The citizen-Republican. (Scotland, Bon Homme County, S.D.) 1???-19??, 1904-03-24
prank upon the evil Thing, Held my

! prank upon the evil Thing, Held my
breath.
Eiatea to find l owned SO wondrously
fertile a brain I saw the door open
little by little without a ereak. a cur
rent of liberated air brushed py my
cheek. SO real it was, l smiled. The
door swung wider and wider yet, in the
dark I saw it. Verify the sight Of q
madman is sharp. The wind blew more
chill and strong. / saw a CLEAN peep
ing beneath a cloak as from a hid
den l%anthorn; l b%etnought me | would
catch the tiny from h
floor and hold it In my hand. It came
crawling and crawling, on n on,
wavering to my feet. So many times
that night had I manned myself vail
antly to fight a shadow, ! only laughed
In silence and contempt at this.
Behold the folly of a madman's
thought. Yet the creation Of it all
gave me exquisite pleasure. as a child
might find delight In some strange toy
from which it could call weird shapes
at will. On it moved with a noiseless,
gliding motion: now inside the door.
now coming. coming, coming-nearly
TO me. Now 1t let fall q ttmorous blade
of light along the floor. It reached
B~roussard's body. It's foot struck him.
1t stopped, threw the light full upon
him.. Open fell the concealing mantle,
sASNhhS SttS bSallSh toliGS lES CORPSE,
the CHASTITY upturned face OF the
s~trangled man.
n woman-for 1t was a conan
dropped to her knees beside him, called
him. felt of his clammy head, and suf-
fered blu a single scream of swift at
fright to leave her lips. From the I'M
hooded lanthorn burst out a spreading
yellow glow. Her scream awoke me
to a consciousness of reality. From
my own unlocked tongue of terror
came Its answer. I Joined my voice to
hers, detled the hush of slumbering
centuries n filled that quaking room
with a perfect deluge of reverberating
shrteks. Many others. men, with
csoaks. some having lights, some none.
rushed in behind the woman. From
that time 1 knew nothing.
I awakened from a dreamy languor;
q subtle essence of perfume tloated
through my senses. A gentle touch of
some kindly land was bathing my
temples, Fearful lest this sweet illu-
sion vanish with the others. l kept my
eyes firmly closed, and soon abandoned
myself wholly to the %subduing influ-
ences of natural slumber.
Has he stirred, Florine?"
No, monsieur, but his head is cooler
now-he sleeps, hush! Perhaps an
other day he will b better. How he
~ q - I1AS IiGi I octp SpGIIS
gentleman, he quite exhausted him.
self"
All, well, Florine, he is young. and
with such nurses as thou and Nam
nette he will of q surety recover
| turned my head and smiled a feeble
recognition of Jerome and Florine. The
/ other woman ( a SEEM she
was much older than Florine and had
a kind, naotherly face.
/ What day Is it2'
The morning OF Sunday"
1t was Wednesday night when Jer.
q ONE and l e to the ball.
I looked about me. The lodging.
We're those / q taken ar the Austrian
Arms, yet much changed in little
t things. The vase OF flowers there IL
0 the window. the neat-swept hearth
the cheerful fire. and that i~ndefnabl.
something which gives a touch o
womanltness 10 8 room. Florine. per.
haps.
"Cght l am so glad TO be here and
! I shudeered at the remembrance of nj
d prison and suffering.
: Poor dear" said the older woman IL
! a voice full OF sympathy. don't worry
: You are IN comfort now, and will 500
! be strong again"
Z Am l wounded In any wise7" I in
CURED. for I knew not the manner O
my coming there.
No, no, my lad" broke in Jerome!
y hearty reinsurance, not a bit, Just wor,
. and starved L Truly, boy. you hat
y 3 rough adventure. BY 'Od's blood
Il I'd hate TO have the likel Has he ia
e ken any food FIorire2
,s Nothing but the wine, and q sup o
y " OF broth. Here IS something 70
70 aim now" ard she brought me g mos
q tempting array Of soup. hot vtan6s an,
Stesuals OF which I feared 70 eat SIS
IS desired.
! Though Flcrfne and Jerome woui
not permit NE to disturb myself wit
i vaia converse ton. Yet by diut OF Ques
W lions II listening when they talke
y apart, thinking I slept. I found how
a all came about. 1t seems Fior.ne So,
| snd recognized me when I returned I
Us the gaming room having left Madam
ia Princssss. She knew too, In som
y way which I did not learn. thar netthe
y BEoussard nor 1 had left Bertrand
IS that night. This, though the provost
IN men 9 been searching the city for U
IS both Shs kept her knowledge 10 her
/ sell. When the turbulence cal,ne
down somewhat and seatrtes war
4 placed 10 guard the house, she occupis
tt herself in slipping about looking &c
my hiding place. II took but s. Betl
"a While for her, familiar as she was wit
1s the house, TO find the room whsr
T, Broussard and I had taken refuge
Il. Listening al tho loo shs heard gu
ed angry voices n the scutTia withfz
This may have been when 7 was chok
or ing him. Eorrihlas horrible.
IN Continued Next Week.
n. --
E-os4r1 Mis-.