Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1903-10-23
CHAPTER Xxx.


reptile. To speak truly, the voice Of
Sylphide Couramont in that supreme mo-
ment betrayed less of maternal anguish
at disappointed hope, than of suppressed
fury at being baffled in her revenge.
At the sound Of the returning foot
steps of her emissary, she had darted
from the lounge, upon which She had
flung her weary, waiting body, with the
celebrity that a swallow wings its fight
from Its threatened nest beneath the
caves; she had recoiled a step, having
thrown open the blinds to admit Camille,
and stood waiting for his reply, her deli
cate hands clenched until the nails pene-
traIted the flesh.
81 haven't anything to say" replied
the man, sullenly, prepared to face the
worst; Il haven't got the child-that's
ALL"
"Why not?'
Because l saw her"
"SaW-whom
"My young mistress-Mrs. Court
landt'
shut the blinds she said. merely,
land tell me how it happened
She crossed to an easy chair beside the
table that occupied the middle of the
AoVuI, puC llSlcdu VI SCdllHS ucESCll SHo
stood leaning upon it's back, waiting for
him to speak. With the slow Indifference
Of man woh feels. himself hopelessly
condemned. Camille fixed his leaden eyes
upon her with logged defiance burn
ing luridy in their dark depths.
'"There amt much to tell" he began,
moodily; II did my best; stole in at the
library window like thief; got upstairs
and into the nursery, where ! found the
boy asleep. She came to the door a min
ute later-and, great heaven! shall ever
forget the look she gave me?"
YOU'RE a coward!' painted Sylphide;
why didn't yeu kill her?'
II tried it once" he answered, dar-
ingly; land / don't propose to do it again.
She raised the house with shrek, and
fell down at my feet. Then I got out"
For moment or two silence reigned
in the apartment, broken only by the
slow drip, drip, drip of the caves, and
the occasional thunder which now boom
ed and rolled away in the distance. At
last Sylphide Couramont spoke, as it
were to herself.
Fate shall avenge me!'' she muttered;
II will have my childv'
"You can apply to him, siAce he's com
ing here
"Who is coming here?' she demanded
in n startled way.
''Mr. Courtlandt. l overheard the doc
tor tell him it was best he should
Again there was n momentary silence,
at the end of which she glanced up at
him cunningly, rs she said:
Whatever / may effect through an in
tervicw with Mr.. Courtlandt, bear In
ind boJ ind tod lo 60
ing"
II have done all could" he retorted,
assuming his sullcn air again; more than
/ ought to have done. ] confess | wEnt
the money. E.s& ovAn had l succeeded
you wourdnrt have profted by it, since
Mr.. Courtlandt no longer loves you"
II am we'll aware Of the fact" she
replied, defantly; "but understand that
he said to me on the day we parted,
When Claire has ceased to live, | swear
to you that you shall have your child
again, and that / will return to YOU
Were she dead, whether he still loves me
or not, he, being n gentleman of his
word, would render me my child, and
give me the refuge of his name, for /
am free now. DO you comprehend?
am free, and yet everything slips through
my fingers. Everything that by right be-
longs to me l lose through her. And
why? Because you have no courage; be-
cause you are n coward!'
He met the torrent of her disdainful
wrath with patience.
"You forget" he said, "that she took
arsenic enough to kill twenty women.
Since she is still alive, it is heavens will
that she should be-"
Had you employed other means" she
rejoined; "look, weapon like this!" She
raised the little revolver and balanced it
in her hand, adding insinuatingy, 'if you
had used a weapon like this, you would
have secured--you can still secure the
five thousand dollars, if you will!''
She forced the little cleaning nstru-
ment of death into Ais hand, unconscious
~ thrust forth in a covetous attitude
but he seemed unaware Of what he held,
since he only murmurcd dreamily:
Five thousand dollars!'
"Eor man so fond of money, five
Thousand dollars is neat sum. But you
may possess the sum to-morrow-so de-
eide"
mo, no" he exclaimed, placins~ the
weapon upon the table with ring, and
moving away, but suddenly pausing to
ask. how do l know that you would
stand to your agreement? What security
have /? 1t isn't likely that you carry
so much about YOU
"You think not?' she retorted, tri-
umphantly; Il am happy TO be able 10 In
form you that / have twice that amount
about me at this moment!'
Camille reeoiled aghast.
.'Ten thousand dollars" he gasped.
See for yourself"
She took from its resting place behind
a sofa, small leathern satchel, and ex-
tracted from 1t a mass of bank notes,
bound with a narrow strap of paper.
us there ten thousand dollars there =
painted Camille, hoarsely.
YES, ten thousand dollars. 1t means
a farm, tranquil life and happiness"
Seizing the revolver, the man exclaim-
ed wildly:
Direct me. What must I do?"
you know we'll enough; 1t Is but the
work of moment. In few hours you