Pierre weekly free press. (Pierre, S.D.) 1889-19??, 1905-02-23

of hifn-a sorcerer! Oh, what devils
work is this? What is to become OF
this beautiful young lady?'
But Helen Beauclair, as if slightly
impatient, said
Speak of Helen Beauclair. l am
sure now that have known some one
Of that name What was the name OF
the young man she loved? The story
seems familiar to my mind. Perhaps
| have read something Of the kind
Very likely" replied Sosia, drily.
well, as discovered that she and her
favored lover were about to elope, and
as | wished to blast his hopes, had
| him arrested upon false charge and
cast into prison. | then anonymously
warned Lady Ida OF Helen's infatua-
ton for this obscure young man, but
did not inform her of his arrest. At
the same time advised Lord de Lavet
| to urge Lady Ida to hasten with Helen
to Galway secretly, to avoid the pur-
suit of Helen's favored lover. Lady
Ida obeyed the counsels of Lord de
Lavet. But before Helen was carried
away from London, as a prisoner, Il
secretly gave her medical pellet, tell
| ing her of it's wonderful power and
warning her not to use it except when
all other means of escape from hate
full marriage had failed. These were
my words. Mote them carefully as
speak them, and tell me if you can re-
member ever having heard them be
fore.
Sosia then took small white pill
from a silver vial, held the pill toward
the young lady, and said in very
grave and distinct tone:
1.-TWO results may follow the swal-
| lowing of this pellet. First, you may
fall instantly, as if dead. Your ap-
| pearance will so resemble actual death
| that experienced physicians shall say
| you died instantly of some disease OF
| the heart You may, and probably will,
| remain in this state, wholly uncon-
| scious and to all appearance corpse.
| for four days and six hours. During
| that time-probably on the third day
| YOU will be buried, if | do not find
| means to rescue you, and if do not,
| I will at the last moment reveal to
Lady Ida the truth, and you shall be
| resored to life and health. 1 will tell
! her that she must either bury you
| alive, or consent to your immediate
marriage with your beloved. Doubt
not that she will consent to this mar
riage rather than live with the horri-
BILE belief that her obstinate pride has
caused you TO be buried alive But
! there is another result which may fol
| low the swallowing Of this pellet. You
may die really and instantly, or die
while unconscious. The chances are
that you will be rescued, and welded
to the one you love; but there is a
chance that you may really die. Do
YOU remember ought of this, young
Lady,"
The expression of Helen's face had
begun to change from one Of childlike
wonder to one of great and startled in
| telligence She unlocked her hands
from her forehead and raised herself
upon one elbow. Her splendid black
ewes began to sparkle with great brill
liancy.
Go on!" she said, in quick, low
! tone. "T have either heard or read all
this-somewhere!- and again
she sat up in bed and pressed her
throbbing temples with both hands.
| "Helen Beauclair," continued Sosia,
accepted the pellet and it's perils.
| She replied to my warning, Death,
even it be suicide, is not SO dreadful to
my mind as marriage with Lord de
Lavet.
"Those words stand before my eyes
like print which have read-and they
sound in my ears as if IL, on this
bed-had spoken them aloud. When ?
Where? Why?" murmured Helen, gaz-
! ing at vacancy rather than at Sosia.
Sosia's great eyes-keen, vigilant,
experimental, terrific in their exultant
glance-fashed one glance toward the
hidden listeners, and then fixed their
gaze upon the disturbed face Of Helen,
(To Be Contnued.)
/ Z y