Little Falls herald. [volume] (Little Falls, Morrison County, Minn.) 1889-1950, 1903-02-13

others, You viii excuse me, gentle
men," he added, IF have to leave
you II the dark. The moment now up.
proaches.
Dr..aNoel exiting ished the lamp. IA
faint gray light, premonitory Of the
dawn, Illuminated the window, but
was not sufficient to illuminate the
room, and when the prince rose to his
feet it was impossible to distinguish
his features or to make guess at the
nature Of the emotion which obviously
affected him as he spoke He moved
toward the door and placed himself at
one side Of it in an attitude Of the war;.
est attention.
"You will have the Kindness" he
said, ito maintain the strictest silence
and to conceal yourselves in the densest
Of the shadow" !: s szs sxs III Z
The three officers and the physician
fastened to obey, and for nearly ten
minutes the only sound in Rochester
House was occasioned by the excur-
siOns Of the rats behind the woodwork.
At the end Of thai period loud creak
of hinge broke III with. surprising dis
tinctness on the silence, and shortly
after the watchers could distinguish a
low and cautious tread approaching up
the kitchen stair. At every second step
the intruder seemed to pause and lend
an ear. and during these intervals.
which seemed of an incalculable dura-
ton, a profound disQuiet possessed the
spirit of the listeners. Dr.. Noel, accus-
toned as >he was to dangerous emo
lions, suffered an almost pitiful physic-
al prostration. His breath whistled in
his lungs, his teeth grated one upon
another, and his joints cracked aloud
as he nervously shifted his position.
At last a hand was laid upon the
door and a bolt shot back with a slight
report. There followed another pause,
during which Brackenbury could see
the prince draw himself together noise
lessly, as it for some unusual exertion
Then the door opened, letting in little
more of the light of the morning, and
the figure of man appeared upon the
threshold and stood motionless. He
was tall and carried a knife in his
hand. Even in the twilight they could
see his upper teeth barr and glistening.
for his mouth was open, like that OF a
hound about to leap. The man had evil
IDENTIFY been over his head in water but
minute OF two before, and even while
he stood there the drops kept falling
from his wet clothes and battered on
the floor.
The next moment he crossed the
threshold. There was leap, a. stifed
cry, an instantaneous struggle, and be-
fore Colonel Geraldine could spring
to his aid the prince held the man,
disarmed and helpless, by the shout
ders.
"Dr. Noel" he said, you will be go
good as to relight the lamp"
And, relinquishing the charge of his
prisoner to Geraldine and Bracken-
bury, he crossed the room and set his
back against the chimney piece. AS
soon as the lamp had kindled, the party
beheld an unaccustomed sternness on
the princes features. 1t was no longer
Florfzel, the careless gentleman. It
was the Prince Of Bohemia, justly in
censed and full Of deadly purpose, who
now raised his head and addressed
the captive president of the Suicide
club.
" president" he said, "you have laid
your last snare, and your own feet are
taken'in it. The day is beginning. 1t
Is your last morning. You have just
swum the Regents canal. 1t is your
last bath in this world. Your old ac-
complete, DIR. Noel, so far from betray-
ing. me, has delivered you into my
hands for judgment. And the grave
you had dug for me this afternoon
shall serve in Gods almighty provi-
dence to hide your own just doom
from the curiosity of mankind. Kneel
and pray, sir, if you have mind that
way, for your time is short and God
is weary of your iniquities."
The president made no answer either
oy word or sign, but continued to hang
his head and gaze sullenly on the floor
as though he were conscious of the
princes prolonged and unsparing re-
gard.
"Gentlemen," continued Florizel. re-
Stunning the ordinary tone of his CONVEX
sation, 'this is a fellow who has long
eluded me, but whom, thanks to DR..
Noel, l now have tightly by the heels.
TO tell the story Of his misdeeds would
occupy more time than we can now
afford, but if the canal had contained
nothing but the blood Of his victims l
believe the wretch would have been
no drier than you see him. Even in an
affair of this sort I desire to preserve
the forms of honor, but I make you the
judges, gentlemen. This is more an
execution than a duel, and to give the
rogue his choice of weapons would be
to push too far point of etiquette.
cannot afford to lose my life in such a
business, he continued, unlocking the
case of swords, land as a pistol bullet
travels SO often on the wings of chance,
and skill and courage may fall by the
most trembling marksman, l have de-
cided, and feel sure you will approve
OF my determination, to put this cues