Dakota farmers' leader. (Canton, S.D.) 1890-19??, 1907-03-22
49,
Madame Midas
BY FerSul Hume
CHAPTER xxI.-(continued. )
BY FerSuS Hume

eOnS night" pursued CASTOR, in a low
concentrated voice, grasping Meddlechip'
wrist firmly, and looking at him with fer.
eyes, "Braulard prepared a poison, a mar
cotic which was quick in It's action, fata
in its results. He goes to the house o
Adele Blondet at half past twelve o'clocl
1.-THE hour now" he said, rapidly swing
ing round and pointing to the clock OIL
the m~antelpiece. which had just strucl
the half hour; ''he found them at supper
releasing Meddlechip's wrist and crossing
to the sofa ''he sat opposite kestrike
as he does now" leaning forward an
glazing at Medllechip, who shrank bacl
in his chair. adele. at the head of III
table, laughs and smiles she looks at hel
old lover and sees murder in his face
she is i'll and retires to another room
Kestrike follows her to see what is thu
matter. Braulard is left alone; he pro
duces a bottle and pours it's contents int
a cup of coffee, waiting for Adele. kes
trike returns, saying Adele is i'll; sh'
wants a drink. He takes her the poison
ed cup of coffee she drinks it and falls
with a long breath-"asleep. kestrikt
returns to the room, asks Braulard tt
leave the house. Braulard refuses. kes
trike is afraid, and would leave himself
he rises from the table so does Braulard
here CASTOR rose and crossed to NEEDLE
chip, who was also on his feet-'he goes
to Kestrike, seizes his wrist, thus-drags
him to the next room, and there lies Adele
Blondet-dead-killed by the poison oil
one lover given her by the other-and the
murderers look at one another-thus."
Meddlechip wrenchcd his hand from
Vandeloup's iron grip and falls back
CHASTITY white in his chair, with a stran-
gled cry, while the Frenchman stood over
him with eyes cleaning with hatred.
"Kcstrike," pursued Vandeloup, rapid
ly, lis little known in Paris-his name
is an assumed one-he leaves France be.
fore the police can discover how he has
poisoned Adele Blondet, crosses to Eng
land and returns to Australia, where he
is Enthusiastically"
The man in the chair threw up his
hands, as il to keep the other off, and
uttered a stifed cry.
"He then goes to China" went on Gas
ton, bending nearer to the shrinking fig
ure, ''and returns after twelve months,
where he meets Octave Braulard-yes, the
two murderers meet in Melbourne! How
came Braulard here? Was it chance:
No. Was it design? No. Was it Fate!
Yes"
He Kissed the words in Meddlechip's
ear, and the wretched man shrank away
from him again.
"Braulard," pursued yandeloup, in a
calmer tone, ''also left the house of Adele
Blondet. She is found dead one of her
lovers cannot be found; the other, Brau-
lard, is accused OF the crime; he defes
IL. -zI.n~ - r1p t.. che hos haop moi
soned. Bah there is no trace. Branlard
will 20 free. Stop! who is this man call
ed Prevol who appears? He is a fellow
student of Braulard's, and knows the poi
son. Braulard is lost! Preyol examines
the body, proves that poison has been Civ
en-by whom? Braulard, and none other.
He is sentenced to death; but he is so
handsome that Paris urges pardon. No;
it is not according to the law Still,
spare his life? Yes. His life is spared.
The galleys at Toulon? No. New Gale
donia? Yes. He is sent there. But is
Braulard a coward? No. Does he rest as
a convict? No. He makes friends with
another convict they steal n boat, and fly
the island they drift, and drift, for days
days. the sun rises, the sun sets-stil.
they drift; their food is giving out, the
water in the barrel is low are they to die
of thirst and famine? No. The sky is
red--like blood-the sun is sinking; land
is. in the distance-they are saved J" fall
ing on his knees they are saved"
Meddlechip, who had recovered himself,
wiped his face with his handkerchief, and
sneered with his white lips at the theat-
rical way Castor was beaving in.
"You know a secret" said Meddlechip,
~nervously, which is dangerous to me
you want to sell it; well. I will be the
buyer-name your price"
Five hundred pounds" said Vande-
loup, quietly.
..Is that alI?" asked the other, with a
start of surprise; Il was prepared for five
thousand"
II am not exorbitant in my demands"
answered vandeloup, smoothly .and l
a scheme on hand by which ! may
make a lot of money--fve hundred pounds
is sufficient to do what l want. If the
scheme succeeds l will be rich enough to
do without any more money from you"