Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1906-04-18
Copyright, lsel, BY Stanley J. Wsyman.)


CHAPTER V.--CONTINUED.
Doubtless he had dropped the jewels
in the hurry Of his start from the
inn that night! Doubtless, too, he
carried them in that bizarre hiding.
place for the sake of safety, consider
ing it unlikely that robbers, if hi
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 1t
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 Cocheforet, when saw him
ut 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 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 l had hit on tn
'rue solution: and all that night I sat
"aNe1ul IN the darkness, bordering
what should do. The stones, unset
as they were, could never be traced.
10 all intcnts they we're mine-mine
TO DO with as | pleased! Fifteen thou-
sand crowns!--perhars 10000 crowns.
'-and to leave at six in the morning
whether would or no! I might leave
Tor Spain with the jewels in my pocket
confess I was tempted The gems
were so fine that doubt not some in
dl1ferently honest men would have
sold salvation for them. But a Berault
his homer? No, I was tempted, but
not for long. Thank God, man may
be reduced to living by the fortunes
OF the dice and may even be called by
woman spy and coward without be-
coming thief. The temptation soon
left me- take credit for it-and fel,
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 trap to capture
COcheforet; again to-and then about
five in the morning. as sat up on my
Mretched pallet, while the first light
stole slowly in through the cobwebbed,
hay-stutfed lattice, there came to me
the real plan, the plan Of plans, on
which I acted.
1t charmed me. l smacked my lips
over it and Rugged myself and felt my
eyes dilate in the darkness, as conned
1t. 1t seemed cruel. it seemed mean:
I cared nothing. Mademoisellc had
boosted Of her victory over me, of her
;woman's wits and her acuteness; and
Of my dullness. She had said her
,grooms should fog me, she had rated
me as if had been a dog. Very we'll;
We would see now whose brains were
The better, whose: was the master mind,
whose should be the whipping.
The one thing required by my plan
was that should get speech with her:
that done, could trust myself and my
new-found weapon for the rest. But
that was absolutely necessary; and
seeing that there might be some diff
Guilty about It., determined to descend
as If my mind were made up to go:
then, on pretense of saddling my horse.
I would slip away on foot and lie in
wait near the chateau until I saw her
come out. Or it could not effect my
purpose in that way-either by reason
of the landlords vigilance, or for any
other cause-my course was still easy.
would ride away and when had pro.
ceeded mile or so, tie up my horse in
the forest and return to the wooden
bridge. Thence could watch the gar
den and front of the chateau until time
and chance gave ME the opportunity l
sought.
So saw my way quite clearly; and
when the fellow below called me, re-
minding me rudely that must be go
ing and that it was six o'clock, was
ready with my answer. I shouted
sulkily that was coming, and, after a
decent delay, I took up my saddle and
bags and went down.
Viewed by the cold morning light
the inn room looked more smoky, more
grimy, more wretc1:ed than when had
last seen it. The goodwife was not
visible. The fire was not lighted, No
provision, not SO much as stirrup-cup
or bowl OF porridge checred the heart.
I looked around, shifting the stale smell
of last nights lamp and grunted. care
you going to send me out fasting" 7
said, affecting a worse humor than
felt.
The landlord was standing by tho
window, STOPPING over great pair Of
frayed and furrowed thigh-boots, which
he was laboring to soften with copiou:;
grease. "Mademoiselle ordered no
breakfast" he answered, with a ma.
Ncious grin.
"Well. it does not much matter" l
replied .randly. Il shall be at Auch
by nooh."
"That is as may be-" he answered,
with another grin. I did not under
stand him, but had something else to
think about, and opened the door and
stepped out, intending to go to the
stable. Then in a second I compre-
hended. The cold air laden with wood
land moisture met me and went to my
bones; but it was not that which made
me SILVER. Outside the door, in the
road, sitting on horseback in silence,