Pierre weekly free press. (Pierre, S.D.) 1889-19??, 1905-02-16
HE SOrCerer
Of St. Giles
By PROF. WILLIAM H. PECK.

Ida wished to wed her daughter Helen
to man of little personal attraction
but of great wealth and high rank
The name of this man was Robert de
Lavet-Lord de Lavet. He was sixty
years old, while Helen Beauclair was
but eighteen; but Helen already loved
and was secretly betrothed to young
man who was neither OF thee nobility
nor Of the gentry"
! Here Sosia glanced toward the
screen, which from her position the
/ young lady could not see.
The face of Lord Genlis was peering
| around one side of the screen, while
| the face of Capt. Osred was peering
around it from the other side.
Both faces expressed great and sud
den surprise and much vexation.
| 1t was plain to Sosia that neither
had till now even suspected that Helen
Beauclair, the young lady upon the
| bed, had loved one neither of the no
bility nor of the gentry.
| To hear Sosia say that she had SO
loved and been secretly betrothed to
person unknown to them enraged
| while it amazed them.
| II will not just yet give the name of
| the accepted and secretly betrothed
| of Helen Beauclair," continued Sosia.
! with a shrug of his shoulders. II will
| only say now that | hate him-and
! when | hate | hate bitterly. | seek to
| crafty my hate by inflicting lifelong
tN,,t No NJ I,n ,f
| him whom | hate. There are those
who would hasten to find means to
I Stay those whom they hate" here he
again darted significant glance at
| the faces peering around the screen.
Such revenge is too vulgar for the soul
of Zeno Sosia. He avenges himself by
striking blows which do not Kill upon
the spot, but which inflict envenomed
wounds nuon the heart and in the brain
to ranlzle and tester there till both
heart and brain are eaten up by cease
less misery. But enough of what con-
Germs only myself. Helen Beauclair
loved this man and deserted Lord de
Lavet. She had another suitor too
whom she did not love, and whom her
mother detested-eyen as Lady Ida
had detested Lord Genlis, the father of
this third sutton, whose name was
Capt. Wilfred Osred."
Here Sosia again darted his glance
toward the screen, behind which were
the father and son.
Then, returning his glance to the
face of the young lady, he asked:
Have you any recollection of any
of these names which I repeat: Lady
Ida Beauclair? Helen Dudley Beau
clair? Lord de Layet? Lord Genlis?
Capt. Wilfred Osred?"
"They all sound strange to me-" re-
piled the young lady.
Il think 1 can utter the talismanic
name" thought Sosia, as he regarded
the beautiful face keenly from under
his shaggy black brows. "Well,' he
continued aloud, "I.ady Ida discovered
that Helen had secretly met this I'M
known young man, and at once took
measures to remove Helen far from all
chance of communication with him.
Lady Ida carried her daughter to Gal
way, guarding her as if she were a
bird that might suddenly spread it's
wings and fly away. Lady Ida did this
by advice of Lord de Lavet and he
was prompted to give this advice by
me. I had promised Lord de Layet
that, if he followed my advice, he
should stand before the marriage al
tar with Helen Beauclair. l did not
promise him that she should be we'd
ded to him. added Sosia, with crafty
smile that revealed his tiger-like teeth,
while he stroked his beard. II proh-
ised only that he and she should stand
before the marriage altar They did,
and he owes me thousand pounds,
for which have his written bond. But
they stood before the altar, and even
as the marriage service was about to
begin, some one slipped note into the,
hand Of the pale and reluctant bride,
and whispered in her ear:
Read and act
'sThe bride read in the note these
words:
Use the drug. It is your only
hope. Swallow the pellet, and within
five days you shall be in. the arms Of
one who loves you'll,
She tookta pellet from the hollow
handle Of her FAM" continued Sosia,
gazing keenly at the young lady, "swal-
lowed the druk, and fell as II dead that
instant!''
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