the Overwhelming denouement
of the dark tragedy wherein she had TAX