Waterbury evening Democrat., 1905-12-09

AAC anu ShS -i--~ NN~ ~~ the gallery in the hall. Things had looked dark then. had seen but very little way ahead. Now all was plain. The commandant might be here with all his soldiers, but 1t was who held the strings.
 We came to the little wooden bridge and saw beyond the dark meadows the lights of the house All the windows were bright. Doubtless the troopers were making merry Now, Mademoi- selle," said quietly. '1 must trouble you to stop here and give me your at tention for few minutes. Afterwards you may go your way"
 Speak," she said defiantly. And be quick. I cannot breathe the air where you are, It poisons me"
 "Ah," l said slowly. Do you think you make things better by such speeches as those?"
 "Oh." she cried-and I heard her teeth click together. Would you have me lawn on you?"
 Perhaps not" I answered. Still you may make one mistake,
 What is it?" she panted.
 You forget that am 10 be feared as well as-loathed." I answered grizzly. "Ay, Mademoiselle, to be feared!" continued. Do you think that do not know why you are here in this guise? Do you think that I do not know fer whom that pitcher of broth was in- tended? Or who will now have to fast tonight? I tell you l know all these things. Your house is full of soldiers: your servants were watched anG could not leave. You had to come yourself and get food for him.
 She clutched at the hand-rail of the bridge and for an instant chung to it for support Her face, from which the shawl had fallen. glimmered white in the shadow of the trees. A last I had shaken her pride At last, What is your price?" she murmured faintly
 "I am going to tell you | replied, speaking so that every word might fall distinctly on her ears, and satins my eyes on her proud face. had never dreamed of such revenge as this! About a fortnight ago, M. de Coche- foret left here at night with a little orange-colored sachet in his posses sion.''
 She uttered stified cry, and drew herself stifiy erect.
 Tt contained-but there, Mademoi- selle. you know its contents" l went on. Whatever they were, M. de Coch- foret lost it and them at starting. A week ago he came back-unfortunate- lv for himself-to seek them"
 She was looking full in my face now. She seemed scarcely to breathe in the intensity of her surprise and ex- pectation. You had a search made, Mademoiselle," I continued quietly, Your servants left no place unex- plored. The paths, the roads, the very woods were ransacked. But in vain, because all the while the orange sachet lay whole and unopened in my pocket"
 "Nol" she cried impetuously. You lie. Sir, The sachet was found. torn open, many leagues from this place!"
 Where l threw it, Mademoiselle," replied. that I might mislead your rascals and be free to return. Oh! be- lieve me-" I continued, letting some thing of myself, something of my tri- umph, appear at last in my voice. You have made a mistake! You would have done better had you trusted me. l am no bundle of sawdust, Mad emoiselle, but man; a man with an arm to shield and a brain to serve, and-as I am going to teach you-a heart also!"
 She shivered
 Tn the orange-colored saehet that you lost believe there were IS stones of great value?"
 She made no answer, but she looked at me as if I fascinated her. Her very breath seemed to pause and wait on my words. She was so little con- scious of anything else, of anything outside ourselves, that a score Of men might have come up behind her unseen and unnoticed.
 took from my breast little packet wrapped in soft leather, and held it towards her. "WilI you open this?" I said. "I believe it contains what you lost. That it contains all I will not answer. Mademoiselle. because spilled the stones on the floor of my room and I may have failed to find some. But the others can be recovered-l know where they are"
 She took the packet slowly and be- gan to unroll 1t. her fingers shaking. A few turns and the mild lustre of the stones made a kind of moonlight ! in her hands-sueh a shimmering glory ! of imprisoned light as has ruined many a woman and robbed many a man of ! his honor. MorbleH! as looked at [ them-and as she stood looking at them in dull. entraneed perplexity- 1 I wondered how I had come to resist the temptation.
 ! While I gazed her hands began to waver. 'T cannot count" she nut tered helplessly. How many are . there?-
 "In all. IS"
 They should be 1s." she said | She closed her hand on them with that. and opened it again. and did SO twice. as fl to reassure herself that the stones were real and that she was not dreaming Then she turned to me with sudden herceness. and I saw that her beautiful face. sharpened by the l greed If possession. was grown as keen
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