The Washington times., 1909-12-20
The Cleverness of CardIILaC 55s;s s5; 'O W

seemed to be asleep, and one by one
the lights in the upper stories Of the
great building opposite him were going
out He stood there rigid, scarcely ven
turing to breathe deeply, and in his
SUSPENSE III appeared that time had
stopped or else the guardians or it in
the various church steeples had forgot
ten TO mark its passing by the ringing
OF their bells.
Finally. however. the half-hour
struck. and promptly to the moment the
posteTn gate opened. The watcher rec
ognized Tresor as he stopped across the
threshold. iooFing up and down the
lane. The old man made slight motion
with one hand, and Cardillac heard nm
whisper: Sir, the way is clear.
A cloaked figure stepped out INTO the
lane.
God be with your calculated the
piOus Tresor in accents of the deepest
respect
The man in the cloak made no answer
to the Wel-Wishing so fervently eX-
pressed but. keeping close to the wall,
surrounded by its shadows. he moved
Off in the direction from which Cardlilac
had entered the lane.
This impatient young man emerged
from under the porch, stepped across
into the shadow and followed swiftly
but cautiously. TTesor had Withdrawn
into the grounds OF the palace; the door
was closed. but the old man put his
eve to the little wicket IN the panel and
must have noticed that humble and in
gratiating smile with which the man OF
AvignOn had so often illumtned his un-
impassioned conversation Of that after
noon.
Too intent on following the move
ments of his quarry TO care who smiled
and who did not. Cardillac kept the
cloak in sight. Il led him through devil
Gus and deserted. ways, hitherto I'M
known to him. The man i'm front was
evidently determined to avoid all public
thorOughfareS, preferring to run the
risk Of encounters with dangerous ma
RAIDERS who might be. PROVING 9DouI
these dark unpopular thoroughfares.
Cardillsc stsu carried his scabbard under
his arm, so that Il could not clatter upon
the CObbleStOneS and give warning to the
pedestrian in advance. 1t was evident
that the latter was doing the same, or,
"a most unlikely superstition, was un-
armed. for he traversed the deserted
streets with the silence Of ghost See
ing the way in front broaden somewhat
at 3 place where a lamp, hanging from
an ornamental wrought iron bracket
fixed in the wall, formed an oasis Of
light in a desert OF darkness. Cardillac
strobe rapidly forward and overlook the
pursued directly under the lamp. which
cast its rays impartially on each Of
them.
"Son OF a corn-chandier!" he cried.
"I.ow-bOrn scion Of an iEnOble Tacei
] would bestOw a favor upon you. Al
though a sword I'm the hand Of a king
may confer nobility on even the vilest,
yet this blade in the hands Of a gen
tleman, when run through your body,
viii give YOU a better death than your
origin deserves. Do not thank me, sir,
but stand on guard
This speech, which CardiIlac had spent
the evening in composing, proved too
long for the occasion. It rolled from
his tongue with all the fluency of his
eloquent GasCOny, but his antagonist an
swered not a word. The stranger turned
g. a-r--.
Of a soldier at the word Of command.
His sword was in his right hand and his
sheath fell with q metallic clank upon
the stones. Without a sound, he thrust
forth with the venom Of viper
The young man was taken completely
by surprise. He had struck a. pose pic
turesque TO behold had there been any
onlOokers-a pose Well suited TO the
words he enploved-bUt TO avoid that
vivid thrust he was compelled to aban-
don this attitude with such haste that
legs and scabbard became intermiXed,
and he fell backward just In time 70 es-
cape being impaled through the breast.
Nimble IS wildcat Cardiac scram-
bIed 10 hands and knees, unlocking as
he did so the scabbard from his belt and
finEing IL gathering behind him on the
stones. Free once more he tore the
throat fasteninEs from his cloak, and al
lowered fl to drop from him; then he felt
the red-hot sting Of a gigantic wasp in
his left arm between the shoulder and
the elbow. The second onslaught or his
adversary had not proved so futile as
the first.
'ventre Saint Grisr' cried the Young
man. once more sprfnginc back as the
other pressed him You've done just
what TTcsCr said YOU would.
This remark seemed 10 increase his
enemy's work, but Cardillac's legs were
now firmly supporting his 1.-THE body
unencumbered with cloak or scabbard.
and the third angry lunge was easily
parTied.
stand back" nc cried ioyfuIly. ''un-
III ] get the light in your face, I am
going TO reoccupy tic ground 7 so
hastily abandoned. Back, ] sayi GIVE
wayi" and as the other did not, he
! priCked him I'm the shoulder.
The man who had not spoken since
/ the encounter began, retreated a step.
Another. If YOU Dleaser' demanded
} CardillaC, somewhat bTcRthlessly, but
/ with politeness.
That which the man. with his back
10 the light. refused 20 do voluntarily
/ NE. for the second time. did under COM
pulsiOn- Another prick Of the sword 70
point, which made him vince. caused