The Chickasha daily express. (Chickasha, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1899-current, 1908-06-26

then stopped short Your majesty
will pardon my weakness" he said
confusedly, but indeed am hardly
master Of myself. have not been
feeling well Of late"
You need rest, M Landre," said the
emperor smoothly; rest undisturbed'
by dreams OF political intrigue and
plots, domestic and foreign. Your en-
ergy and ambition form too heavy a
burden for you. Go home, M Landre,
and sIeep-if you can"
A hint of something ominous in his
imperial masters remarks grated uni
pleasantly on M. Landre's nerves, and
in obedience to a motion of the em-
peror's hand he left the cabinet hasti-
ly by the door at which he had en-
tered.
Scarcely had the sound of his foot
steps died away when Napoleon sum-.
moned his chief Of police from his hid.
ing place.
There remains but the punishment
Of the traitor, M. Claude" said the en-
peror His guilt Is sufficiently es1
tablished."
The chief glanced keenly at his inn
perial masters countenance, which
bore a look Of intense gloom and
anxiety.
III am not mistaken. sire, he said,
the arrest Of M. Landre in connections
with his tvaitorous conduct would un-
doubtedly expose a condition OF af1
fairs which must cause much unsav4
ory comment In France and abroadf1
1T is So" assented the emperor
YEARLY; but how can such an expos1
ure be averted?"
by letting him decide his own fstel
SIRE responded the chief M Lam
dres position is that Of a man betweenl
two fires. He cannot leave Paris, fon
he is watched by my men day and
night Even II he could fly he would
rot obtain a welcome In Prussia. Al
renegade spy Is useful to his employ
ers only as long as he Is undetected
by those be deceives Remains then
for him either the scaifold, as a PEN
atty for 4 traitor to his sovereign ana
country, or the galleyH for completely
IN the murders wrought by the Society
of Avengers. Confronted with these
specters of ruin and disgraceful DEATH
, it Is probable that he would prefer I'd
solve the problem with his own hand,
{ II your majesty wills II so. I MYSELF
will lay the proofs before him"
"You say well, NJ Claude" replied
the emperor. go then and conduct
I this affair TO its ending, according to
your own discretion"
An hour later NJ Claude entered
T, the magnificent mansion occupied by
5 M. Landre at Auteil, just without the
gates of the city. In answer to the
inquiry Of the chief. the servant who
5 admitted him stated that his master
+ had not yet retired and was alone In
e the library
8 NJ. Claude aseended the stairs ana
{ without knocking opened the door and
stepped into the apartment NJ Ian
b DIRE, gazing upon the stern features Of
. the. man whom he imagined TO have
4 been done to death by bis orders, ut
0 tered a scream OF horror, and stood
d rigid where he had arisen from his
S chair. NJ Claude's voice, cold and Inn
l. placable. broke the silence.
y Traitor and assassin" be said in
b slow, measured accents, st was no
visitant from another world that
u struck terror to your craEen heart To-
p night. NJ. Landre your day OF subtsT-
a fuge and villaiDy has come to close.
and the darkness gathers fast AROUND
you. Your plots are laid bare and the
; hour of retrlhution has arrived. Be
hold the tokens,"
ID He thrust his hand into his breast
u and brought forth bundle Of papers
which he placed upon the table.
r There lie the duplicates Of your
n reasonable correspondence with Prus
Of STA. continued the chief and here Is
Of the token that marked the victims Of
OF your mHrderous band"
Is A small arrow-shaped piece Of scar
q let metal rang sharply on the floor al
d. M Landres feet.
IN Ere the dawn rises in the east,
&c spoke NJ. Claude solemnly. the mem
Sc berS Of the Society Of Avengers viii bs
in the grasp Of the law awaiting theil
Id doom. As for you, this house Is sur
e rounded by police, but there viii b
m no attempt made to arrest you fol
half an hour At the expiration Of tha
n time / will return for you--should yol
OF stin be alive"
The perspiratiop trickled down n
'r- Landre's forehead and he tremble'
ID violently. but no reply came from BIZ
ed quirering, pallid lips. M Claude, pro
be ducing a brace Of loaded pistols
of tossed one Of them on the table
Of THE alternative!" he said griDlly
lb- pointing to the weapon
sr- Then with his eyes stilI fixed upOi
lis M. Landre, he stepped into the corr
a dor and closed the door behind hin
he The chief slowly descended the stair.
tic but ere be reached the middle land
ing a mufied report from The Abrar
3. rang through the air. followed BY
lst heavy fail
re NJ. Claude ran hastily back % u
on room Ne had inst left and threw cpe
n. .Wn ~