The Colfax chronicle. [volume] (Colfax, Grant Parish, La.) 1877-1981, 1907-09-28

e,ve him, an opiate. you understand.
r. he Is awakened he may be sane o.
he may deny his very identity.
(which Is his rooms"
Captain Forbes, ! forbid II II /"
impossible. l warn YOU
Madame de WARMER opened the door
of the bedroom quietly.
| .If the gentleman insists ON ewak.
ing Sir Mortimer we are poweriess'
she said gently. But at least let MN
not be excited more than necessary
sir"
az SHAH endeavor to follow your IN
structions, madam" said Forbes sunny.
| He strobe to my bedside. couid
imagine with what breathless anxiety
the adventures watched him. was
he sufficiently intimate with Sir MOT
timer Brett to denounce me instantly
as an impostor!
"Your Excellency!" he said sensS'
"Your Excellency!"
The immediate danger Of discovery
was past. At least he had not de-
! tected the deception so far. He caiieo
!. me again; he shook my shoulder TO
spectfully. l opened my eyes.
"What is 1t ?" demanded. bewildered.
= am horrified to-day when think OF
the facility that was mine in playing
:. this game OF intrigue. / looked IAN
: euidly from Captain Forbes to Madame
de WARMER, who had resumed her seat
at the bedside. The question was ad-
dressed to her.
II She took my hand. This is Captain
Forbes, q kings messenger. He mas
brought you dispatches OF impor-
m lance"
= "Ah, yes," 1 said YEARLY. and looked
70 at him with dull eyes.
- "I am sorry to arouse you, 81.
contempt for the man struggled wltn
-. (respect for his office. "But my orders
=. at the Foreign Office were to give yo'
10 these papers at the earliest possiDis
- moment. The business is urgent Ma!
= suggest that you read them at once!'
NV eyes unconsciously turned U
| Madame de WARMER for guidance. Sn'
stroked my hand gently.
DO you not see that he 10 IN n
condition to be disturbed tonight!
she asked Indignantly.
For the first time Captain Foroe
hesitated. He placed one sunpurne
hand on his breast as if to guard 1ea
ously the dispatches he bore. That D
should hesitate at all seemed to m
Incredible. But Captain ForDe
seemed fair example of that type
Englishman who performs his dut
with the stubbornness and obstinac
of a fool as well as hero. Chans
Il often determines which Of the tv
4 characters he shall assume. 1t Is trt
| he had not the remotest suspicion tn
IA II was not Sir Mortimer. But sure
he must see that was in the power
these adventures.
I'll All my fears reached . china
when, looking steadily at me m
ment, he turned to the others:
III Il must speak to Sir Mortlm
alone"
saw Starva grasp the revolver &C
cealed beneath his coat. Madame
WARMER silenced the protests on
lips with a meaning glance. She re
lied the uselessness of further resi-
ance.
you will not excite him more tn
necessary" she entreated anxious
- And you must not be surprised
81 And his mind still confused as res
. of the opiate given him."
II shall spare him as tar as pc:
bic" Forbes replied with some ste
mess. Drawing himself erect, his ar
folded, he waited until the door
closed behind them.
My first impulse was to put an
to this farce. But again hesita'
They were listening outside that DC
every suspicion was alert; the Silt
est cause would fan the suspicion
a flame.
And then. what? / should b
made myself ridiculous to no purp'
had gone far in my reckless vent
100 far to risk all by attempting
warn Captain Forbes at this cru
d to- moment. His brain worked too slo
-he was too deficient in imagina
Star foo much lacking in subtlety
Anesse. I refused-recklessly, II
/ can will. but deliSerately-to risk the
this cess of my scheme by drumming
i, not the dull brain of Captain Forbes
ounce true state of AFFAIRS. 1t would !
away taken him good quarter OF an
y. If to grasp merely the facts. AT
nutes time he would understand just enc
otel." of them to be stubbornly GOWN
that / was equally involved with
other two, but he would think
read nerve had failed me and that
. will attempting to purchase my own
dom from punishment at the exp
18th q of the others. And certainly
power would drag me down with then
cision for no other nurpose than reve