Condon globe. (Condon, Gilliam Co., Or.) 189?-1919, 1903-12-24
! The COntrabandiSt; .F::7 E;:s
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/ One Lite'S Secret! ,.s:,. ,Ss5. !:


/ pleasant results from our adventure OF
/ last night; and you must be conscious
that, even lf such were not the case,
shonld find It impossible TO sleep now. ]
must remain here"
"Ah-wellf' sighed the good old man;
IF you are fully determined on this, II
must be 80; and trust all will be well.'
He sat down by the bed, leaned his
head on his hand and fixed a thoughtful
ana sorrowful glance upon the feyerish
eountenance turned towards him on the
pillow. Rose looked at him with her
wild, bright, plteous gaze.
Where IL LoulsT she asked; where
Is hef Why do they keep him from meT'
Tears stood 10 the physicians eyes.
He laid his gentle hand, with Its cool
touch, on that burning forehead.
BE quiet, my child" he said. HE will
come--louis will come"
"No-no! he will not--he will not
Gomez she cried, with feeble grief. II
have not seen him this long time.
thought We were TO be married. II was
dream. was II notf And again that
heart'breaking, sorrowful glance was
liked on him. II don't know why am
lying here" she murmured, sadly, look
Ing about her. II ought to be ready TO
meet him when he comes. But am so
weak--so tired! believe l have been
tourneying somewhere. Bat such a
strange journeyl don't thipk II ever
viii end; and | am wandering all alone.
And so weary, weary, weary All, Louis,
why don't you como and help me? You
said you loved poor Rosew
Mournful and plalntlye grew those rest
less, feyerlsh tones; fearful and troubled
the brilliant eyes; but still, though ex.
hausted by her constant rawlings, and
| though her cheeks burned more hotly, and
her heart throbbed with terrible violence,
and her breathing was short and painful,
there was no rest for her. Still she rayed
Of Louis. and begged him to see how her
feet were torn aud bleeding with the long
aud weary way she came. and then she
would moan that he never would come
never, never, neverr'
And that wild, mournful wall might
have drawn tears from stone; but Helen
Montauban was more than stone.
The doctor went out, leaving Helen
MOntauban there to bathe the heated
forehead OF the sick girl, and offer water
to those parched lips. And she said,
fore her, She Is In my power~
Alas! only too completely 50! Made
moisello Montauban had gathered
that NJ. Merry had but a slight hope Of
Roses recovery, 1t must be. No turn
ing back, or flinching, or hesitating, for
that desperate nature nowl That hope
must never become a stronger one! 1t
was hers to see to 1t. Pouring out the
water for which the sufferer prayed, ever
and anon, her hand involuntarily clutch
ed the tiny vial concealed In her bosom.
Yet-no! A little delay; the disease
might terminate fatally In a few days,
and spare her the work for which she
was prepared But In case 1t were not
so. then 1t was poison, subtle and
sure as death Itself. Few were there
who knew Of such; few-almost no tests
that could detect It's presence. To Helen
Montauban had been given a knowledge
of this poison in hy-gene years, and she
had guarded that knowledge like gold.
The secret, SO long preserved, was likely
to become useful to her now.
1t was midnight All over the chateau,
there was deep and heartfelt rejoicing;
but 1t was subdued In its manifestations,
for the life that had so lately been pro-
nounced safe was only slowly and family
fluttering up from the edge of the grave;
and every voice spoke in whispers, every
footstep was muffled. All day she had
slept, and the exhaustion produced By
her violent and protracted delirium was
so great that that slumber had hardly
seemed like the rest Of a living form. For
scarce the faintest breath could be per-
celved, or the slightest motion of that
feebly beating heart. Yet had the ply
sician filed the breasts OF those about
him with too delicious hope that hung
for certainty upon her awakening.
Then had the evil desire of Helen Mon.
tauban grown to an intensity that was
fendish Watching, with her haggard
face and cleaning eyes, beside that
couch, she had fixed her serpent gaze up
on the almost lifeless being who lay there
looking with cruel and terrible eagerness
for the sign of death to set itself upon
that young sufferers brow. Yet 1t came
not, and her eagerness grew almost into
madness. The one way remained. She
would make that sleep lasting one!
But there was another watcher there
The aged physician had taken up his post
also by the couch. He, too, was waiting:
but it was for the angel of life-not that
of death; and he stirred not from that
place. Not morsel of food had passed
his lips that day. Since dawn he had
been there. And Helen Montaaban, in
her fierce desperation at her own inabil-
ity to accomplish the work so long medi-
tated upon, was almost insane, Still he
watched there; never for an instant was
his vigilance relaxed. And the hours
passed ON and Rose awoke-safeI