The Kimball graphic. (Kimball, Brule County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1905, 1904-03-25
prank upon the evil Thing. Held my


nrank upon the evil Thing. Held my
Slated to find I owned so wondrously
fertile a brain | saw the door open
little by little without q creak. a cur
rent Of liberated air brushed by my
cheek. So real it was. l smiled. Inc
door swung wider and wider yet. IN the
dark l saw it. Verify the slgslt OF a
madman is sharp. The wind blew more
chill and strong. l saw a CLEAN peep
ing beneath a cloak as from me,
den lanthorn; ! bethought me ! woulo
catch the tiny wanderer from the
floor and hold it in my hand. 1t came
crawling and crawling, on and on,
wavering to my feet. So many times
that night had I manned myself vail
antly to fight a shadow, I only laughed
in silence and contempt at this.
Behold the folly Of a madman,s
thought. Yet the creation OF 1t al
gave me exquisite pleasure, as a chic
might find delight in some strange toy
from which 1t could call weird shapes
at will. On it moved with q no!seless,
gliding notion; now inside the door.
nov coming, coming, coming-nearly
to me. Now 1t let fall a timorous blade
of light along the floor. It reached
Broussard's body. It's foot struck him.
1t. stopped, threw the light full upon
him. Open fell the c%oncealing mantle.
showing the barren stones, the corpse,
the CHASTITY upturned face of the
strangled man.
The woman-for 1t was q woman
dropped to her knees beside him, called
him, felt Of his clamlny head, and suf-
fered but 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
centuries and filled that quaking room
with a perfect deluge of reverberating
shrieks. Many others. men. with
cloaks, some having lights. some none
rushed In behind the From
that time I knew nothing.
1 awakened from a dreamy languor:
a subtle essence of perfume f1oated
through my senses. A gentle touch of
sorne kindly hand was bathing my
temples. Fearful lest this sweet illu-
sion vanish with the others. l kept my
eyes firmly closed, and soon abandoned
AAJ ntlOiiy ~ Tx AouDuNlliS l1liluS
ences of natural slumber.
Has he stirred. Florine?"
mo, monsieur, but his head Is cooler
now-he sleeps, hush! Perhaps an
other day he will be better. How he
raved through the night. Poor, young
gentleman, he quite exhausted him
self"
"Ah, we'll, Floriue. he is young. and
With such nurses as thou and Nam
nette he will of a surety recover"
| turned my head and smiled a feeble
recognition Of Jerome and Florine. The
other wornan I had never seen; she
a kind. motherly face.
What day Is it?"
"The morning Of Sunday"
1t was Wednesday night when Jer
ome n I went to the ball.
l looked about me. The lodgings
were those I had taken at the Austrian
Arms, yet much changed in little
things. The vase of flowers there in
the window. the neat-swept hearth,
the cheerful fire, and that inde1nable
something which gives a touch of
haps.
Ugh! I am so glad to be here and
I shuddered at the remembrance of my
prison and suffering
.Poor dear" said the older woman In
q voice full Of sympathy, don't worry;
you are In comfort now, and will soon
be strong again."
Am | wounded In any wiser" + in
CURED. for I knew not the manner of
my coming there.
NO, no, my lad" broke in Jerome's
nearly reinsurance, "not.a bit. just worn
and starved out. Truly, boy, you had
q rough n1vanf,Jra laH ID ~ ,ca,a Il -.
Id hate to have the like! Has he ia
ken any food Florine?
Nothing but the Wine, and a SUP or
W OF broth. Here is something for
MIN now" n she brought me a most
tempting array Of soup, hot viands and
N1ctuals OF which I feared to eat as 7
desired.
Though Florine and Jerome would
permit me to disturb myself with
vain conversation. yet by dint OF ques-
IONS and listening when they talked
apart, thinking | slept. l found how 1t
all came ABOUT. 1t seems Elorine saw
and recognized me when I returned to
the gaming room. having left Madame
Ia Princesse. She knew too, in some
way which l did not learn, that neither
Broussard nor I had left Bertrand's
That night. This. though the provost's
men had been searching the city for us
both. She kept her knowledge to her
self. When the turbulence Gained
down somewhat and sentrles were
placed to guard the house, she occupied
herself in slipping about looking for
my hiding place. 1t took but a little
while for her. familiar as she was With
the house, to find the room whera
Broussard and I had taken refuge
Listening at the door she heard our
angry voices and the scufne within
rms may have been when I was chok-
ing him. Horrible! horrible!
Continued Next Week.)