Kingsbury County independent. (DeSmet, Kingsbury County, S.D.) 1894-1929, 1910-09-09
CHAPTER xII-Continued.)

other room, even more luxuriously fur
nished. The great bed stood at one side
with curtains drawn. One almost ex-
pected to see a smah hand pluck them
aside and to hear a shrill voice demand
the meaning OF our intrusion, or TO be
suddenly confronted by that old gal
liant Favras, oath on lip and sword In
hand. Here there were no windows,
only narrow Sits sufficient to admit air
and light, but not wide enough to per-
nit assault from without. We made q
careful circuit Of the department, but
found nothing which could, By any pcs
sibility, serve as a rope.
There Is n more chance" said NJ.
10 Comte, and led the way to the bot
tom story.
This had been divided into two
rooms. one a sort Of vestibule into
which the outer door opened and from
which the stair assembled, and h 9TH
er a store room. The vestibule was
quite empty, and the store room con
tanned nothing out a pile OF rotten casks
and broken bottles.
My companion looked at them with
q whimsical countenance.
"The fair lady evidently did not lack
refreshment." he said. II would she
bad had the forethought to leave US a
ew bottles-we may need them before
we get out Of this. / am afraid" he
added, turning back to the vestibule,
that the only possible exit for us is
through that door. There are no win
dows in this story nor In the one above.
To jump from the third story is to
tempt death-or, at least, a multitude
Of broker bones. For myself, / prefer
to face the enemy"
I'VE might make a rope from the
tapestries" I suggested.
They are rotten with mildew," he
nhinnfn1 nnI tn1A1A rvhA, -z A~-SA1
them. we found them ready to fall to
pieces at a touch. Our situation is
not so desperate" he continued, as we
climbed slowly up the stairs again.
They viii have to starve US out, since
they have no cannon with which TO
batter down the wall, and that Will take
two or three days, at the least. Many
things may happen in that time"
But though he spoke hopefully, L fan
cied his voice did not ring quite true.
When we reached the platform, he blew
out the candle, placed 1t carefully in
q crevice OF the wafl, then went to his
wife, where h stood leaning against
the parapet, put ar arm about her and
drew her to him.
"Well?" she asked. smiling up al him
fondly and with perfect trust.
we are not yet out of the woods"
he said; but, as l have just told Tav-
ernay. there is no pressing danger.
They Will have to besiege us in form.
Perhaps we may yet catch them nap
ping"
/ had approached Mdlle. de Cham
bray, drawn by an irresistible attrac-
ton, which, indeed. I made no effort
to resist.
What is your opinion, NJ. de Taver-
nay2" she asked. as I leaned against
the wall beside her.
Il confess. answered gloomily,
that / see little hope of escape, unless
we a. sprout wings and fly away.
For you, mademoiselle, that would not
be so great a miracle; but / fear I am
too far below the angels to hope for
such a deliverance."
1T is not the angels alone who have
wings" she retorted, her face lighting
with a smile. II have heard Of other
spirits similarly equipped"
1t may be that / do not resemble
them either, mademoiselle." ! ventured
mildly.
''who can TELL" she retorted. and
she turned away from me to gaze down
at the scene below.
The wine had done its work-had
ering wretches into bloodthirsty
brutes. animated by a kind OF frenzy
which we, for a moment, did not un-
derstand. Men and women were run
ming about, screaming madly, no longer
needing the fire which they had kin
died on the lawn and which vas now
dying away for lack OF fuel They
were pouring In and out Of the house
with some other end In view-and
suddenly we saw what II was.
For from wing Of the chateau
came a puff OF smoke. followed al
most instantly by a quick burst of
fame.
They have fred the house" said
M. lie Comte grimly, and we stood there
numbly watching the progress of the
flames. as powerless to check them as
though we had been a hundred leagues
away.
They ate their way through the
building with a rapidity which showed
how artfully they were being fed. In
deed. 1t seemed to me that this whole
drama was moving forward to its
climax with a regularity which proved
its pre-arrangement; It was not a
spontaneous outburst OF the people; II
was a thing theatrio, carefully thought
out, In which the actors were really
only puppets controlled by wires CEN
tering In n powerful hand. And as
I recalled Pasdeloup's story, there
could be no question In my mind as to
whom that hand belonged. shivered
a little as I asked myself what the
crisis vas toward which the drama was
mounting. And I felt strangely impo-
tent as though It were the very hand OF
fate raised against us, and not merely
that Of a vengeful and lecherous scoun-
dreil
The flames burst out at last at ROOF
and windows, casting a red glow over
the a-s ard garden where the rsct
stood staring IN half-awed triumph a,
their handiwork. Madame watched the
destruction with white face, but with
an admirable control.
Can they fire the tower?" she
asked.
mo, ! think not" answered her hus-
band. Fire from without would nave
no effect upon these solid walls. and
they cannot get IRE TO the inside. The
breeze. you see, n carrying those
sparks way from u.s."
THAT was my home" she murmpr-
ed, and I loved H."
we will build another" said M IL
Comte, pressing her to him. "Wher
this cloud which covers France ma.
been rolled aside. we will build another
home. which you will love even more
for we shall be very happy there.
Not happier than we have beer
here" she said. with a smile full a,
the same time OF tears and 1oy. . We
have hAan very hnppv hax> ,