Corvallis gazette. [volume] (Corvallis, Benton County, Or.) 1900-1909, 1903-12-22

to reach the residence of his uncle a day
or two before the wedding ceremony,
which was to take place on the first day
of the ensuing month.
1t was a wild, dark, stormy night when
the carriage of the marquis approached
once more the neighborhood of the Cha
teau Montauban. The tempest ragged
with terrible fury; the darkness was that
of the murkiest midnight All along the
forest road, the giant trees skirting the
way creaked and groaned as if almost
with human agony, and the tossing of
their mighty arms, unseen in the gloom,
was yet heard with dreadful distinct
ness; while, to add to the impression of
awe that kept each of our travellers silent
the deep and mournful wailing Of the un-
chained winds almost took the sound of
human voices shrieking in despair. An
inward horror seized Helen Montauban.
Those voices seemed to utter her name
to wall forth upon the night the awful
secret over which she brooded; to de-
nounce her with the tones Of fiends, and
declare her guilty-a murderess!
A hand, small and trembling, and icy
cold, was laid on hers. With a faint,
shuddering cry upon her lips, she started,
and then sank back again, almost faint
ing. 1t was no spirits touch, but the
touch of poor little Rose herself, who,
cold with terror, nestled up to her COM
panion, and sought the friendly clasp of
her hand, to re-assure her own sinking
heart.
"Ah, dear Helen, what is it-did l
frighten you?" anxiously asked the young
girl.
"What is it-what is it?" uttered the
rest, eagerly.
Angered at her own weakness and want
of self-command, even while she still
shuddered from head to foot, Mademoi-
selle Montauban made some hasty apollo
gy, and relapsed into silence again. Won
dering at her strange manner, Rose, too,
shrank within herself once more.
And the tempest raved more wildly yet.
Onward pressed the drenched horses,
over the rough, uneven road, that threat
ened every moment, with jagged ruts
and scattered stumps and rocks, which
could not be avoided for the darkness, to
overturn the carriage. 1t jolted fearfully.
The utmost care was insufficient to guard
against danger. If the rain had not pour
ed SO violently, all would have preferred
walking the remainder of the distance to
remaining in the carriage. They proceed
ed slowly and with difficulty.
"Helen," the marquis said, kindly, 81
think we are almost at home now. Rose,
my poor little darling, you are sadly
alarmed, I fearv' And he took her little,
cold hand in his own. How cold you
are! Francis, hand me my cloak, which
is somewhere beside you. That is it, He
wrapped it tenderly about her, drawing
the immense and heavy folds closely to-
gether.
But the words were arrested upon her
lips by a fearful sound that drew the
attention of all. Torn by the force Of the
tempest from their trunks, the sturdy
limbs of the overhanging trees were
thrown with furious force along their
path, striking the carriage, and falling
upon the frightened beasts, who, mad
dened with pain and terror, sprang for.
ward, leaping wildly over the obstacles
in their way and dashing the vehicle from
side to side with violence that every in
slant threatened destruction to those
within. The reins were torn from the
hands of the paralyzed driver, and drag
ged about the feet of the terrified ami
mails, over whom there was no longer
control. Still the carriage swayed to
and fro, and death seemed to all the 81
lent, stricken party within at every mo-
ment inevitable. The moment was one
of awful suspense; but that suspense
was not destined to be prolonged. Sud
denly, in their blind course, the horses
stumbled, the carriage swung on one side,
and was dashed to the earth.
"Helen-Rose-my childrenr' called the
voice of the marquis, ''are you hurt?''
There was no answer. The voices of
the Count de Clairville and Francis Eg-
erton alone were heard.
''Adelev cried the count to his wife,
81 cannot see you; speak to me-tell me
that you are uninjuredr'
"Ah, my wrist-it is broken, I believer
uttered the countess, in tone of pain.
"But that is nothing; where are those
dear children? If one could but seep'
"Helen-Rosew called the marquis
again, in agony. "Ah. for lightsp'
With the utmost difficulty and danger
as well, from their close neighborhood to
the hoofs of the struggling and kicking
horses, the gentlemen extricated their
and themselves from the We
hicle in the darkness. Furiously the rain
poured down, drenching them to the skin
in an instant. All, however, were found
to be safe, excepting Mademoiselle Mon
tauban and Rose, neither of whom be-
trayed the least sign Of consciousness. 1t
was too dark to distinguish their fea-
lures.
A faint sigh breathed from the lips Of
Helen. Supported by the arm of Lord
Egerton, she endeavored to rise to her
feet. An almost inaudible thanksgiving
escaped from him. She was safe. Did
not this woman repent, in that moment,
when her own life was spared, the wick
ed design that she had entertained? No
never for single moment!
"Where is Rose?' she ased, hoarsely,
and with strange, unnatural voice. A
wild hope darted through her brain. Had
death anticipated her?
Poor child! lying senseless in the arms
of the marquis, no sound reached her
now. Alike insensible to the pain of that
hour, or to the falling rain that saturated
her clothing yet failed to revive her, she
lay there moveless and silent.
(Fo be continued.)
Needs Must.
Mrs. Upton-I saw Mr.. Newton bow
ing with the most courtly grace to
very commonplace woman. He's a.