Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1904-09-08

lover there will be many envious pet
sons who wish to be despised a
much"
You ruiiinn and thief! We'll did
Noiilhs estimate your honesty. Bu(
stand aside from that door or you
stealing VIII profit you little"
Indeed cried De Courcv. with
laugh, as he possessed himself Of
similar weapon to that which threat
ened him. Its already squandered
and ! am In sore need of further in
stallment. Are you for a duel them"
IF you are coward enough 10 lift,
blade to u woman"
~ meet kiss with kiss and steel with
steel, always ready for either Guard
yourself madam"
His pretended antagonism was butt
a foint to throw her off the guard he|
advised her TO maintain. for. being oneI
OF the best swordsmen Of his time. he|
knew by her holding Of the blade that|
She was ignorant Of its prnctice. Hell
brushed her sword aside. dropped his
own ana spranQ ia upon her. crashing
again her helpless wrists. her arms
rnioncd thus transvorsoly across her
body. her right hand still cling,ng 10
the useless hilt. with The blade extend
inS past her shoulder and bohnd her.
His Sn"rrn@. grunlng face SO close to
hers that his breath famed her cheek.
ne pressed her back and back against
the wall, the sword bending and bend
Ing behind her until the blade snapped
off SON" sis inches from the hilt and
foll ringing to the floor
There. sweetest of amaXons Won
are stingipss now. and nnught but the
honey is 10 be gathered
Tn" very ease with which be had
ovcrcom" hpr hoodwinked him to his
danger The proud dominant blood Of
the Wentworths flushed her face with
an anger that steeled every nerve in
her 1.-the body. As. with victorious
laugh, he released her wrists and slip
ped his arms around hor she struck
him twice with lightning swlrtness,
hrst across the brow. then down the
face. Nothing could well De more ter
rhlc than the weapon she had used.
Tor the iaCccd iron tore his flesh like
the stroke Of tigers claw The red
cross showed for brief moment. then
was "bliicrated in a crimson food
'owardly poltroon wear the brand
Of CAIN"
IL" had warned her not 10 scream.
but row his own cries filed the room
as he staggered back. his hands to his
lace. Yet. grievously wounded as he
was. he seemed resolve ed she should
not escape him and, after the first
shock, CROPPED hlndly for her She
hung the broken weapon TO the far
tner SIDE OF the room. and the noise Of
its fall turned him thither striking
against the table and then against a
chair She tiptoed cautiously IN the
door, turned the key and threw It open
before he could recover himself. for
be had lost all sense of direction and
could see nothing She took tho i'm
mediate risk of drawing the key from
he door to ward off the greater dan
ger OF pursuit, and calmly locked him
in. If screams We're aS Intellectual as
he had insisted. be would take little
good from his battering Of the door
for some time to come Frances now
threaded her way through the maze
II passages. meeting no one. for the
gloom Of death pcrya1ed the palace. at
east in the direction she had taken.
She dared not hurry in spite # The
urging Of her quickly boating heart.
'rt must proceed leisurely rs if she
had perfect right to he where she
was. should any inQuisitiye servant on
q Will 81.