The Washington herald., 1906-11-12
CHAPTER XIII.
The Inrnsron of AttnIn.

=tVhen Desire had been so rudely eX-
| PEELED from the library by her father. the
Pasha Jibaloff sheer physical pain drove
for the time all thought from her mind
She in4ped down the corridor uttering
screams which her fortitude was unable
TO suppress. screams Of agony. But when
the pain had in a measure subsided. the
spirit which she had unconsciously in
herited from her maternal stock at last
asserted itself. and the long dormant hate
.with which her fathers constant brutal
treatment had inspired her awoke to life
and sudden vigor. She was a gentle and
pure-hearted girl. ordinarily Of unusually
soft and placid disposition. but deep at
heart she possessed, in common with all
human creatures. the natural instincts Of
the savage and a determination which
once sufficiently aroused was as potent
and remorseIess as the counts unnatural
lust for blood
Had PeTigOTd or CTessingham discovered
her in such a mood, they would have
found a powerful instrument ready 70
&their hands for the instant demolition Of
5the, inner circle OF the nihilists. The sweet
81 and tender hUmoT which had ever been
her most distinguishing characteristic had
entirely disappeared, and she was trans
Yformed into a being Of fire and passion.
no longer girl, but a woman outraged
beyond the bounds Of resignation and all
seeency, her heart alight with anger and
. burning for revenge
Desire wandered through the castle.
restless as a lost soul. searching fever
ishly for she knew not what 1t is at
such moments as this that the Fates de-
light in assisting the puppets whom their
vagaries control Desire came upon a
negro servant lying sleeping at his post.
The sight gave her a thrill. and like a
flash Of lightning long train of possi-
bilities occurred to her, for the mans pis-
tol had slipped from his belt and Law
idly on the floor beside him.
. She would take the pistol, make her way
- the net work Of tunnels underneath
island. and thence proceed TO the
pL---l tl-. .st opened on the gallery Of books
s ~ ~ library Of her grandfather She
S, nc secret of the panel well; she
Eoo,l GouiG - ~ it and lying perdu on the
--og' e IoilD0l- ely shoot her bastard father.
~ 'l-ls a g-e herself for the long series
i'-s, VIZ that night had crowned.
sl,all!e' IoL DeSlIe ,ad grown to love Miss
ElllotI WITH paSs,nate devotion
Nli'Iy' noiseiesslS iS as a phantom, she
oppi oiOiSu 'He HesiO o and caught I'D the
pistol without 0lSIurDn- bf-,, fbaD NTH
the speed of thought she gIi5sd fror, tka
castle and approached the 7e,e tto-,so r.
teang, she suddenly rememL,17 80 -.
tunnel door was locked and s. -
possessed key to open IT, BIT s5,o FL
Thrown prudence TO the winds. g. &c
q skilled chemist. and many exposi,-os
were in her charge. Choosing a 49,
from her laboratory. she quickly -
roighly manufactured an open bomb -
Hitr0-glyceTin- Placing this at the foot
Ct the iron door, she balanced above II a
leavy block of iron with cord attached
which she could release and precipitate its
weight upon the fluid Cautiously retir-
ing for a distance without the shed. she
pulled the cord, and instantly an explo-
sion like the noise of a muffied gun sound
ed duly through the silence Of the night
It was this noise which had startled the
s count and Jibaloff as they were about TO
1 resume their play.
Cateless of consequences, the excited
4 fri hurried back TO the boat-shed and
lamHed the door behind her. Striking n
latch, n scene Of terrible wreckape net
er eyes; but scarcely glancing at the
ain about her. she gave a cry Of triumph.
II the tunnel door was torn and bent in
erd ike a crumpled sheet Of paper. and
Z dark pathway lay open TO her desires
&c was obliged TO content herself with
- ssu 0ply Of candles. for the lantern and
anost everything else in the shed. IN
cding the electric appliances and the
SEP boat Itself, had been rent TO frag-
ailts oy the nitro-slycerin.