Little Falls herald., 1903-01-30

zruong the crowd.
Eh6 whole of the next day Silas was
HleG with sense of great Importance
Re w1s now sure she was countess,
sszna when evening came he minutely
Sbeyed her orders and was at the cor
Eez OF the Luxembourg gardens by the
Hour appointed. No one was there.
He waited nearly half an hour. looking
I'm tue face of every one who passed or
Ditered near the spot. He even visited
the neighboring corners of the Boule-
ward and made a complete circuit of
ate> garden railings, but there was no
Beautiful countess to throw herself
into his arms. At last, and most re-
Inetantly, he began to retrace his steps
toward his hotel. On the way he re-
snen1beTed the words he had heard pass
Between Nine. Zephyrine and the blond
young man. and they gave him an in
definite uneasiness.
1T appears" he reflected, "that ev-
ery one has to tell lies to our porter"
Me rang the bell, the door opened be-
ffwr him. and the porter in his bed
-Act1ASo N<AliC " OI1Cl Allll llSul.
HAS he gomez" inquired the porter.
'tIs: Whom do you mean:' asked
ss5laS somewhat sharply, for he was IT,
rftated BY his disappointment.
= lid not notice him go oi!t,'' contin-
asse tue porter. but | trust you paid
iaiet4 N'> 60 Tot care in this house to
.3ars to<::::::'i who cannot meet their IL
Abilities"
What 90 you mean" demanded
sES&> s,>:cIy. Il cannot understand a
ExjfHS OF this i;rra%o.'
THE short. blond young man who
..zRizst, tor his debt" returned the other
"+Ess il is mean. Who else should it
sas. ~Eren had your orders to admit no
esss2c e1se:''
suF course he never Gamer retcrted
:SEssss.
= believe what l believe" returned
stac" porter. putting his tongue into his
&lseE with IL most roguish air
fou are an insolent scoundrel" cried
:siESs- And. feeling that he had made
+: R:TIiculous exhibition of asperity, and
At the same time bewildered by doZ-
-, zlarms, he turned and began to run
as,stairs.
DO you not want a light, then -
cried the porter.
kastk Silas only hurried the faster ani
dis rot pause until he had reached the
sexenth landing and stood in front OF
MS own door. There he waited a mo-
u,ent to recover his BREATH assailed by
tie worst forebodings and almost dread
Eusss 80 enter the room.
, Anen at last he did so. he was re-
aleyed to find it dark and to I'LL appear
a1zeH> uutenanted. lie drew Il long
5ssvsttl, Here he was home again in
safety. and this should be his last folly
RS certainly as it had been his first
:L.hc matches stood on Il little table bE
Ssse~ bed and he began to grope his way
2R ttt:at direction. AS he moved, his ap-
E1rr,;aensions grew upon him once more,
a1tt& he was pleased, when his foot en-
c<SuMseEeG an obstacle, to find it moth
any: Enere alarming than Il chair. At
s.ssg. be touched curtains. From the DO
81 tis,z of the window, which was faint
Ey visible, he knew he must be at the
Feat Of the bed and had only to feel his
*:zx along it in order to reach the table
iizs guestion.
! He i,wered his hand, but what it
DueoeA was not simply a counterpane
III was q counterpane with something
underneath it like the outline OF a hU-
7ttn 1eg. SilaS withdrew his arm and
;xfFwI for a moment notritipi
What. what he thought "can this
zse1oken:'
Sfe listened intently, but there was
gats sound of breathing Once more
With 4 great effort. he reached out the
S.ssE At his finger to the spot he had al
sHsAdy touched, but this time he leaped
6sek half a yard and stood shiverina
aa& fixed with terror. There was some
1zafus in his bed. What it was he
&Gnew not. but there was something
tsaere.
ls WAS some seconds before he could
scnwe. Then. guided by an instinct, ht
tsf9 straight upon the matches and
Eeeping his back toward the bed, light
nA candle. AS soon as the fame llaG
kGsdfed, he turned slowly round and
Kasksd for what he feared to see. Surt
enough, there was the worst of his
fdnzginations realized. The coverle
Was drawn carefully up over the pill
Ekw- but 1t nodded the outlines of 4
hnman body lying motionless. ant
WHEN he dashed forward and fun.
asst1e" the sheets he beheld the blont
young man he had seen in the Bullie
ban the night before his eyes open ant
without speculation, his face swolle,
and bfackened, and thin stream O
Wood trickling from his nostrils
Silas uttered long tremulous wall
dropped the candle and fell OH hi
knses beside the bed. Silas was awak
snad from the stupor into which hi
eHrribfe discovery had plunged him b,
a prolonged but discreet tapping ut tn
dSssr. 1t took him some seconds to re
member his position and when he has
Ezed to prevent any one from enter:n:
II was already too late. Dr.. Noel, il
q tall nightcap, carrying a lamp whici