The Cook County herald., 1905-08-26

He proceeded with the other candle
in the same manner. Thrusting the
cut parts into his bosom, he gazed at
the candles for a moment and NUT
tered:
well done! Each has but one pin
left! When she awakes she will think
it nearly dawn, see the candles near
ly burned away, and light the lamp!"
With minute attention to everything
that might help to deceive the girl, he
placed near the shortened candles the
pins he had taken from the cutoff por-
tiops. This done, he retreated to the
leaning slab and backed himself in be-
hind it.
"Helen Beauclair!' he then cried, in
a shrill. piercing voice.
The cavern rang with the sound, and
Helen sprang up nearly to a sitting
posture the next instant. awake.
"Ah! who called me?" she gasped,
startled from deep sleep. "Who?'
But no voice replied to her own.
Crouching behind the leaning slab,
the sOrcerer waited.
unsupported by him, the owner of
the two eyes in the other passage wait
ed.
''Surely I could not have dreamed
that heard voice-a voice that call
ed out my name?" said Helen, now
sitting up in her rude bed and looking
wildly about. 'Who called me?" she
again demanded, but in voice weak
and tremulous.
There was no reply.
Except the loud, short breathing Of
the startled girl, the cave was silent.
"No one answers" said Helen, aloud,
that the sound Of her own voice might
give her courage. "Could it be dear
Clarence, trying to see what coward
I am? No-he is too noble and good
to do that. I must have been dream
ing, and of that horrible sorcerer; for
at first imagined it. was his shrill,
hideous voice. Ah!"-and there her
eyes for the first time noticed how
short the candles had become while
she slept.
The sorcerer. all ears at this move.
ment, heard and understood the mean-
ing of this "Ah!" which Helen uttered
with sudden sharpness.
.'Brayo!' he thought. "She notices
the candles! My little goldfish nib
bles at my bait!"
ut is nearly dawn now!" exclaimed
Helen, and clasping her hands in her
joy. CALI the pins are burned loose,
but one in each candle! Oh, I have
been asleep nearly five hours! There
were seven pins in each-one fell from
each ere I slept-only Ole in each re-
mains. There! one of them falls. and
the other will in moment! 1t is near
dawn! it is near dawn land dear, dar-
ling Clarence will soon be here!"
And tremulous with JOY, the deceiv-
ed girl left her bed and hurried to the
hamper-as the willy sorcerer suspect
ed she wculd-to get candle, say
ing as she did so:
"The candles are nearly burned out
and the lamp has gone out. l must at
once light fresh candle, or shall be
left in total darkness; and that would
be terrible, for I have no means to
make a light"
She found no candles in the hamper,
though she emptied it of all that was
in it.
"Strange," she said, and much per-
rlexeI. II am sure there were sew.
eral tallow and three or four wa& can
dies in the hamper. Where could Clar-
ence have put them? But I will re-
light the lam and then look about for
the Candles
"My sweet little goldfish" thought
the exultant fiend behind the slab, "is
about to swallow my bait! Oh, the
charming Innocent"
Helen hurried to the lamp and car
ried it to the tongue of rock.
''I cannot see why this lamp went
out. It is nearly full of oil and the
wick seems very Hgood," she said, as
she took up one of the bits of candle
and tipped the wick of the lamp over
toward the fame.
There was just candle enough left
to enable Helen TO hold it gingerly be-
tween the tips of her delicate finger
and thumb.
"Oh!" cried Helen, as the suddenly
kindling wick flashed a flame upward
into her face, nearly scorching her
lips, "why did it do that? But what
delicious perfume! All II feel very
faint-as if everything was reeling
Why-oh, how strange! My knees
give way under me. 1 fear l shall
drop the lamp!"
And struggling desperately not to
drop the very cause of her singular
sensation, Helen was barely able to
place the lamp upon the tongue Of
rock ere she sank down, partly upon
the rocky floor and partly leaning
against the rock on which she had
placed the lamp.
In this position her face was toward
the still concealed sorcerer, while one
of her arms partly encircled the rock
against which she leaned. and which
alone prevented her from being pros
trate.
"Ah met" she sighed; show weak I
am! How suddenly the weakness
seized. me-. IL cannot lift even my
h Il