The Taney County republican. (Forsyth, Mo.) 1895-1992, 1909-02-11

/ great DalI OF diamonds, attached ID IS
| end. srarkled and slittered wicI:etl;y
| reminding me of the bright, balefu,
| CLEAN in the eye Of the snake about tc
| strike.
Probably you have discerned thai
| do not belong to the life With which
l am now associated, the same as j
can see that you do not belong. IL
my country we-but that does net
matter-how do you say It? 'Ciccun-
stances alter cases, lis it not? Sol"
He smoked refectively for a time,
and sat silently watching. s,rp;ng
my stein of beer slowly.
81 met Croteau-for Sc i shall call
him--at my club, and a warm frie.i..
ship soon sprang up between us. in
one way and another We were throw
much IN each others company, and
when Croteau invited me to his home
to meet his wife and boys l readily ac-
cepted.
And, ali, his wife! No lovelfer
woman has lived. When we first met
she was gracious and courteous, but,
thought, rather cool towards the most
intimate friend of her husband.
have indeed a prize and he, in hi@
happygo-lucky way, shrugged his shout
ders and smiled.
Thereafter, on any occasion tha:
offered, l was to be found ct Croteaus
home, always with some toy or bit
of bonbons for the bcys-bri2ht little
fellows of five and seven ycars-and
occasionally with the latest novel or a
new magazine for madame. And she
while CrCtCau was about, the cod
ness of ou. first meeting was still as
sumed, while when alcno with NE she
showed that l had won her friendship
even her agecticn.''
Monsieur raped sharply on the
table with the diamond bail, All y,
polished wood showed the hicks where
the sharp points had scratched. When
our order had been Clled, he con
tinued:
In various ways, as we grew t.
know each other bct:ec. ! found 0ut
that ali was not we'll wiz, 1Eme. CcC.
teau, and finally cne eye1.nS, when
we were alone, she broke down and
told me all. CTo,cru was becs.--2
brute; insanely Jealous; he treatef,
her sham aiuliy, G.! -:2y l2ct ii I Il
been the cause e tie gTcct J-u s..
On her fair Wi cc:n----3 ;. =, =
bruises that lCa = IT, &C I'd. - :.
then she made l.c :r1mis@ 10 L. mol
ing-only TO say away: ih :I:c Gr1a,
and pure love cf q mother, Eor =
boys sake she wcU-d stay W.T. thi-
brutc--would live IN constant terror
and shame, that their lives might re
main unsullied. Il hurt me rloTa than
you may know, mon ami 70 make his
promise, but | saw that il was TIE BIS
the Only-thing e do. Only I w:she;,
for one more meeting. The moro y
was to be her birthday, her t0'entE
seventh birthday, and l cTa"cd tae
boon of calling then and presenting
her with keepsake, and to neTG:
again see her. To this she very re
luctantly agreed, and cn the morrow
called with this bauble." he pointed t"
the diamond ball attached to the en-
Of the whip, "as a gift. Twenty
stones there are, you see; one for each
pure, fresh year Of her clean you2g
life Surprised and delighted, she
could only gasp AID stare, and l, i
ecstasy over her pleasure, reached
suddenly forward to place the chain,
to which it was attached, around her
neck And then, while in this posi-
ton, Croteau entered the room. His
face was livid; his eyes protruded; the
veins in his temples were swelled an
distorted, and his face twitched hor
ribly. In his hand he carried a great
blacksnake whip.
Sol he screamed, it has come to
this, has it?' and before | could in
terfere he had brought the wicked
whirring whip squarely across his
wife's tense, white face. Net sound
did she utter, but sank slowly forward
and fell, crumpled heap upon the
floor
Monsieur carefully lighted another
cigarette, but his hand trembled motto
ably When l set down my empty
stein it ratified loudly On the table, but
monsieur did not apparently notice it.
1T is good to be strong sometimes
lis it not so, mon ami? My fingers
closed tightly around Croteau's throat.
Finding l could not reach him easily,
[ released one hand and tore his collar
off, Then l 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
Ito me that this wretch was dying
much easier than he had the right to
do. and I 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 it, seated, facing me. Then
/ took the great whip and cut OF just
| four feet CT the lash, TO the end OF