Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1906-06-28
CHAPTER v.
REVENGE.

And full Of black rage! Had she
only reproached me, or, turning on me
in the hour of my victory, said all she
had now said in the moment of her
own, l could have borne it. She might
have shamed me then, and l might
have taken the shame to myself and
forgiven her. But, as it was, l stood
there in the gathering dusk, between
the darkening hedges, bafled, tricked,
defeated! And by a woman! She had
pitted her wits against mine, her wom-
ans will against my experience, and
she had come off the victor. And then
she had reviled me. AS | took 1t all
in and began to comprehend, also, the
more remote results, and how COM
pletely her move had made further
progress on my part impossible, |
hated her. She had tricked me with
her gracious ways and her slow-com-
ing smile. And, after all-for what she
had said it was this mans life or mine.
What had l done that another man
would not do? Mon Dieu! In the flu
ture there was nothing I would not
do. | would make her smart for those
words of hers! l would bring her to
her knees!
Still, hot as l was, an hour might
have restored me to GOODNESS. But
when I started to return | fell into
a rage, for l remember that did not
know my way out Of the maze OF
rides and paths into which she had
drawn me; and this and the mishaps
which followed kept my rage hot. For
a full hour I wandered in the wood,
unable, though l knew where the vii
1age lay, to find any track which led
continuously in n direction. When
ever, at the end Of each attempt, the
thicket brought me up short, I fancied
I heard her laughing on the farther
side of<the brake; and in the igno-
miny of this chance punishment, the
check which the confinement placed
on my rage, almost maddened me. In
the darkness, I fell. and rose cursing;
I tore my hands with thorns; l stained
my suit, which had suffered sadly be-
fore. At length, when I had almost
resigned myself to lie in the wood, I
caught sight Of the lights of the vii
lage, and trembling between haste and
anger, pressed towards them. In a few
minutes | stood in the little street.
The lights of the inn shone only
50 yards away; but before | could show
/ myself even there pride suggested that
I should do something to repair my
clothes. I stopped and scraped and
brushed them; and at the same time,
did what | could to compose my fea-
lures. Then | advanced to the door
and knocked. Almost on the instant
the landlords voice called from the in
side, Enter, Monsieur"
I raised the latch and went in. The
man was alone. squatting over the
fire, warming his hands. A black pot
simmered on the ashes; as I entered
he raised the lid and peeped inside
Then he glanced over his shoulder.
"You expected me" / said defiant.
ly, walking to the hearth, and setting
one Of my damp boots on the logs.
EYES," he answered, nodding CURLY
"Your supper is just ready. l thought
you would be in about this time"
He grinned as he spoke and 1t wa.
with difficulty 7 suppressed my wrath
"Mademoiselle de Cocheforet told you,'
said, affecting indifference, ''wher,
I was?"
"Ay, mademoiselle-or madam" h,
replied, ~grinning afresh.
So she told him where she had lef
me and how she had tricked mel Shl
had made me the village LAUGHING