The Beaver herald. [volume] (Beaver, O.T. [Okla.]) 1895-1923, 1908-12-17

ders and smiled.
Thereafter, on any occasion that
offered. l was to be found at Croteaus
home. always with some toy or n bit
of bonbons for the boys-bright little
fellows of FIVE and seven years-and
occasionally with the latest novel or a
new magazine for madame. And she
while Croteau was about. the cold
ness of our first meeting was still as
sumed, while when alone with me she
showed that had won her friendship
even her affection"
Monsieur raped sharply on the
table with the diamond ball, and the
polished wood showed the hicks where
the sharp points had scratched. When
our order had been filed. he con
tinued:
In various ways, as we grew to
know each other better. found out
that all was not well with sIme. Gro
teau, and finally one evening, when
we were alone, she broke down and
told me all. Croteau was a beast--a
brute; insanely Jealous; he treated
her shamefully, and my last visit had
been the cause of the great bruises
on her fair white arms-big, angry
bruises that made me see red. And
then she made me promise to do moth
ing-only to stay away! Oh the great
and pure love of a mother! For her
boys sake she would stay with this
brute-would live in constant terror
and shame, that their lives might re-
main unsullied. II hurt me more than
you may know, mon ami, to make this
promise. but saw that It was the best
the only-thing to do. Only wished
for one more meeting. The morrow
was to be her birthday, her twenty.
seventh birthday, and craved the
boon Of calling then and presenting
her with a keepsake and to never
again see her. To this she very re-
luctantly agreed, and on the morrow
called with this bauble," he pointed to
the diamond ball attached to the end
Of the whip, "as a gift. Twenty-seven
stones there are. you see; one for each
pure, fresh year of her clean young
life. Surprised and delighted, she
could only gasp and stare, and /, In
ecstasy over her pleasure, reached
suddenly forward to place the chain,
to which II was attached, around her
neck. And then, while in this posi-
tion, Croteau entered the room. His
face was livid; his eyes protruded; the
veins in his temples were swelled and
distorted, and his face twitched hor-
ribly. In his hand he carried a great
blacksnake whip.
'So!' he screamed, 1T has come to
this, has it?' and before l could in
terfere he had brought the wicked,
whirring whip squarely across his
wife's tense, white face. Not a sound
did she utter, but sank slowly forward,
and fell, a crumpled heap upon the
floor.
Monsieur carefully lighted another
cigarette, but his hand trembled motto
ably. When | set down my empty
stein it ratified loudly on the table, but
monsieur did not apparently notice 1t.
ut Is good to be strong sometimes
is 1t not so, mon ami? My fingers
closed tightly around Croteaus throat.
Finding | could not reach him easily,
| released one hand and tore his collar
off. Then ] held him securely.
minded not the blows which he was
raining on me with ever diminishing
force / had but one object in view
Suddenly, however, the thought came
to me that this wretch was dying
much easier than he had the right to
do, and / cast him one side to the
floor, where he lay gasping and claw.
: ing at his throat.
} Quickly undoing the silken ropes
! from the portiere, / dragged the beast
to a heavy armchair. and tied him
securely in 1t, seated, facing me. Then
, | took the great whip and cut off just
four feet Of the lash, to the end OF
! which | tied the diamond ball, taken
from the chain on madames neck. II
was then as you see 1t now"
The lean. sensitive fingers Of mon
: sieur began to uncurl the whip length
: in his hand. Then he spoke again
} quietly, tensely, slowly = illustrating
what he said by his actions.
81 waited until he had fully regained
consciousness, when / lightly tossed
J the diamond ball towards his eyes, re
tanning the end of the lash in my hand
| and suddenly cracking it, much as q
driver cracks his whip on his horses
neck-so!"
. The diamond ball shot out with in
credible swiftness, and cracked stop
4. ping about two inches short of q
} spear Of palm leaf, which he had
, evidently picked as his target.
Gradually, let the ball come
I closer and closer, until finally"
. He stopped short and with a sharI
crack the palm leaf spear shot off as
! though cut with knife. closed my
eyes and my head swan.
"AnG then" monsieur continued, 90
I started on the other eye. But It was
unnecessary, When they found him
the next morning he was locked in his
, room, with the key on the inside
; transoms are very handy-a hopeless
lunatic."
| Monsieur eyed me curiously for 9