Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-09-14


savage air, his father! Beneath the gray
ulster there peeped out the prison livery,
clad in which garb divine Apollo himself
would lose all grace and majesty.
Eric Marville was not slow to read the
thoughts of his little son, and he smiled
grimly.
Upon my word, he stares If I were
some wild animal. / verify believe l am;
prison life grinds every trace of the god
like out of man. But come, Edith, we
haven't a moment to lose. You can hear
that they have discovered my escape, he
continued, as another boom rolled over the
moorland. "Rochefort was for hurrying
me on board his yacht at once, but IL
wasn't likely that / would leave you and
the boy behind, when you were so close at
hand. Come. Edith and Idris wife and son,
come! Away to a new life in a new lapd!'
AT that moment there came from without
the warning voice of Capt. Rochefort.
"Marville! Marvile,' he rOared. Look
to yourself. They're here
AS he spoke quick footsteps came clatter-
ing over the pavement of the Rue Grande,
and the ping-ping of carbine shots rang out
on the night air. The bullets were intend
ed for the captain, but missed their mark;
and the mare taking fright at the report
set off at gallop, followed by the pur-
suers, who were on foot.
'Halt"' shouted an authoritative voice
Let the car go; that's not the quarry.
Our mans in here; this is his wlfe's ABODE
Through the house, two of you, and guard
the rear Two of you watch the front
Leave the rest TO me. L IL uIedilH
The man who gave these commands rush
ed through the doorway of the harbor-
masters dwelling and, as If guided by IN
stinct, neglected the lower story and mace
his way up the staircase.
All this took place so quickly that Mar
vile was for the moment paralyzed with
surprise and stood motionless and SILENT
with his scared wife clinging to thin.
Don't make any resistance, Eric, dear
est" she pleaded. "It will be better not"
Springng from his lethargy Marvllle put
aside the arms of his wife and made Tor
the open window, only to perceive two
watchful gendarmes in the street pelo",
who instantly leveled their carbnes at
sight of the convicts face.
The only other outlet from the room was
through the doorway; but there, framed
stood a gray haired, fine looking veteran,
clad in military uniform, Duclair governor
of the prison. who, alive to his response
bility, had himself joined in the chase.
smile. you're fairly corpered. It's no
use resisting"
.eWe'u see about that" muttered Mar
Vile, pulling forth a'revolver-a recent gift
Of Rochefort's -with the intention of fore
ing his way over the disabled or dead body
of the governor.
prop that, or by - and Duclair pune
tuated the sentence with the slgnlncant
raising of his own weapon.
Seeing the pistol leveled Mrs. Breakspear.
with uplifted arms. hung herself forward
to shield her husband.
simultaneously with her movement came
a deadly click from Marvilles weapon, fol-
lowed instantly by a loud bang The report
was accompanied by A cry of All! Er1c!'
and by the fall of a body-sounds that sent
a cold thrill to the hearts of those who
heard them.
There, amid faint wreaths of blush
smoke, lay Mrs. Breakspear, PROSTATE on
the carpet, her forhead disfgured by a spot
from which came the slow ooZe of blood.
20, you have shot my mother!' walled
Idris, casting a look of anguish at his
father.
The little fellow dropped on his '<nees
beside her, but it was only a piece of clay
upon which he now gaZed; his mother was
gone forever; was as much a part Of the
past as the dead Caesars of history.
Dread change, and all the work of mo-
ment!
Edith my wife! o God, have killed
herr,
Dropping the weapon Eric Marville stag
gered forward to lift up the dead form and
implore forgiveness from her who was be-
yond power to grant it, but ere he could
reach the fallen figure, strong hands were
laid upon him, and pair of steel man
acles was clasped upon his wrists.
mon Dieu! who has done this?" cried
one of the gendarmes appalled, at the
sight.
"Take notice, all of you, that my weapon
is undischarged."
The gendarmes lifted the silent form and
laid it upon couch. and there Idris knelt,
sobbing bitterly and calling upon his
mother to speak.
my poor boy said the governor. after
brief inspection of the body, 'she will
never speak again. We ought he added,
turning to address his men, I'VE ought to
send for doctor, though he can do no
good, for she is stone dead.
There was but one doctor in Quilaix, and
he. Idris explained amid his tears, had
gone with the procession to the Pardon.
eve must have some woman to attend
to the body continued Duclair. 1--WE
can't return to Valagenet leaving the boy
men folk haven't gone to this cursed Par
DOM"
Idris as we'll as his grief would let him,
explained where woman was likely to
be found, and a gendarme was at once dis
patched to fetch her.
The man who had done the deed offered
now no resistance to his captors. His de-
sire for liberty had fed. Overwhelmed by
the awful result of his own act he had
sunk into a stupor, staring with CLASSY
eyes at that which but a few minutes be-
fore had been living woman.
Touched by the spectacle of his grief they
allowed him to sit beside her; and, as he
showed a desire to clasp her hand. the gov
ernor made a sign to one of the party to
remove the manacles.
This DONE he sat holding the limp fingers
within his own. pressing them as If ex-
pecting the pressure to be returned.
The gendarmes stood aloof in plying
silence. Not even the governor spoke, feel
ing the emptiness of any attempt at
ISOLATION.
AS for Idris, he shrank, not unnaturally,
from the man who had killed his mother.
Once he addressed to him a piteous re-
preach: "Oh, why did you come here?-Oh,
mother, mother, speak to me!'
Absorbed in his own grief, however, the
man did not hear, or, at least, did not reply
to this plant. 1t was a melancholy scene,
and the men awaited with secret i'm
patience the coming of the woman to end
the oppressive spell.
The silence was broken by the prisoner
himself All bent forward to listen, but
the words spoken conveyed no intel1igibie
meaning to his hearers. For, in cold,
mechanical voice, that sounded like the
monotone of a mournful bell, he murrnured
over and over again:
..The curse of the runic ring! The curse
of the runic ring?'
Next day the minister of the interior
received the following telegram from the
governor of Valagenet prison:
Regret to state that convict, Eric Mar
VILE escaped last night, by connivance
of warder, bribed by Capt Noel Roche
fort who, with light vehicle, waited at
prearranged time near prison. Owing to
mist, two men some time in meeting, thus
enabling pursuers to oyertake them at