The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1907-09-13
CHAPTER XVIII.


Coward"
heard q clock in the village strike !
the hour II was six The chateau
walls cast a long shadow on the oppo-
Site bank OF the river. The mountains
in the far distance were purple and
red in the evening light. The long
day was coming swiftly 20 an end.
and the night was mysterious with its
I promise OF despair.
This tower OF the three rooms, Two
OF these rooms held their tragedies
What il the third room had its ira
gedy likewisel
struck sharply the door OF that
\ room in which Madame de WARMER
l had said that Captain Forbes was i'm
/ prisoned ! listened: there was no
answer called the name OF the
kings messenger aloud: still there
was no answer. soon the moon would
rise. and its cold rays might fall on
the lifeess body OF Forbes. for II ali
were well. why should there be this
ominous quiet,
The suspense was unenduTab bic
listened al the door OF the room that
concealed the two women. heard
the murmer Of voices That treasured
me so far as Helenas safety was con
cerned: but il made me absolutely
certain that Captain Forbes must have
heard my voice II he were living, and
in that room.
And when the two women came OUT
I shrank from that coming with
dread. had told Helena 10 be brave.
10 ignore the evidence OF her own
sight. But had been shaken in my
own belief as 20 Sir Morumer's limo
cence. Surely her faith would be
greater than mine but the evidence
seemed so overwhelmingly against Sir
Mortimer. II Sir Mortimer's letters
and notes were genuine. AT any rate
the woman loved must hold bitter
CUP 10 her blanched lips: II must be
emptied 10 the very dregs. Her suffer
ing was inevitable. whether she be-
lIeved her brother innocent OF guilty.
could not doubt that she would
refuse 10 purchase the silence OF
Madame de WARMER at the cost Of fur
Their dishonor. even though | were
chiefly 10 bear that myself But IL
she demanded that Was I strong
enough 10 resist her tears, | must be.
Nv reason told me OF the folly OF
Madame de WARMERS plan. But IL
Welded weakly presently. and the ruse
/ actually succeeded. knew that the
| hypocrisy OF the act would become
more and more dreadful 10 Helena
! with the coming years No; II IN that
supreme ecstacy Of her agony she
| should entreat me must still refuse
| must decide for her. even though
| she thought my own cowardice re
| sponsible for that refusal
| Coward, How that word beat Z
4 devils tattoo on my excited brain.
had been the keynote TO all my suffer
Ing. and to all my JOY Willoughb'
| had died uttering H.. Helena ha'
echoed IL in thought and Madame d
WARMER had spoken II again and agaii
in her fierce contempt during the pas
OF hour Yes. II was the keynote Of m.
be suffering and my Joy. Il was tn
motif that obtruded again and again Il
or the stormy music Of these past hours
e. II was a baneful talisman. a watcf
ne word. Its letters seemed 70 have a
most a magic potency Il vas cour
I tersign that opened for me the gate
ID. OF paradise and he'll
be- A talisman, A watchword' coui
RS terslgn. Suddenly ] saw the wor
or COWARD written in flaming le
ie tiers. They revolyed furiously. The
as danced before my vision
es- This was sheer madness this IN
ne. possible conjecture. I reasoned the vi
reasoning impulse 20 hope againi
1ss hone But the fSlorn. desperate 70
~ sibility fought obstinatey for reco
lad milton Il held ME with al the dam
.in- inr power Of a Authorization
Dot And then suddenly ID became a CO
on victlon II was no longer an imposs
the bic hone. not even an intuition y b
md came an absolute belief a cer.aint
And this was the reason for ray b
% lief.
in Whenever Madame de WARMER Ia
mentioned the safe she had called p
csc coward
COWARD
the That was the ccmbination q =
lea safe
lie Atlast door opened hel-na ma
ers her way toward ME with uncerta
YES. steps. her hands held oui before n
re- as one g-smng 90 Tire dark. Her sple
Gus did fesrlessncss was gone She LOO
"a at ne with TIE wild eyes q
wounuod animal yainiy seeking W
We ~ escape As she reached my 81
.ide her sands we're s.lil Eeld ont as Il {
- protection. graspci them firm
I'm but did not STEAK.
you 10 HE cDSTINrEDJ
1 u A kiss On the lips Il worth -uo
er the hand