The pioneer express. [volume] (Pembina, Dakota [N.D.]) 1883-1928, 1907-02-01
CHAPTER xxx.

Messrs. Holt and Ribot, hunting
once more in couple. took UP the trail
Of the fugitive here ana there, lost it
here and there, found it again; and,
having onco arrived at the fact tina.
ere man was wandering about France
with one aspect and many names, ad-
dresses. and accents, they had little
t..11..culty in arriving 1T least at the
conclusion that for ono reason or other
that person desired TO evadc pursuit
ApGrt from that one device Alexis had
adopted no Brecauttou, and when it
was detected the device itself served
10 cx:asc his track. They came upon
t.:l. bat they caEc q cay too late. He
had passed out Of human jurisdiction,
md there was nothing left but to OBJ
.e!yc the last formalitses of the law,
to take possession CT tho valuables the
t.cad man had let behind him. and TO
i.o CHIC AitEtS IA pui sun vi 'ASAi oop
rate business and desires. The news
w;s known in England long bcfore the
,.::al CT Aioysius.
Tho f;ced man, relieved at last OF
ne incubus which had weighed so
!cns upon him. could scarcely suffer
further The disgrace he had endeav-
cred to avert had fallen, but no man
tr WORM coupled him with it, and he
vent back to his country house and
Gwelt there in slowly growing peace
Little by little the Gcad past buried
its dead, the minutes falling like
grains of sand, until the sorrows
which had been were obliterated. At
times a gust of memory blew the
CHASTITY thing bare again. but the hand
Of time gently rearranged the burial
mound. and the gusts grew rarer and
mere rare.
When, in the afternoon of that new.
er-tc-beforgotten day on which Alloy
sius was liberated, Belle had been ur-
gently summoned by her husband to
take charge of Lillian and to convey
each others arms, and the younger
said enough to convince her friend that
she looked on the man whose ed.
dresses she had declined with pas
sion of regret that she Aad lent him
an extra load to carry. in addition to
the burden of sorrow he had borne.
The thought OF the man to whom she
had promised to ally herself was
dreadful to her. The murderous hand
had fouled hers; tho treacherous, ly
ing lips had touched her own. There
was a deep pollution in these memo
ries. And it was for him-for hint
that she had declined the man who
now seemed to her godlike in his self
abnegation and in the strength in
which he had enduted
Lillian had retired to rest, worn out
with weeping. and lay. still holding
Bellies hand in her own long after she
had fallen into the slumber of exhaus-
ton. She still sobbed in her sleep
like a child that has been frightened
or chidden undeservedly, and the
faithful little Irish lady sat there hour
after hour, whilst the autumn dark
ness gathered and the chill of the au-
tHmn night came up with the mist that
doated from the river
At last she heard the whistle of the
approaching train, and, gently detach-
ing her hand. stole silently downstairs
to await her husband, to bring the
drowsy fire to a cheerful brightness,
to warm Billery's slippers, and to set
his favorite armchair, pipe and an
ample jar Of tobacco near at hand.
When all was ready she stood listen
ing for his footstep. and was at the
door when he was yet a score of yards
away. Billery kissed her dutifully on
arrival. and when he had adjusted the
fastenings of the door went along the
little hall with her, with an arm about
her waist. And when Billery had Lit
the midnight pipe and had poured out
the flowing midnight bowl of cocoa,
he suffered his proud wife to kneel be-
fore him to unlace his boots, and to
draw them from his feet, and to sub
stitute for them pair of slippers
toasted to turn.
All this being done, Belle slipped be-
hind his chair, and resting on the
back of it. contemplating the bald SPOT
on top of Billerys head, she began to
talk to him.
Hamilton" she said, 1--WE heard We
declare often that every good woman
is matchmaker
Il hope" said Billery, in return,
that you've heard me say one or two
much more original things than that"
''But We have said 1t" Belle retorted,
"and, We believe 1t, don't ye?"
81 have said It," replied Billery, "anl
I believe it."
Hamilton" began Belle, with more
hesitation of manner than she com
monty showed. there's things wife
/ may say to her husband she couldn's
possibly say to anybody else.'
Lots Of EN-" Billery answered,
lightly. blowing the fragrant cloud
from before him and waving it with
Bis hand. u H Il
( esrhe poor darlin' gyurl that's lying