The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1907-09-13
cAApTER XXvII.-contlnued.

tered. Her jeweled fingers touched
her hair lightly: her pose suggested
the languid indifference Of woman
OF the world who awaits the entrance
of a caller. Mercy and tenderness and
womanly pity were denied this oeaEtl'
fuI animal at her birth. or these al \
vine qualities had been herceN .
crushed by fanatic zeal
paced TO and fro in an agony OF
rage and pity; and this Medusa iol' 4
lowed nv every movement With her .
cruel. mOcking smile
TIE woman whom | had hoped 20 .
save from suffering. yes, the woman \
1 loved. was coming 10 this chamber
of horror. She was coming radiant
with hone. Happiness awaited her
she thouCht-the caresses OF a loved
brother repentant Of his momentary
folly. And. perhaps. her heart VAS
beating high with gratitude 70 me-to
the man who she thought had made
this much wished-for reconciliation
possible.
Black despair awaited her in the
utue oratory yonder. She was 70 be
ever racked the heart Of woman.
But her decision l could not doubt.
had a proud faith in this lady who
had sent me into the lists 70 ight Tor
her. When first had seen her on the
terrace OF the hotel at Lucerne-it
seemed ages ago, instead of days.
remembered how her clear gaze had
thrilled me The calm. unYavering
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 / not been drawn
I'm the subtle web Of this Circe's net,
the dilemma ar least would not exist
for her But if the dilemma did not
exist Sir Mortimer's dishonor would
still be a terrible reality. After all,
the curtain had not fallen yet. Helena
and were both puppets in the hands
of capricious Fortune. II 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.
I had left the door slightly ajar. II
was pushed open with a 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 l 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 l saw
that not hope nor the expectancy OF
a happy meeting with her brother was
her dominant emotion. Eager she
was. but IL was the eagerness Of anx
fety. and not of hope Her quiet as
surance came from courage and self
-contrsl Her brother had disappeared
mysteriously: Captain Forbes had beef
the victim Of trick. she had put he
faith in one who was almost a strar
ger to her; and now she had venture
20 the chateau alone. Even ma
might have hesitated
But when ! stood before her. wa
who had twice failed her.
"My brother?" she whispered
Once before she had wrung froI
me the bitter truth. Now. as then.
certain courage came from her pre-
ence. Her own scorn Of weakness an
subterfuge supported me | answere
her simply. as knew she would haV
me ar swer-the direct. stern truth:
your brother is dead Miss Brett
There followed a silence so inteni
that could hear quite distinctly u
river Aare beating against the chate;
walls. With the curious irrelevant
that comes so often in moments
tense anxiety thought IL strange IN
CAPTAIN Forbes had not given sor
sign Of his presence in his prison d.
ing the past half hour. Helena lean
toward me frowning slightly as II
perplexity
Dead did you say Not dead"
l repeated the words unconsciol
Iy spoke a little louder The see
seemed unreal. theatre. Again
irrelevant thought intruded. he
when a boy. used 10 wonder If all
things that had hitherto happened
my lfe-all my existence-were I
one long dream a dream from viii
should awake presently. to find r
self living life utterly different
1T seems. SIR" she faltered ~
your mission is always 70 bring
udnas II was only the other {
you told ne that the man who lo'
me had lied Now Ct Is 20 tell me q
the brother 7 loved SO much is doa
Shc smiled pitifully. a curiou
twisted smile that expressed her
fcring more than any tear No
pruaches could have troubled me
did that pathetic smile / turned
ruptly 10 sadame de WARMER, VIII
she had not yet seen. My rage
pity overcome my reason mt
have appealed 10 heather idol slit
in vrotosrur majesty IN ih .emplt
gloom witf as little effect
1.