Pierre weekly free press. (Pierre, S.D.) 1889-19??, 1905-03-30
CHAPTER VIi.-continued.

grasped the outlines of the face and
form in the open closet: and the next
instant Zeno Sosia vanished amid the
darkness of the corridor, muttering
and clenching his fists and crashing
his teeth like furious man who had
Just met some unexpected yexation.
Neither Bashfort nor Clarence Oar
rell--for he in the closet was Helen's
accepted lover-saw the sorcerer's
face, nor suspected that he was so
near them.
Clarence Darrell, indeed, had not dis
covered until recently, even, that his
former master and teacher, Zeno So
STA, was alive
Two years previously he had fled to
France to escape the society of the
sorcerer, with whom he had been more
or less associated from his early child
hood, and who for years he had feared
was his father.
Before he had fled to France, but af-
ter he had escaped from the spies Of
Sosia, and while he was hiding under
his assumed name of Clarence Darrell,
near an English village called Brad
ford, he had become acquainted with
Helen Beauclair. who at that time bore
the name Of Helen Vane, and was sup
posed to be an orphan of unknown pa
rents, and was the adopted daughter Of
an old clerk of the church at Bradford.
The acquaintance of Helen and
Clarence at Bradford lasted mouth,
during which time they became devot-
eddy attached to each other, and plight
ed their vows of mutual constancy.
Then Clarence went to France to
win fortune as an engraver, in which
art he excelled, intending to send for
his intended wife as soon as he should
be in position to support one in hon
orable independence. A few months
before now he heard that Zeno Sosia
was dead, and at about the same time
he rendered so valuable service to the
French king that the latter gave him
the title of chevalier and gift of sew
eral thousand livres in gold With this
fortune Clarence returned to England
to find that the obscure village girl
had been claimed by her mother, Lady
Ida Beauclair, and that she was in
London, the heiress Of great wealth.
Knowing that Helen's great relatives
would never consent to her marriage
with him, and finding her still true to
him, and unaware that Zeno Sosia was
still alive, and that Helen had consult
ed the sorcerer to be rid of feared
marriage with Lord de Lavet, he had
persuaded her to elope with him. But
the intended elopement was baffled by
Sosia.
Clarence, however, had escaped
from his prison in London soon after
the departure Of Lady Ida with Helen,
and still unaware of the true cause of
his sudden arrest and unjust imprison-
ment, had traced Helen to Galway
had learned that her person in a state
of trance had been removed on the
night of April the second from the
vault of st. Mary's chapel and carried
to Barna.
Aware by this time that Zeno Sosia
was alive and in collusion with some
persons unknown to him, he had set
Al III Ia pal anu III Il SAIL
boat-of that boat in which the alb
ductors had embarked.
Aware that their destination was
Dun Aengus Cliff-a place he had Wis
tied years before with Zeno Sosia--he
had sailed for that place. But the
storm of the night of the third delayed
him, and being lost in the midst of the
third, his boat was dashed ashore at
the base of Dun Aengus Cliff.
With great difficulty he saved his
life and obtained a secure footing upon
the rocks. After resting for a time,
and being surrounded by dense mist.
he determined that his only way of
escape was by climbing upward,
though he did not then know wnere he
was, nor even. that he had not been
cast back spon the Irish coast.
But resolute, strong and daring as
he was active. he had continued to
climb inward until almost exhausted.
he had paused to rest, and hoping
against hope that he might be heard,
uttered those loud and wailing cries
which were heard by Martha and
Bashfort, and which the superstition
of the woman had attributed to that
spirit spoken OF in tradition which
she had heard.
Soon after Bashfort had accomplish.
ed that fourfold murder which rid Lord
Genlis of lurking fear of the four
sailors, Clarence who was at the time
resting upon the ledge Of the cliffs
face. far below the verge, the mist be-
ing still dense around him-renewed
his ascent.
But coming to small cave in the
face of the cliff, he had entered it:
and exploring it. he found subterra-
mean passage leading upward, and this
he resolved to follow to its end, hoping
by Its means sooner to reach the upper
earth, and fearing that he was too
much exhausted to arrive there by fur
ther climbing Of the cliff. whose front
had become almost as steep and sheer
as that OF an upright and solid tower.
His toiling along the narrow ana
often partially blocked-up passage was
very slow. and It carried him at last
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