The Hood River glacier. (Hood River, Or.) 1889-1933, 1903-12-17
CHAPTER XyJII.-(COptinued.l }

Hotel de Clairville. Here the kind-heart
ed Count Frederic and his amiable wife
congratulated themselves upon having
gathered together so happy a family par
ty; and no pains were spared to con
tribute to the enjoyment Of each. Rose
had never been in Paris before; its splen'
dors and gaieties were novel and pleasing
to her. But every enjoyment had Its
chief source from the presence Of Louis
nothing was complete if he were not at
her side to share in her pleasure; and II
charmed him to perceive this.
"You shall dwell here, some day, my
Rose" he said to her, with his own
bright smile that the young girl loved SO
well.
And she smiled in return; while Helen
Montauban turned away, with a dark
gleam in her eyes-a darker frown on
that splendid brow.
''Some dayl How little," said the
naughty woman, mentally, chow little dc
they dream that the will of another is
to exercise authority then! They count
confidently on their future-upon the fate
that is awaiting them All, if they knew
what 1t is to be-that fatew
Now that Paris was gained, she was
nearer to her purpose, and the fierce i'm
patience she had felt subsided as she
approached to the consummation of that
purpose. Not because she quailed, or
shrank from 1t, but that now she was
able to contemplate 1t more nearly-to
look upon her revenge as almost accom-
plished, and she was content to wait yet
longer.
'Helen, you are i'll, think" said Fran
els Egerton in alarm.
She had been sitting in the same atti-
tude for full hour with her head rest
Ing on her hand, and those dark, calm
eyes fixed on the floor. But her lips were
very pale, and her face marble white.
"You are ill., Helen" he repeated, gent
ly, bending over to attract her attention,
and laying his hand on. hers. But the icy
coldness of that hand chilled and startled
him.
'You are not quite right, my lord" she
answered; "for | am not Ill exactly, and
yet l am not we'll l have merely a Sc
we're headache" And she pressed her
hand to her brow.
"a headaches that all? Nay, you
are feverish, for now your cheeks are
burning. Let me ask your father to send
for a PHYSICIAN. You may, perhaps,
have taken the fever which is prevailing
in the city. Dear Helen, be advisedp'
Francis, l command you to remain
where you are" said Mademoiselle Mon
tauban, imperatively. II have assured
you that am not i'll, and do not wish
either to attract attention or to interfere
with the enjoyment Of others. Since you
are so anxious, | shall endeavor to rest
awhile in my own apartment, and may
regain my usual spirits by evening, In
which case l will rejoin the family. Pre-
sent my excuses to them, if you please"
She left him and ascended to her cham
ber.
Night came. The rest of the family
were to attend the opera. Helen Mon
tauban assigned a severe headache as
her reason for not accompanying them,
and remained at home. From the case
ment of her room she looked down and
saw the carriage roll away from the
gates.
An hour afterwards there emerged
from the hotel a youth, wearing a broad
hat slouched over his eyes and cloak,
which he drew about him, half concealing
his face with its folds. He looked back
with a hurried, nervous glance as he
gained the portal. mo one has seen me-"
he muttered, "and the rest is sufficiently
easy" At a rapid pace he hastened on.
1t was dark; but the lamps in the streets
poured a flood of light along his way as
he proceeded, and crowds of pedestrians
passed him and the way was thronged
with carriages and vehicles of every de-
scription. He only drew his hat further
over his eyes, arranged the folds Of the
cloak SO as more fully to hide his fea-
lures, and hurried along, passing from
one street to another, and never looking
at a single face in all the jostling multi
tude about him.
At length, in a retired street, he reach
ed the door of building, half shop, half
dwelling; at this door he knocked. A
domestic appeared, bearing light, which
she held up to survey the features of
the youth; but he shrunk further back
into the shadow, and gathered the folds
of the cloak more closely about hits face
as he asked, in a low and somewhat
hoarse voice:
SIS the alchemist at home?p
"He is, monsieur. Will you come In ?"
The youth entered, the woman looking
at him with a half-curious glance for an
instant; but then muttering to herself,
"Well-well, | need not trouble my head;
he is not the first mask that has come
hither," she added aloud 'This way,
monsieur; you will find my master in
here" and led the way through the room
into which he had entered from the street
to a back one, opening from the first.
Here was an old man, bent half double
seated at a table, and engaged in poring
over a rich and curious volume Of an
tiQue appearance. About the apartment
were arranged. in different places, vari-
Gus stuffed figures Of animals, and some
of them reptiles so hideous as to send an
involuntary shiver over the boy as he be-
held them. Strange and horrible forms
were everywhere about him; he turned
from contemplating them in disgust. The
NAb man ANAN usAut MS uOuh anu iuOktu
up.
You want me?-well, what is it?" he
said, leaning back in his chair, and re-
garding his guest closely with the pierre
ins dark eyes that seemed still darker
and more piercing from the bushy, snow
white brows that oyerhung them.
The youth spoke not, nor removed the
cloak from his face; but silently advane.
ing, presented a folded paper to the old
man. He received and glanced over it.
A slight frown darkened over his face.
and again he fixed on the boy that same
searching glance.
'You do not want me, but my wife"
he said. Il touch not such matters as
this" and he handed back the paper
Then going to a small door in the wall,
he opened it and called, "Bianca-Bi-
ancaw
An instant and there appeared at this
door tall, dark-looking yet splendidly
handsome woman. with a brunette COM
plexion, magnificent black eyes and a no
bic and commanding form Thasa avas