Charlevoix county herald., 1908-10-10

Vfvaseur. Monsieur Will, perhaps, Dc
kind enough to reflect II he has ever
heard such a name"
Monsieur had. apparently, not heard
such a name. There was silence. The
ivy leaves parted and shot down a
crimson ray upon the tomb.
Monsieur finds the story more In
terestingw asked Edouard of the vel
vet voice. Monsieur will remember
that she was the daughter Of kings
and mobiles, and that blood OF the
crusaders ran In her veins. Yet her
brothers found her one morning lying
beside that tomb. dead, with a dead
babe in her arms"
The two shadowy figures moved up
a step nearer, but monsieur did not
heed them. He was staring as II fas-
cinated at the tomb with the spot OF
crimson dancing upon 1t.
There was silence SO deep and so
long that it might have lasted for
years.
When monsieur moved, 1t was to-
ward the tomb. The spot of red wa
vered and trembled upon carved let
tering.
ITO One Forgotten" he read.
He still had command Of himself.
"They placed that above her? Yet
she is not forgotten" he said to Edo
uard.
Monsieur takes that for her tomb?"
asked Edouard, softly. But, indeed,
she is not buried there. She lay be-
side 1t to die, but the tomb was not
for her. 1t is reserved, monsieur, for
the man who played with the little
convent girl, and sent her home to
die"
To eyes accustomed to the shadows,
it could be seen that monsieur's face
had whitened. Yet he spoke lightly.
He even smiled.
ITO One Forgotten he repeated,
looking Edouard in the face. But he
is not forgotten. Perhaps he is not
even dead"
Monsieur" said Edouard, softly,
"he is BOTH"
Edouard had stopped and touched
something at his feet, and the slab
of marble was mysteriously lifted and
swung away. Thick darkness lay
within.
Monsieur was aware that the two
shadows had closed up, and were on
either hand. He turned his eyes from
one to the other of them.
Clermont, of the club, and the dark
stranger of the library.
A sense came upon him that the
club and the library were worlds OF
space and thousands Of years away
that the only realities were these
three dark figures and the tomb by
whose cold side the daughter of kings
and crusaders had lain down to die.
1t could not be more cold within
than it had been without.
And yet he had not meant
81 see," he said, YEARLY, at the end
Of that long pause. mo doubt you
would prefer that l should do this
thing voluntarily, Monsieur de la vi
vaseur?"
I'VE should greatly prefer it, mon
sieur" said that one who had lately
been Edouard.
Monsieur stepped into the tomb and
sat down.
You won't object to my smoking?"
lie asked, taking out fresh cigar
and a match. 1T will shorten things,
maybe"
Monsieur de la Vivaseurs face was
set.
"Adieu, monsieur" he said, giving
another touch to that mysterious
something on the floor.
There was a glow of a cigar IN the
darkness as the stone swung back and
settled into its place.
At the farther end of the chapel a
its way among the stones.
"Have you brought the cement,
Jean?" asked Monsieur de la Viva
seur.
at is here, your grace" said the old
man.
Seal up the tomb-it has been
opened for the last time" said mon
seigneur: and the three went out,
without looking back.
The old man listened for a furtive
moment. with his ear at the edge of
the marble slab. Silence.
Then he took the cement and sealed
up every crevice, and went his way
The red glow from the window
leaped from the tomb to the floor, and
crept along it, over the fallen stones,
and up the wall, as though it were
eager to get away. Down among the
shadows lay the dim gray shape given
over to the use Of One Forgotten.