Morgan County republican. (Versailles, Mo.) 1906-1914, 1908-01-02
CHAPTER xxiII.-continued.

SttFF Ih
He attempted to close the door
again. Finding that impossible, his
presence Of mind deserted him. l
brushed by HIM, and had pushed open
the door at the head Of the stairway
before he could come to a decision.
Wait herel" I said in a tone OF
command. II have an appointment
with Madame de Varnler. You were
coming for me, Of course?"
mo-" he answered sullenly. MA
dam is at her devotions; she Is not to
be disturbed"
II am the best Judge Of that" And
added again, Wait here!"
i found myself in a great barnlike
room when l had locked the door be-
hind me at the head of the staircase.
1t was lighted dimly by narrow win
dows placed high against the roof oil
r%afters. and was almost bare of furni-
ture. At the three angles Of this room
were the three closed doors. So far
the crafty knave had told the truth.
But in which of these rooms should
/ find Madame de WARMER? And in
which Captain Forbes?
It awaited me little to have pene-
trated so far into the enemy's strong
hold unless | could accomplish still
more. At any moment Alphonse might
give the alarm, and | wished to take
Madame de WARMER by surprise.
l began to make a circuit of the tri-
angular room. | paused at each door
a-I B-NnlgaI aaft1xv A. nnnA nf TIM
rooms did I receive any response. |
was at once perplexed and ~dismayed.
There was no reason why either Cap
tain Forbes or Madame de WARMER
should keep silence.
And then a maddening thought
struck me. Perhaps my crafty knave.
jacques. had been more cunning than
/ had given him the credit OF beng.
What II he had cleverly whetted my
curiosity. acting on instructions from
DR.. Starva? What II Alphonse had
deliberately lured me here? What IL
] we're a prisoner myself?
Dismayed that l should have been
SO great a fool, I again made the
round OF each of the doors, not knock
luB ltlS tlIlt, uul bIdhihS IA anu
OF each. And as I seized the handle
OF the third door, 1t yielded to the
touch and swung silently on its hinges.
stood at the Intel, abashed at my
angry intrusion.
1t was the oratory OF Madame de
WARMER.
Little larger than a closet, and In
shape a half crescent; the walls were
hung with purple velvet. Facing me
was an altar. Two tapers fickered on
either side of the crucifix.
Before the altar, her eyes benz to
the crucifx, knelt Madame de WARMER,
the adventures, absorbed In her de-
votions. Even my entrance was un.
noticed.
But 1t was not piety Of this ex.
traordinary woman that held me petri-
fed in establishment and speeches..
Within arms reach, al l stood there,
was a bier. And on 1t, his hands
crossed on his breast, his pallld face
strangely calm. lay the mortal remains
of him whom / knew at once to be Sir
Mortimer Brett.
IL "uD thb oPphiitiohs iCi'
rifying, because 1t might have been
myself lying there, so strikIngly SINH.
lar at first sight was the likeness of
myself to the dead minister. But as
the candles, which had flickered in the
draught made by the open door,
burned more steadily and | looked at
his face closely | saw that after all
th1 apnn,h1ann uFno hnt GunnrHntaI II
recovered my senses. Now at last. ]
was to know the truth.
Twice l opened my lips to call to
the woman who knelt there. But ]
could not bring myself to speak. The
holy dead banished passion from this
place. Here ! could not reproach and
threaten her. / stood silently at the
threshold. plying rather than con
demning, waiting for her to discover
my presence.
Minutes passed before she turned
her head.
Our eyes met, myself sternly ques'
tioning with a look. Startled she was
at my dramatic entrance. but she met
my stern look in absolute calm. Nc
terror or shadow Of guilt distorted her
tragic beauty. l had come to de
nounce, to demand Justice. found
myself rather plying.
Madame de Varnier," I said gently
"the hour has come when you must
tell me the truth"
/ raised her to her feet and led her
from the oratory, closing the door be
hind me.
She chung TO me In the fervor Of her
appeal.
Yes" she whispered, ut is the hour
when you must know the truth"