Morgan County republican. (Versailles, Mo.) 1906-1914, 1907-12-26
CHAPTER xxi.--continued.

Bah! don't mention that word to
me again. ! am sick of your hypocrisy.
You don't deceive me, let me tell you.
Your plea Of cowardice is a convenient
subterfuge. Every fact points to your
being In league with these adven-
turers. A coward wouldn't have taken
the risks you have taken. You saw
the man hiding in the stairway; you
saw him aiort t. fire on a helpless
girl; and you raised no hand. Am !
talking plainly erough?"
| looked into iocke's eyes, slaring
with rage and contempt, and laughed
aloud. 1t was actually a relief to have
my weakness exalted to the plane OF
deliberate villainy.
Laugh. my friend, but l am not to
be deceived by a laugh"
And now that | stand abased In my
naked deviltry?"
81 give you five minutes to make a
full and complete confession. IL at
the end of five minutes you still re-
fuse, / shall have you promptly arrest
ed for being q partner in the intrigues
of the Countess Sarahoff, for masquer-
uuiub db OIL hloltiinNi biS''t "H' w.
being an accomplice in the murder OF
Miss Brett"
Five minutes! The time was not
long. / knew Locke would keep his
word; but more than ever / was stub.
bornly resolved to refuse taking him
Into my confidence.
Could l tell him my reasons for act
Ing as I had done? Could I tell him
that | had set out on the romantic
quest Of saving a life for the life that
had been lost? Would he believe that?
At least without appealing to the wom-
an who had set me that task? To
drag in her name was impossible. 3
The minutes passed swiftly. So
this was the end of my task! Disgrace
and imprisonment! l had warned
Helena that might be the case. /
looked across the valley at the pin
nacles Of the Castle Of Happiness.
What a fool l have been!
Your time is almost up" said
Locke grimly, looking at the watch he
had placed on his knee. And Miss
Brett Is walking in the garden over
there. Do you wish her to see you
marched off to PRISON."
On the contrary, it was she who
must set me free. | would put her to
the supreme test. Now II she trusted
me as she had promised. l might yet
escape from the awkward dilemma.
| rose to my feet. 1 called to her,
Miss BRETT"
She came to US. My maneuver so
completely astonished Locke that he
stared at me speeches..
Miss Brett" I said quietly. "Mr.
Locke has taken upon himself the task
of bringing me to justice. He finds
me guilty Of completely In the In.
trigues of Madame de WARMER. He re-
fuses to believe that / I'M acting in
your behalf. l cannot blame him for
his suspicious. The facts are almost
wholly against me-the surface facts.
do not even deny most of them. But
he has woefully misconstrued my mo.
tives In every case. l refuse absolute
iy to tell him what those motives are.
He has threatened me with arrest I'M
less | make to him a full and complete
confession without delay. Mr.. Locke,
as / have said, is acting on the behalf
of your mother and yourself. Person
ally he has no right whatever to make
any complaint against me-"
Miss Brett will be the last person
TO shield you from punishment when
she knows the truth" interrupted
Locke, bewildered at my audacity in
appealing to her.
Among other things, Miss Brett"
continued eagerly, "he accuses MI of
being an accomplish in your attempted
murder in the stairway"
There are facts more tangible than
that" said Locke significantly.
But l refuse to listen to them"
said Helena, reassuring me with a
quiet glance. Il am not so ignorant
of these facts, perhaps, as you mag
Inc, Mr.. Locke. l have every conf
dence in you, Mr.. Haddon. As to caus.
ing your arrest, that is absurd"
Thank YOU" l returned, with a pas.
sion of gratitude In my heart. You
will hear from me before midnight. II
at the end of that time you do not, /
think 1t would be well for you to con-
suit Mr.. Locke. He knows a great
deal of which you are ignorant"
"Be sure of this, sir, ! shall not wait
until midnight to enlighten Miss
Brett" cried Locke, his face purple
with anger and chagrin.
"Mr. Locke, let us understand each
other" said Helena, and even Locke
lelt that her decision was irrevocable.
fMr Haddnn ia NV frIand rafuca IN
believe him guilty of dishonor, much
less of deliberate crime. l refuse, and
my mother will refuse, to press any
charge against him. More than that,
we trust him to help US In our dif.
6culties.'
Locke closed the face of his watch
with a snap.
IF you have come to that decision"
he said with assumed carelessness,
there is nothing more to be said. II
can be Of service to you, you will
ind me at the hotel at midnight, as
the chivalrous Mr.. Haddon has sug.
gested."
We were alone. But Helena was Of
10 mind to receive my thanks or my
assurances that | had been absolutely
ignorant that Locke or any other had
been in the stairway.
Until ~ tonight" she said.
Until 10 tonight" I repeated. l
lifted my hat and walked swiftly to-
ward the chateau,
CHAPTER XXI.