Morgan County republican. (Versailles, Mo.) 1906-1914, 1908-01-23
cHAP1ER xXVIL.-contlnued.

Madame de WARMER seated herself
in the shadow, SO that she would not
at once confront Helena as she en-
tered. Her je-eled fingers touched
her hair lightly; her pose suggested
the languid Indifference Of a woman
of the world who awaits the entrance
of a caller. Mercy and tenderness and
womanly pity we're denied this beauti-
full animal at her birth. Or these d.
vine qualities had been fiercely
crushed by fanatic zeal.
| paced to and fro in an agony OF
rage and pity; and this Medusa fol
lowed my every movement with her
cruel, hooking smile.
The woman whom l had hoped to
ave from suffering, yes, the woman
I loved, was coming to this chamber
of horror. She was coming, radiant
with hope. Happiness awaited her,
she thought-the caresses Of a loved
brother, %repentant of his momentary
folly. And. perhaps, her heart was
beating high with gratitude to Te-to
the man who she thought had made
this much wished.for reconciliation
DbSblDlt.
Black despair awaited her in the
little oratory yonder. She was to be
tortured with a dilemma as cruel as
ever racked the heart Of woman.
But her decision | could not doubt.
l had a proud faith in this lady who
had sent me into the lists to fight for
her. When first | had seen her on the
terrace Of the hotel at Lucerne-it
seemed ages ago, instead Of days-I
remembered how her clear gaze had
thrilled me. The calm, ~unwavering
look Of her gray eyes was truth itself,
! had thought. A lie was not possible
for her-not ever a lie to be spoken
by another for her sake.
But with what adherence would
she regard me! Had l not been drawn
in the subtle web of this Circe's net,
the dilemma at least would not exist
for her. But II the dilemma did not
exist, Sir Mortimer's dlshonor would
still be a terrible reality. After all,
TIE curtain had not fallen yet. Helena
and l were both puppets in the hands
Of capricious Fortune. It was she
who he'll the balances: or, rather a
Just God whose wheels may turn
slowly, but o or later He sees
that justice is done.
/ had left the door slightly ajar. 1t
was pushed open with a brusque sud-
denness that startled. The servant
must have known the tragedy that
awaited the woman he was conducting
here. With a Frenchman's love Of the
dramatic. he ushered her in with
pompous ceremony, and stood waiting
eypectantly. AS l closed the door
roughly on him, Helena saw me.
Madame de WARMER, seated in the
shadow, she had not yet seen.
| scanned her face closely. l saw
that not hope nor the expectancy of
q happy meeting with her brother was
her dominant emotion. Eager she
was, but 1t was the eagerness of NIX
lety, and not OF hope. Her quiet as
surance came from courage and self
control. Her brother had disappeared
mysteriously; Captain Forbes had been
the victim Of a trick; she had put her
faith in one who was almost a stran-
ger to her; and now she had ventured
to the chateau alone. Even a man
might have hesitated.
But wien l stood before her, I was
touched to see how she leaned on me,
who had twice failed her.
MY ~brother?" she whispered.
Once before she had wrung from
me the bitter truth. Now, as then, a
certain courage came from her pres
ence. Her own scorn of weakness and
subterfuge supported me. l answered
her simply, as | knew she would have
me answer-the direct, stern truth:
"Your brother is dead, Miss Brett"
There followed a silence SO intense
that | could hear quite distinctly the
river Aare beating against the chateau
walls. With the curious i~rrelevance
that comes so often in moments Of
tense anxiety | thought II strange that
Captain Forbes had not given some
sign Of his presence in his prison dur
ing the past half hour. Helena leaned
toward me, frowning slightly as II in
perplexity.
Dead, did you say? Not dead"
/ repeated the words; unconscious
ly / spoke a little louder. The scene
seemed unreal, theatric. Again the
irrelevant thought intruded, how,
when a boy, l used to wonder II all the
things that had hitherto happened in
my life-all my eXistence-were not
one long dream; a dream from which
] should awake presently, to find my
self living a life utterly different.
1T seems, sir" she faltered, that
your mission is always to bring bad
tidings. 1t al only the other day
you told me that the man who loved
me had died. Now 1t is to tell me that
the brother | loved so much is dead
She smiled pitifully, a curiously
twisted smile that expressed her suf.
fering more than any tears. No re-
proaches could have troubled me as
did that pathetic smile. ] turned abb
ruptly to Madame de WARMER, whom
she had not yet sSen. My rage and
pity overcome my reason. / might
have appealed to a heather idol sitting
in grotesque majesty in its temple of
gloom with as little effect.
"You are a woman You must have
a woman's heart; you must feel some
tenderness for others in their grief
You have told me that your life has
been one OF suffering; then have
mercy for this girl who is suffering
You will not torture her further. You
will leave t her the only comfort that
remains for her, the proud memory OF
a brother who served his country with
honor"
at is for you to do that, monsieur.
She spoke with ass Imed indifference
lingering the cross that hung from
her neck.
"Mr. Haddon," said Helena proudly
"you will make no appeal to Madame