Charlevoix county herald. (East Jordan, Mich.) 189?-1953, 1907-09-14
CHAPTER xxx.-continued.

Say?" asked Helena in slow wonder.
Perhaps you know that l was i'm
prisoned in the room yonder. 1t took
me three hours to loosen the bar OF
the window. l made my way round
TIE sloping roof of the towers by the
stone gutter to the window of that
other room. The window was open.
When I gained it, and was about to
enter it, l saw this man, whom | be-
lieved to be your brother, enter the
room, bolt the door behind him, kneel
at the safe, open it, and abstract from
it packet of papers which he now
has in his pocket"
If Forbes had expected Helena to
be dumfounded at this surprising
news, his wish was gratified. But it
was wonder tempered with infinite joy.
The papers that convicted her brother
of guilt had been rescned from the
cruel clutch of Madame de WARMER.
She did not realize at once that had
steered clear of Charybdis only to fall
foul to Scylla. The peril of Sir Nor
timers guilt being known was now in
finitely greater than it had been half
an hour ago. Helena's defense of my
self, and Madame de WARMERS untime-
ly interruption, had both alienated all
sympathy from Helena and strength
ened his conviction that l was one of
the conspirators.
If l had kept silent so long, If 1t
seems unmanly that l should have al
lowed woman to plead in my behalf
it is because l was racking my brain
for means of escape from the awk-
ward predicament that held me cap
tive.
Il have told you, Captain Forbes,
that | have ample reason to believe in
the honesty of Mr.. Haddon. If he has
taken any papers from the safe, it is
with my fullest and deepest gratitude.
1t was the woman there who had
stolen them from my brother. They
are personal papers. They concern
only my mother and myself now that
Mortimer is dead Mr.. Haddon will
restore them to me-"
Il shall forbid that" protested
Forbes holly. Il tell you, Miss Brett,
those are papers of State. They be-
long to the State. | must see that
they are placed in the hands of the
ministers of the Foreign Office. For
the last time, give me those papers"
| leaped at the loophole Helena had
offered me. If l could not prevent
their falling into the hands of Forbes,
at least l could delay that dire event
81 shall obey you, Miss Brett. Into
your hands alone shall l place those
papers,
eff you please" she said with dig
nifty, and held out hand that did not
tremble to receive them.
And still l hesitated. I saw the
CLEAN of resolution in the glitter of
Forbes blue eyes. If l produced the
paper now it would be only to have
the kings messenger snatch them
from my grasp. Forbes turned to
Helena in angry triumph.
"You see, Miss Brett, he hesitates.
The woman and himself are as reluct-
ant that the papers fall into your
hands as they are that | obtain them.
He thinks that he may trick you, as
he has already once tricked me. Is
there nothing l can say to shake your
blind confidence in this treacherous
impostor?
Nothing" said Helena, with resolu-
ton; but l could see her troubled sur
prise at my reluctance.
Then 1 shall be forced to resort to
violence. am going to have those
papers, and at once. If you are so
blind to the grave danger of letting
this man keep the papers, even for the
moment, / am not How could he
have taken them from the safe unless
it were with the permission and per-
haps at the entreaty of this Madame
de Varnier?"
THE inference is clear enough,
should think-she must have left the
door of the safe open"
Helena spoke confidently, but trust
In me had been put to a sore test.
Your credulity is very great if you
think that. Why, madam, saw him
deliberately work the combination of
the safe
Helena uttered a cry of horror at
my supposed treachery. Her trust was
shattered.
81 could not dream of a villainy so
hypocritical."
Instinctively she came close to
Forbes side as if for protection. She
had read in my eyes that Forbes spoke
the truth. No words of mine could
convince her now of my sincerity.
Madame de Varnier had been quite
forgotten by us all. Until now she
had been listening in GREATNESS ST.
lence. Forbes declaration that | had
taken the papers must have seemed
to her the sheerest absurdity. She
had been certain that she had locked
the safe; she was equally certain that
no one but herself knew the word by