Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1907-08-01
CHAPTER IL.

| softly, and, opening the window with
great caution lest it should squeak upon
! its iron hinges, looked out again upon
the front of the house. Everything was
| enyeloped in a food of moonlight The
fine grasses upon the lawn glittered like
spears OF ice with the heavily falling
dew drops. The call of a night bird TO
its mate was the only sound that broke
the stiffness. The beauty of the night
| touched her deeply, and the song of the
| nightingale more profoundly yet. She
leaned her head against the window frame
and her slight form shook with suppress
ed sobs. The thought came that every
minutes delay would make it more diff
cult for her lover to escape from the
house. In a few hours the village would
be stirring. He would be seen by some
peasant going early afeld, as he left the
grounds. She must at once summon him
from his hiding place. In few min
utes he could be gone, and she would
breathe freely again.
Advancing on tiptoe to the door of the
chamber, she turned the handle softly and
stepped out into the passage. The house
was perfectly quiet. In the semi-dark
ness she crept timidly up the corridor,
feeling her way with the tips of her fin
gers against the old oaken wainscoting.
At last her foot struck against a door
mat. She tried to recollect what door
mat it was. She stopped and passed her
| hand over it. 1t was an old-fashioned
rag mat of American make, such as one
sees in the houses of middle class farm
ers in New England. 1t had been her
lovers request to have such a thing at
| the door of his room. 1t reminded him
of his old home across the seas. 1t was
all right. This was the apartment she
wanted. She placed her fingers upon the
handle of the door, opened it little way,
and called softly:
Charles !"
To her surprise there was no answer.
She opened the door wider yet. and went
in. The moonlight, shining in through
the window streamed over the carpet and
made every portion of the chamber plain
ly visible She glanced quickly around.
To her intense establishment the room
was empty. Trembling with fear and ex-
element she again issued forth, and stood
once more in the corridor. At the very
moment that she did so. a pistol shot
reverberated loudly through the chateau.
And then from all parts of the house Its
inmates rushed hurriedly.
1t was 4 terror-stricken assemblage OF
men and women, aroused in the dead OF
the night by that sharp, ominous appall-
ing sound. In the supreme quiet of The
| chateau the pistol shot had rung out with
terrible distinctness. Though terrified
beyond measure in the almost certain
knowledge that some dreadful tragedy
! had taken place, Harriet Weldon did not
hesitate a moment. Dashing along the
corridor she flung aside the heavy drap-
cries which separated Nine. Roupells
sleeping apartment from her sitting room,
and bravely entered.
Face to face, NJ. Chabot and her lover
were standing. On the floor between
them, lying at full length, her face turn
ed upward, CHASTITY in the dim light of the
solitary candle, lay Nine Roupell. From
bullet wound in her forehead, little
blood was slowly oozing on to the floor
and mating with its crimson flood the
gray, waving and carefully combed hair.
The room seemed suddenly to fill with
people, all looking through a kind of mist.
A CHASTITY, unwholesome pallor was on
each face. The ordinary proprieties of
|
tionalities of dress were forgotten. Emily
was bending over the PROSTATE woman,
her fine features pale as death, but set
as in marble, and showing no trace of
tears or womanly weakness. She seemed
the only collected one in the room all
the rest stood gasping and staring, help
less, bewildered frightened group. Emily
| evinced no surprise at seeing Van Llth
there so Unexpectedly, as everyone else
did. With much presence of mind, she at
once turned her attention to the sufferer,
to see what could be done for her. She
gave orders clearly and rapidly, and with
a marvellous self-command.
Lift her up and place her on the bed.
Keep her head raised. This pillow so.
Bring me water, quickly"
She bathed tie cold. inanimate face :;
she folded her handkerchief up into a
wad and placed it over the fatal spot.
She bound over it as tightly as possible
long bandage torn from the white COW
erlet Then she turned to Jean. the
coachman, who, hearing the disturbance
from the adjoining stables, had rushed
into the house accompanied by the gar
| dener.
Take the fastest horse you have and
ride to the village. Send DIR. Croizet
ND here: and then keep right straight on
into Paris. Here, take this with you"
She turned to the writing table and
hastily penned the following note:
please come to US Immediately, and
bring with you the best surgeon you can
find. Aunt Ruth has been shot fear
fatally. Come at once, l beg of you, or
you may be too late.
EMILY WELDON"
She folded the note and addressed it to
"Dr. Paul Mason,
Rue de Reverdy, No. 24''
How long will it take you to deliver
that?" she asked, as she handed it to
the coachman.
1T is fourteen miles," replied the man.
81 can do it in an hour and half
Il can cover the distance in half the
time" exclaimed Van Lith, eagerly STEP
ping forward. He had been standing
quietly by Harriet, endeavoring to com
fort her. Give me the note, / will go
at once"
Emily was about to hand it to him.
when the voice of NJ. Chabot was heard
raised in marked remonstrance. He smoke
slowly. deliberately, and as Charles Van
Lith listened, he felt that each word
was an iron link in that chain which was
soon to bind him hand and foot, and hold
him up to the world a murderer.
Monsieur Van Lith must not leave
this house until the shooting of Madame
Roupell has been investigated by the
proper authorities
The suddenness of this accusation. the
horror of it, the facts which, with its ut
terance, instantaneously arose in the
mind of Van Lith and arrayed themselves
remorselessly against him, deprived him
for the moment of the power of reply
In the dead silence that ensued NJ Cha
bot turned and dispatched the coachman
on his errand, adding in an imperative
tone:
After you have called up the doctor,
stop at Monsieur Revell's, the mayor, ex-
plain briefly what has happened. then
go to Monsieur Delorne's, the justice of