Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1906-05-02

now. She seemed scarcely to breathe
in the intensity of her surprise and ex-
pectation. "You had a search made.
Mademoiselle," continued quietly,
"Your servants left no place unex-
plored. The paths, the roads, the very
woods were ransacked. But in vain,
because all the while the orange sachet
lay whole and unopened in my pocket
f'No!" she cried impetuously. "You
lie, Sir! The sachet was found, torn
open, many leagues from this place."
Where threw it, Mademoiselle,"
replied, that might mislead your
rascals and be free to return. Oh! be-
lieve me- I continued, letting some
thing of myself, something of my tri-
umph, appear at last in my voice. "You
have made a mistake! You
would have done better had you trusted
me. am no bundle of sawdust, Mad
emoiselle, but man; man with an
arm to shield and a brain to serve,
and-as I am going to teach you-a
heart also!"
She shivered.
I'm the orange colored sachet that
you lost believe there were Is stones
of great value?"
She made no answer, but she looked
at me as II I fascinated her. Her
very breath seemed to pause and wait
on my words. She was so little con-
sc1ous OF anything else, Of anything
outside ourselves, that score Of
men might have come up behind her
unseen and unnoticed.
I took from my breast a little packet
wrapped in soft leather, and held it
towards her. ''Will you open tbts?"
l said. 81 believe it contains what
you lost That it contains all will not
answer, Mademoiselle, because spilled
the stones on the floor of my room
and may have failed to find some>
But the others can be recovered-I
know where they are"
She took the packet slowly and be-
gan to unroll it, her fingers shaking.
A few turns and the mild ,lustre of
the stones made kind of moonlight
in her hands-such a-shimmering glory.
of imprisoned light as has ruined many,
woman and robbed many man Of
his honor. Morbleu!, as looked at !
them-and as she stood looking at
them in dull, entranced perplexity-
l wondered how I had come to resist
the temptation: Il
While l gazed her hands began to
waver. II cannot count she NUT
tered helplessly. How many are
there?"
''In all, 49,"
"They should be 49, she said.
She closed her hand on them with
that, and opened 1t again, and did so
twice, as If to reassure herself that
the stones were real and that she was
not dreaming. Then she turned to me
with sudden fierceness, and I saw that
her beautiful face, sharpened by the
greed OF possession, was grown as keen
and vicious as before. "Well?" she
muttered between her teeth. "Your
price man? Your price?"
Il am coming to it now, Mademoi-
selle," said gravely: 1t is a SIM
pie matter. You remember the after
noon when I, followed you-clumsily
and thoughtlessly perhaps-through
the wood to restore these things? It
seems about month ago.. l believe It
happened the day before yesterday.
You called me then some very harsh
names, which will not hurt you by
repeating. The only price I ask for
restoring your jewels is that you re-
call those names''
"How?" she muttered. "I do not
understand"
repeated my words very slowly.
The only price or reward ask, Mad
emofselle, is that you take back those
names, and say that they were not de-
served"
"And the jewels?" she. exclaimed
hoarsely.
They are yours. They are nothing
to me. Take them, and say that you
do not think Of me- Nay, cannot
say the words, Mademoiselle."
But there is somethine-e1se,
What else?'' she cried, her head
thrown back, her eyes, bright as any
wild animals searching mine. "Ha!
my brother? What Of him? What Of
him, Sir?"
For him, Mademoiselle-I would
prefer that you should tell me no more
than | know already" answered in
a low voice. II do not wish to be in
that affair. But yes, there is one thing
| have not mentioned. You are right"
She sighed SO deeply that I caught
the sound. ~ r. ....> ~..,s ~
I'll is" l continued slowly, that
you viii, permit me 70 remain at Coche-4
foret for few days, while the soldiers
are here. am told that there are 20
men and two officers Quartered in your
house. Your brother is away. 1 ask !
to be permitted, Mademoiselle, to take
his place for time and to be privileged
to protect your sister and yourself from
insult: That is all" 49,. ..} ..s s.: L
+ She raised her hand to her head.
After a long pause: THE frogs!''t she
muttered, they croak. cannot hear
And then, to my surprise, she turned
suddenly on her heel and walked over
the bridge, leaving me there. For q
moment I stood aghast, peering after
her shadowy figure and wondering
what had taken hsr. Then, In q minute.
AZ hess, shs came quickly back It's ,tjoelz me-:
and & understood. II She was crying
===iss. CTa r Continued b