Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1907-10-02
CHAPTER XVIII.
"CoWard!"

the hour. 1t was six. The chateau
walls cast 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 to an end;
and the night was mysterious with it's
promise of despair.
This tower of the three rooms! Two
of these rooms held their tragedies.
What if the third room had it's ira
gedy likewise!
I struck sharply the door of that
room in which Madame de WARMER
had said that Captain Forbes was i'm
prisoned. 1 listened; there was no
answer. 1 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 lifeless body of Forbes; for if all
were we'll, why should there be this
ominous quiet?
The suspense was uncomfortable I
listened at the door of the room that
concealed the two women / heard
the murmer Of voices. That treasured
me so far as Helena's safety was con-
cerned; but it made me absolutely
certain that Captain Forbes must have
heard my voice if he were living. and
in that room.
And when the two women came out?
1 shrank from that coming with
dread. had told Helena to be brave.
to ignore the evidence of her own
sight. But had been shaken in my
own belief as to Sir Mortimer's inno-
cence. Surely her faith would be
greater than mine;' but the evidence
seemed so overwhelmingly against Sir
Mortimer, If Sir Mortimer's letters
and notes were genuine At any rate
the woman loved must hold bitter
cup to her blanched lips; it must be
emptied to the very dregs. Her suffer
ing was inevitable, whether she be-
ieved her brother innocent or guilty.
could not doubt that she would
refuse to purchase the silence of
Madame de WARMER at the cost of fur
ther dishonor, even though l were
chiefly to bear that myself But if
she demanded that? Was I strong
enough to resist her tears? must be.
My reason told me Of the folly of
Madame de WARMERS plan. But if
yielded weakly presently, and the ruse
actually succeeded. I knew that the
hypocrisy of the act would become
more and more dreadful to Helena
with the coming years. No; if in that
supreme ecstacy Of her agony she
should entreat me, must still refuse.
I must decide for her. even though
she thought my own cowardice re-
sponsible for that refusal
Coward! How that word beat a
devils tattoo on my excited brain. It
had been the keynote to all my suffer
ing, and to all my joy. WilIoughby
had died uttering it.; Helena had
echoed it in thought: and Madame de
WARMER had spoken 1t again and again
in her fierce contempt during the past
hour. Yes. it was the keynote of my
suffering and my JOY. It was tho
motif that obtruded again and again in
the stormy music of these past hours.
It was a baneful talisman, watch
word. Its letters seemed to have al
most magic potency. It was a coun-
tersign that opened for me the gates
Of paradise and hell
A talisman! A watchword! A coun-
tersfgn! Suddenly saw the word
COWARD written in flaming let
tiers. They revolved furiously. They
danced before my vision.
This was sheer madness-this i'm
possible conjecture. reasoned the un-
reasoning impulse to hope against
hope. But the forlorn, desperate pos
sibility fought obstinately for .,recog-
nition 1t held me with all the damn
ing power of a haIlucination.
And then suddenly it became con-
viction. 1t was no longer an impossi- ]
BILE hope, not even an intuition. 1t be-
came an absolute belief. certainty.
And this was the reason for my be- |
lief:
{ Whenever Madame de WARMER had |
mentioned the safe she had called me
coward.
COWARD!
That was the combination of the |
safe.
At last a door opened, Helena made |
her way toward me with uncertain
steps, her hands held out before her.
as one cropping in the dark. Her splen-
did fearlessness was gone. She look.
ed at me with the wild eyes of a
wounded animal vainfy seeking way
of escape As she reached my side
her hands were still held out as if 70: |
protection. / grasped them firmly. :
but did not speak.
Cro BE CONTINUED)
A kiss on the lips Is worth two on
the hand.