The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1905-02-22
TRIBULAroNs OF AN AUTHOR.


Ladillon, the author. ran his hands
through his long hair and read:
Suddenly the false duke appeared
frowning fiercely, as if he had just
thrown of a horrible nightmare. He
raised the glittering dagger on high
above the quiverfng body of his victim
and OdO de la Roche Tremblante died
without a cry, without even a murmur
and not a sign OF reprOach in his mid
eyes
Now cried the murderer. in a
shout OF deliriCus JOY, now nothing can
separate me from my purposel The
millions of the princess are miner
These words bring to an end chapter
125 of my story, The Cave of Crime;
or, the MartyrdOm OF an HelreSS-' How
does this ending suit you, my hearers?
But, remember. there will be better to
come"
He spoke to Nine. Ladinon and the
servant
Nine. LadflIon said nothing The easy
facility with which her husband caused
such battalions of his victims to fall by
sword and fire and poison had filed
her with a disregard of the inevitable
which aStonished even herself. She Of
ten wondered how LadillOn could have
any appetite for dinner after sending
ten or twelve people, who had done
nothing worthy of death, to the shades.
As for the maid servant, who was
privileged to enjoy these readings, she
sat with her eyes wide open and her
from which issued forth exclaIna ton of
oh How terrible. But that is fine,
Monsieur SO finer
SidOnie had listened only to that part
of the story which followed the fftieth
chapter, since that was the date of her
coming into the family; but her tears
were copiOus as each fresh instaIment
of persecution was heaped upon the or
phan of the story.
Just then the doorbel sounded and
Ladilon received the following letter
from his editor, Duplaquet:
See here, my good friend, this is
quite amusing, but you must not
allow it to happen too often. 1 have
on my table forty letters from people
who scOld because you have twice
killed the old burgher in your story.
Take a hitch in your memory, NJ
Ladillon, or we shall be obliged to cut
the wings of your heiress before she
has overcome all her many enemies.
-Duplaquet."
Tt is necessary to explain that at the
time of which we speak it was the Gus
tom to continue the daily story until
as one might say, the appetite for that
species of story was exhausted, when
the hero or heroine was killed off or
married as the circumstances seemed
best to warrant. Hence the present
story was now being unraveled, as it
We're, ad hb1tum.
1t was important then for LadilIon
TO make search to ascertain If the ac-
cusatiOn contained in the EDITORS let
was only too true. After having killed
the burgher in chapter 49, Ladillon
had given him six blows from a dagger
in chapter 9S, of which the poor fellow
had no need whatever.
NJ. Ladillon was unhappy. The mat
ter was serious, not only figuratively
but also in reality, for it was neces-
sary for his daily bread that the
heiress should live.
AS a result of much thought he hit
upon a plan to avoid similar blunders.
The next morning when he entered the
library where he perpetrated so many
crimes he laid two boxes upon the table
together with a bag of white buttons
Marking clearly one box THE Living"
the other The Dead" he spent three
days in rereading his story from the be-
ginning. As each new person introduced
himself he marked a button with the
characters name and threw it into the
box of the living.
The exit of each person from the
world was the signal for the change of
the button containing his name to the
box Of the dead. As there were 125 chap
ters and each chapter had sent a party
OF from ten to twenty TO perdition, this
was in itself no small task
But, once ended, how easv how Sc
cure! Badillon might now feel that
there would be no more double dealing
with dead men.
Let US now listen to a second seance.
a second reading Of the continued Cave
of Crime"
Roger" Ladillon read. spoke in a
low voice, turning his face toward
Madeleine. while the beautiful Conn
tess de Breech-''
Who are you talking of?'' interrunt-
ed Nine L1adlllon, who did YOU sav9''
What do you mean by interrunt-
mgr somewhat angrily answered M
Ladillon, I am just coming to the
point efe
'Yesl but do you speak Of Madeleine
And there is Roger, too. and they are
Dead Pooh! What are YOU think
Ing about. Am I fool? Look ar
this button. And he drew from ssTbs
Living box the buttons.
NY dear" said Nine. LadiIIon. tim
ldly, perhaps some one has Changed
the boxes, for those persons Won ara
speaking Of have been dead some
Here Sidonie appeared i'll at ease
ana trembled in her chair Iadillon
showed signs of apoplexy. Nine. La
dillon rushed to the rescue.
Here Sidonie. help!" she cried