The pioneer express. [volume] (Pembina, Dakota [N.D.]) 1883-1928, 1907-01-25
CHAPTER xx,x.-(cont,nued.)

CHAPTER overwhelmingly
With Alexis 1t happened that the mo-
ments of remorse conceded for the
most part with the revival Of the fear
Of detection. He had always been OF
too weak a nature to disguise strong
emotion, and his guiding plan had
been to make one emotion pass for an.
other. He had made the fear for hts
own neck pass constantly as a fear fos
the family honor, or as fear for
Aloysius. The mad hilarity which
overcame him at Aloysius's scornful
gift of safety after he had been forced
to write down his confession had been
employed as pretence of overwhelm.
ing relief at the surety of his cousins
Innocence and security.
Easily depressed, easily elated i'll
small things, he had been depressed
and elated beyond measure by the al.
formations of his terrors and escapes
in this vital matter. This less than
nothing of new reprieve which came
to him from the continued silence of
Lepelletier was like burst of sun.
shine to his mind. He smoked his af-
ter-breakfast cigar in high content
ment, and had Just put the last touch
to careful morning toilet when the
telegram Aloysius had shown to Bill
cry in the village postoffice arrived.
His servant brought it into his bed
room, and he stood in the act of open
ing it, with an index finger beneath
the lapel of the envelope. when he be-
thought him.
you've forgotten my buttonhole
this morning. Skip out and get it."
81 beg your pardon, sir. You didn't
mention it, sir, and I Thought you
might like to choose it for yourself.
Back in a moment, sir"
He tore the envelope open. and was
so little anxious to read it that he lit
a new cigar before he unfolded it. He
staggered literally as if he had re-
ceived blow. The cigar fell from his
lips and lay UNDECIDED, and he stood
staring, seeing nothing. conscious Of
nothing save this awful news. Alloy
sius had suffered much for him. but he
would most certainly not suffer this.
He would scarcely carry self-sacrifice
so far as to go on the scaffold for the
sake of a man whom he had such
cause to hate.
The game was up. All his shu6les,
all his evasions, his pretences, his Jug
glings with the truth, were over. He
could think Of nothing else than that
so far. The game was up. A few
hours start was allotted him and
that was all. By and by he went to
the buffet which stood at the wall at
one end of his splendid room. He
opened it Internationally and
poured out and drank stiff glass of
whisky. The glass and the decanter
clattered together noisily in his shak-
ing hands. He poured out second
glass and carried it to his bedroom,
locking the door behind him.
At this moment the man returned
and, finding the door closed, tapped
discreetly.
'Wait minute said Alexis: Il
shall want you directly" His voice
did not betray him, though he had to
clear his throat harshly before he
could use it.
The man smelt the odor of whisky,
unaccustomed at that hour. and
caught sight of the smouldering cigar,
which had already made its mark upon
the carpet. He set it in a place of
safety and stood wondering what had
happened. There had been, evidently,
something disturbing in the contents
of that telegram. Alexis, meanwhile,
was busy ON the other side of the
locked door. There was a solid little
safe let into one of the walls, an Oh
ject left there by former tenant, who
had had it built and cemented into the
brickwork. Alexis, with an eye to such
use as he was now to find in it, had
taken it over at valuation.
He had for years been ready for a
swift fight, and in the trouhlous times
which had been with him ever since
Billery's Identification OF the body he
had gone ON increasing the store
which it was his purpose to take with
him should fight be necessary. France
had always been the objective of his
thoughts should such occur as now, be.
yond all doubt, was here. He had
drawn largely on his bankers, profess.
ing that he was engaged in specula
ton. and once week for the past two
years he had exchanged five hundred
pounds worth of English notes for pa
per of the Bank of France, SO that he
had now accumulated in his hands q
considerable fortune. The rest he
must leave behind him. but with over
fifty thousand pounds his own neces.
stiles we're satisfied.
An artist. man of imagination
with such compelling cause to set his
imagination working, he had gone over
his scheme of flight in every detail
over and over again. Years since
though he had never practiced, he had
taken his degree as doctor of medicine
In Paris, and keeping in mind always
the possibility of denunciation and ar.
rest he had provided himself with the
means of sudden death. He had a tiny
phial of prlssic acid which he carried