Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1907-10-02
CHAPTER xxviI.-continued.

in the shadow, so that she would not
at once confront Helena as she en-.
tered. Her jeweled fingers touched
her hair lightly; her pose suggested
the languid Indifference of a woman
of the world who awaits the entrance
of caller. Mercy and tenderness and
womanly pity were denied this beauti-
full animal at her birth. Or these di-
vine qualities had been fercely
crushed by fanatic zeal.
l paced to and fro in an agony of
rage and pity; and this Medusa fol
lowed my every movement with her
cruel, hooking smile.
The woman whom 1 had hoped to
save from suffering, yes, the woman
loved, was coming to this chamber
of horror. She was coming, radiant
with hope. Happiness awaited her,
she thought-the caresses of a loved
brother, repentant of his momentary
folly. And, perhaps, her heart was
beating high with gratitude to me-to
the man who she thought had made
this much wished-for reconciliation
possible.
Black despair awaited her in the
little oratory yonder. She was to be
| tortured with a dilemma as cruel as
ever racked the heart of woman.
But her decision I could not doubt
l had proud faith in this lady who
had sent me into the lists to fight for
| her. When first had seen her on the
terrace OF the hotel at Lucerne-it
seemed ages ago, instead of days-I
remembered how her clear gaze had
thrilled me. The calm, unwavering
look Of her gray eyes was truth itself,
had thought. A lie was not possible
for her-not even lie to be spoken
by another for her sake.
But with what adherence would
she regard me! Had 1 not been drawn
in the subtle web of this Circes net,
the dilemma at least would not exist
for her. But if the dilemma did not
exist, Sir Mortimer's dishonor would
still be terrible reality. After all,
the curtain had not fallen yet. Helena
and u were both puppets in the hands
of capricious Fortune. It was she
who held the balances: or, rather a
just God whose wheels may turn
slowly, but sooner or later He sees
that justice is done.
had left the door slightly ajar. 1t
was pushed open with brusque sud-
denness that startled. The servant
must have known the tragedy that
awaited the woman he was conducting
here. With a Frenchman's love of the
dramatic, he ushered her in with
pompous ceremony, and stood waiting
expectantly. AS 1 closed the door
roughly on him, Helena saw me.
Madame de WARMER, seated in the
shadow, she had not yet seen.
scanned her face closely 1 saw
that not hope nor the expectancy of
happy meeting with her brother was
her dominant emotion. Eager she
was. but it was the eagerness of AJAX
iety, and not of hope. Her quiet as
surance came from courage and self
control. Her brother had disappeared
mysteriously; Captain Forbes had been
the victim of trick; she had put her
faith in one who was almost stran-
ger to her; and now she had ventured
to the chateau alone. Even a man
might have hesitated.
But when l stood before her, l was
touched to see how she leaned on me,
who had twice failed her
my brother" she whispered.
Once before she had wrung from
me the bitter truth. Now, as then. a
certain courage came from her pres
ence. Her own scorn of weakness and
subterfuge supported me. l answered
her simply, as l knew she would have
me answer-the direct, stern truth:
Your brother Is dead, Miss Brett"
There followed a silence so intense
that 1 could hear quite distinctly the
river Aare beating against the chateau
walls. With the curious irrelevance
that comes so often in moments of
tense anxiety 1 thought it strange that
captain Forbes had not given some
sign OF his presence in his prison dur
ing the past half hour. Helena leaned
toward me. frowning slightly as If in
perplexity.
Dead, did you say? Not dead,"
repeated the words; unconscious
ly l spoke little louder. The scene
seemed unreal. theatric. Again the
irrelevant thought intrYded. how
when boy. used to wonder If all the
things that had hitherto happened in
my life-all my existence-were not
one long dream; dream from which
should awake presently, to find N.Y.
self living life utterly different.
1T seems. sir" she faltered. chat
your mission is always to bring bad
tidings. 1t was only the other dav
you told me that the man who loved
me had died! Now it is to tell me that
the brother l loved so much is dead ;"
She smiled pitifully, a curiously
twisted smile that expressed her suf-
fering more than any tears. No re-
proaches could have troubled me as
did that pathetic smile 1 turned alb.
ruptly to Madame de WARMER. whom
she had not yet seen. My rage and
Ia