The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1909-12-27
The CleVerness of Cardillac
By ROBERT BARR
By ROBERT BARR

the lieutenant. who. taking care 70 keep
beyond the circumference Of his sword s
radius, became newly. coura ceous when
he found thin teen men at his back.
His brain became alert and clear
Purged by misfortune from the faint
OF mendactty. he felt himself Infinitely
superior TO the lieutenant, and almost
an equal Of the abbess. although her
bitter smile triuTaphed over him for the
moment He was 70 reap no benefit
from all his turning and twisting. and
now whatever he accomplished must be
by the aid OF his good right arm and
straightforward talk.
Never again. he resolved. would he
allow himself 70 be involved In such a
maze Of deceit as had just come so dis
astrously to an end. He knew that it
was suicide to attempt an escape by
the outer gate, and saw at once that
MS only chance iSy In makinE an exit
through the door by which the abbess
had entered.
In j fash his resourceful mind saw
mat Y he took his risk he would at
tam the advantage Of few moments
at least, while officer and soldiers hssi-
SaJed about following him into the for
nloden precincts OF the inner cJhvent.
And yet he recalled in another fash
that the capable abbess would at once
urge the guards to pursue him. even
y the chase led them to the chapel
he was well aware there would be no
hesitation on her part Dimly he heard
me bleating voice OF the lieutSua..:
although his words carried no npsSqine
20 a mind Intent on the inner door
. monsieur, surrender your sword To
resist IS useless, to escape impossible"
AS II the unheeded words were the
siSnal nc required, he made his dash 70
S re rear OF the room The two white
laced nuns screamed and fed thinking
ne meditated an attack on them The
aDoess vas made Of sterner, more capa-
BILE stuff.
The doori" she shouted. sarhe back
1,oorI Fling your shoulder against Il,
But the lieutenant was too slow. Car
dlhdc flung II open, and saw with a
tnFlH OF JOY great iron key on the
All" he cried. THE saints ara good
70 ne at lasti''
The saints were even more favorabIy
disposed toward him thsa he guessed
The convent had been built with the
hIn purpose OF keeping out rather than
shutting in. The noble ladies who oc-
cupled this somber pile needed neither
Key nor bar 70 hold them 70 their du-
ties, but II was necessary that these
duties should not be disturbed by uu-
authorized marauders; hence the single
massive door Of oak, iron bound bolt
rlveted, opened outward, and when II
LfmnHTE
so stout and embedded IN masonry that
the thick wall must rend before an
entrance was forced The fastened door
might be battered outward II there were
power enough inside to shatter the bolJ
OF the lock, but from the outside moth
ing could be effective but slow fire or
quick gUnpowder
Drawing the door shut after him
ne turned the huge key and pulled it
out, clasping II like battle ak In his
haste he almost overturned q bending
woman who he correctly surnised had
been listening at the keyhOIe, and who
nad unconsclously done him a service
N turning the key around until its
fange impigned upon the bolt. so that
not second was lost in locking the
door. She had done this to leave a clear
tunnel FOR the sound Of voices to pass
through He bounced upon her. grasp
ing her by the wrist
We'll, you listening hussy,'7 he cried
I'm warrant you heard no good OF
The girl had not cried out. even when
he tumbled her to the stone flags IN
his headlong exit, and now, standing
upright she dehed him with blazing
Nor she cried. IT heard no good Of
myself, and less good Of you, you
sneak Let 20 my wrists
Tut. tut, my girl. keep a civil tongue :
In your head, or I'll cuff your ears
He saw by her dress that she was not
nun, but servant Of the convent. |
ana yet amazingly beautiful. her de-
faint eyes Of jet black showing not a (
trace Of fear. although she must have
known she was in the hands OF a des- |
Dorado
BY St Elizabeth he cried. You
are good TO look upon. Why do you
call me thief, when You yourself are I
one, listening at keyhOle2'
1t isn't your buSinesSi Let me 60" /
An IN good time. my. girl Is there /
any other exit from this convent but I
that door through which I cauee7'i
"TN not tell you, you rufian''
'Oh, yes, YOU will. Is that a well in !
the center OF the courtyard
She did not reply. and he dragged her
10 the stone curb that surrounded It. /
overarched by beautiful wrought i-On 4
", TX, with pulley, rope. and bucket
you'll not? Well. I'll find a way to 4
make you speak First, let us find how
deep this well is" and he flung in a /
heavy key, Listening until he heard IL 1
plunge into the water.
Now. my girl, you'll help me 20 es-
cape, or you'll follow that key"
AS he spoke, the thunder at the door
increased, and he knew instinCtively (
what had happened. They had taken \
the pole from the carriage. and were /
using IL as a battering ram He mar
veled that this splitting OF the oaken /
door, which dlled the courtyard with 4
its reverberations, did not disturb the /
nuns In the chapel at their devotions,
and that ne could hear their sweet,
placid voices singing. /
The shattering blows at the door