The Caldwell tribune. [volume] (Caldwell, Idaho Territory [Idaho]) 1883-1928, 1904-01-23

pleasant results from our adventure Of
last night; and you must be conscious
j that, even IL such were not the case, I
should ind 1t impossible to sleep now. I
/ must remain here.
| Ah--Well!' sighed the good old man;
II you are fully determined on this, It
| must De so; and trust all will be we'll"
He sat down by the bed, leaned his
mead on his hand and fixed thoughtful
ana sorroWful glance upon the feyerish
eountenanee turned towards him on the
pillow, Rose looked at him with her
wild, bright, piteous gaze.
Where ID Louis" she asked; where
Is he? Why do they keep him from met"
Iears stood In the physicians eyes.
he laid his gentle hand, with its cool
! touch, on that burning forehead.
BE quiet, my child" he said. HE will
come-Louis will come"
Mono! he will not-he will not
Gomez she cried, with feeble grief. ST
have not seen him this long time.
thought we were to be married. It was
dream, was it not" And again that
heart-breaking, sorrowful glance was
liked on him. II don't know why am
lying here, she murmured, sadly, look
ing about her. II ought to be ready to
meet him when he comes. But am SO
| Weak-so tired! believe I have been
Journeying somewhere. Bat such a
strange Journey! / don't thipk 1t ever
Will end; and am wandering all alone.
and SO weary, weary, wsaryl All, Louis,
| why don't you come and help me? You
said you loved poor Rosev'
Mournful and plaintive grew those rest
less, feverish tones; fearful and troubled
the brilliant eyes; but still, though ex-
hausted by her constant rawlings, and
though her cheeks burned more hotly, and
her heart throbbed with terrible violence,
and her breathing was short and painful,
there was no rest for her. Still she raved
Of Louis, and begged him to see how her
| feet were torn and bleeding with the long
and weary way she came, and then she
would moan that he never would come
never, never, never!'
And that wild, mournful wall might
have drawn tears from a stone; but Helen
Montauban was more than a stone.
The doctor went out, leaving Helen
Montauban there to battle the heated
forehead Of the sick girl, and offer water
to those parched lips. And she said,
| looking down upon the stricken form be-
fore her, "She is In my powery'
Alas! only too completely SO! Made
moiselle Montauban had gathered
that NJ. Merry had but a slight hope Of
Roses recovery. 1t must be. No turn
| ing back or finching, or hesitating, for
that desperate nature nowl That hope
must never become a stronger one! 1t
was hers to see to 1t. Pouring out the
water for which the sufferer prayed, ever
and anon, her hand involuntarily clutch
ed the tiny vial concealed in her bosom.
Yet-no! A little delay; the disease
might terminate fatally in a few days,
and spare her the work for which she
was prepared. But in case it were not
| so, then 1t was q poison, subtle and
sure as death itself, Few were there
who knew Of such; few-almost no tests
that could detect it's presence. To Helen
Montauban had been given a knowledge
/ Of this poison In by-gone years, and she
had guarded that knowledge like gold.
The secret, so long preserved, was likely
to become useful to her now.
1t was midnight. All over the chateau,
there was deep and heartfelt rejoicing:
but 1t was subdued In its manifestations,
for the life that had SO lately been pro-
nounced safe was only slowly and family
! futtering up from the edge of the grave;
and every voice spoke in whispers, every
| footstep was muffled. All day she had
slept, and the exhaustion produced by
her violent and protracted delirium was
| so great that that slumber had hardly
seemed like the rest Of living form. For
scarce the faintest breath could be per-
! ceived, or the slightest motion of that
| feebly beating heart. Yet had the ply
stefan filed the breasts of those about
him with a too delicious hope that hung
| for certainty upon her awakening,
Then had the evil desire of Helen Mon
| tauban grown to an intensity that was
| fiendish. Watching, with her haggard
face and cleaning eyes, beside that
couch, she had fixed her serpent gaze up
on the almost lifeless being who lay there,
| looking with cruel and terrible eagerness
for the sign eff death to set itself upon
that young sufferers brow. Yet it came
not. and her eagerness grew almost into
madness. The one way remained. She
would make that sleep lasting one!
But there was another watcher there.
| The aged physician had taken up his post
also by the couch. He, too, was waiting;
but it was for the angel Of life-not that
| Of death; and he stirred not from that
place. Not a morsel of food had passed
his lips that day. Since dawn he had
been there. And Helen Montauban, in
her fierce desperation at her own inabil-
Ity to accomplish the work so long medi-
tated upon, was almost insane. Still he
watched there; never for an instant was
his vigilance relaxed. And the hours
passed ON and Rose awoke-safe!
CHAPTER Xxx.
It was nearly morning when the cure
came to the chateau to request an inter
| view with the marquis, He told him that