Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1906-07-05
Uopyright, 1854, by Stanley J. weyman.l
CHAPTER V.-CoNTINUED.
By STANLEY J. wEYMAN

I'LL THAI hl6Lss OOubblCeo, WV AN
carried them in that bizarre hiding
place for the sake of safety, consider
ing it unlikely that robbers, If he
fell into their hands, would take the
sachet from him; as still less likely
that they would suspect it to contain
anything Of value. Everywhere it
wouli pass for a love-gift, the work
of his mistress.
Nor did my penetration stop there.
Ten to one the gems were family prop
erty, the last treasure of the house;
and M. de C%ocheforet, when | saw him
at the inn, was on the way to convey
them out Of the country; either to
secure them from seizure by the gov
eminent, or to raise money by selling
them-money to be spent in some last
desperate enterprise. For a day or two,
perhaps, after leaving Cocheforet,
while the mountain road and its
chances occupied his thoughts, he had
not discovered his loss. Then he had
searched for the precious sachet,
missed it, and returned hot-foot on his
tracks.
was certain that I had hit on the
true solution; and all that night | sat
wakeful in the darkness, bordering
what l should do. The stones, unset
as they were, could never be traced.
To all intents they were mine-mine,
to do with as l pleased! Fifteen thou
sand crowns!-perhaps $1,000 crowns!
and to leave at six in the morning,
whether would or no! l might leave
for Spain with the jewels in my pocket.
| confess ! was tempted. The gems
were so fine that | doubt not some in
differently honest men would have
sold salvation for them. But a Berault
his homer? No! I was tempted, but
not for long. Thank God, a man may
be reduced to living by the fortunes
of the dice and may even be called by
a woman spy and coward without be-
coming O thief. The temptation soon
left mel take credit for it-and | fell
to thinking of this and that plan for
making use of them. Once it occurred
to me to take the jewels to the cardi-
nal and buy my pardon with them;
again, to use them as a trap to capture
Cocheforet; again to-and then about
five in the morning, as | sat up on my
wretched pallet, while the first light
stole slowly in through the cobwebbed
hay-stuffed lattice, there came to me
the real plan, the plan of plans, or
which 7 acted.
1t charmed me I smacked my lips
over it and Rugged myself and felt my
eyes dilate in the darkness, as I conned
it. 1t seemed cruel, it seemed. mean;
cared nothing. Mademoisellc hat
boosted of her victory over me, of he1
woman's wits and her acuteness; ant
of my dullness. She had said hel
grooms should fog me, she had rates
me as il | had been a dog. Very well
we would see now whose brains wer
the better, whose was the master mind
whose should be the whipping.
The one thing required by my plal
was that I should get speech with her
that done, I could trust myself and m,
new-found weapon for the rest. Blu
that was absolutely necessary; an
seeing that there might be some diff
Guilty about it, 7 determined to descen
as if my mind were made up to go
then, on pretense of saddling my horse
| would slip away on foot and lie !
wait near the chateau until | saw he
come out. Or if could not effect m
purpose in that way-either by reaso
of the landlords vigilance, or for an
other cause-my course was still cas-!
would ride away and when | had pre-
ceeded a mile or so, tie up my horse
the forest and return to the woode
bridge. Thence I could watch the ga
den and front of the chateau until tim
and chance gave me the opportunity
sought.
So I saw my way quite clearly; an
when the fellow below called me, r.
minding me rudely that I must be g
ing and that it was six o'clock. | we
ready with my answer. | shoute
sulkily that I was coming, and, after
decent delay, l took up my saddle ar
bags and went down.
Viewed by the cold morning ligh
the inn room looked more smoky, mo
grimy, more wretcted than when | ha
n last seen it. The goodWife was M
.r visible. The fire was not lighted, \
provision, not so much as a stirrup-cl
or bowl of porridge checred the heal
l looked around, smiling the stale smt
of last nights lamp and grunted, "A
you going to send me out fasting?'
said, affecting a worse humor than
felt.
ID The landlord was standing by u
s. window, STOPPING over a great pair
IS frayed and furrowed thigh-boots, viii
80 he was tailoring to soften with copio
b. grease. "Mademoiselle ordered
breakfast" he answered, with a m
rs licious grin.
"Well it does not much matter
replied grandly. Il shall be at An
by neon"
"That is as may be-" he answere
= with another grin. I did not unde
l. stand him, but | had something else
think about, and | opened the door a
/. stepped out, intending to go to t
= stable. Then in a second ! comp
le hended. The cold air laden with woo
,e land moisture met me ard went to
!. bones; but it was not that which ma
me shiver. Outside tie door, in t
road, sitting on horseback in silen
= were two men. One was Clon. 7
other, who held a spare horse by t
rein-my horse-waa a mar ! had sc
at the inn. a rough, shock-head'