Wauwatosa news. [volume] (Wauwatosa, Wis.) 1900-1948, 1904-08-27
CHATTER IX.-lcontinued.l

an feeling of exultation came over
- he FASTENED along. What mat
l''" aat he was returning to shame
IL, Jooradation now? He would look
''- n Mr. face. perhaps hear her words OF
WI ,loa and pity ere the final blow fell,
Pa rI.o moon was shining brightly when,
80 bours Of weary walking, he reached
ai'el 1tss If Estercourt. His heart beat
lh ss;.,lly as he entered and walked up
l l' broad gravel pathway to the castle,
Nv, Egbt- of which he could see cleaning
smiast The trees.
AMI Wai,ber food nor drink had touched his
= for many hours, but the very
\ IP,,bt of seeing Viola acted like a tonic,
~ I 5ent the warm blood dancing through
bl, veins.
80 If voices raised in some heated alter
ton and soon the words Coward.
Villain, Liar!" fell on his ear, and he
.aoonnjzed the voice of Lord Berys,
Loarse and trembling though it was with
rage. -,
his steps. and proceeded in the direction
81 the sound. In another minute, the
Gbrary. brilliantly lighted, came within
his view, and from his position he could
see all that was taking place Two men
we're wrestling they were Berys and
I.rd Duncan. He recognized the latter
with no small degree of surprise. What
was he doing at Estercourt:
II became at once apparent that Lord
Bervs was in danger of his life-one
glimpse Of the younger mans infuriated
face had sutiiced to tell Cecil that. He
therefore leapt up the steps on to the ter
race and made for the library window
which was open wide.
But ere he gained the room, Duncan
had given the earl a terrible blow on the
head with his closed fist, and fclled the
cid robleman to the floor Then. with
last hasty glance at the motionless form
The villain turned and darted through
the window, to come face to face with
his hated rival, the duke.
Lord Duncan stopped. The Mrid light
in his evil eyes flashed out fiercer than
before. and with Il fearful oath and a
cry Of. You, curse you! You shall die
too" he sprang upon Cecil with a fury
OF wild animal who has for the first
time tasted blood.
Taken thus unaWares, Cecil staggered
mack but soon regained himself. and
fought with all the strength he had left
in him to free himself from Duncans
maniacal hold. Not a word was uttered:
they fought in a greus ONE silence, which
was broken only by their quick, gasping
brcaths.
Presently Niola's anguished cry rang
ont through the night, and the men each
in his way, frenzied by the sound, stiff-
cned their muscles afresh.
There was but one thought in Cecil's
mind, if indeed he thought at ALL This
man, this coward, had dared to lay his
hands ON Niola's father-why, he could
not guess; but the evil had been done. and
must be avenged. Weak though he was,
aud faint from hunger, Cecil made 10
mean match for the reckless, desperate
man who thirsted for his life. and for
several seconds it was question as to
Who would be the victor.
Locked together they staggered bacl;
against that end of the terrace which
cverhmg the lake. Here a grassy slope
joined the terrace to the edge of the
water, and one false step would mean
a speedy descent into its depths.
1t was precisely at this second that
Viola, in her anxiety to see whittier her
fathers assassin had gone. looked out
and beheld them, on the brink of a dan
ger to which they themselves seemed
totally and horribly oblivious.
Cecil! Cecil" she screamed, and
rushed along the terrace towards him.
But whether he heard her or not, she was
not then destined to know, for fasting
and fatigue had at last told their tale
on the young Duke of Estercourt, and
Duncan, with devilish cry of triumph,
raised him in his arms to hurl him into
The lake. Even as he did so, however,
MS loot slipped, and the cry changed to
a howl of despair, as, still locked to-
setner, they rolled down the grassy slope
and vanished into the moonlit, simmer
ing waters beneath.