Kingsbury County independent. (DeSmet, Kingsbury County, S.D.) 1894-1929, 1910-09-30
CHAPTER XVIII.
Circe's Toilet.

l was SO DllnueQ Dy the LHSh anu W
the swirl OF acid smoke which followed
II that for an instant I thought there
had been some terrible explosion; an
other mine, perhaps, designed to wreck
our cavern and entomb us beneath the
| rocks. Then, In an o Of fear, not
for myself, but for the girl confined to
my keeping, / sprang forward, deter
mined to clinch with my assailant be-
fore he could fire again. Once my
fingers were at his throat, I knew he
would never fre-I would take q saw
age Joy In shaking his life Quit
But at the third step ! stumbled
over some obstruction and came head
long to the floor. ! was up again In an
instant, my back to the wall, my pistol
IN my hand, wondering at my escape
but there was no second attack, not q
sound save my own hurried breathing,
Then, as my eyes grew accustomed
to the gloom, l saw with establishment
that the cavern was empty. What was
It that had happened7 Who was II
had fred that shot at me7 What wal
the obstruction which had brought ma
DOWN. I could just discern II on the
floor before me-a dim, huddled mass.
/ went to It, bent over II, peered down
at it--and in q surren panic terror, /
saw that II was Charlottel The fienda
had been watching, then they had
seen me leave the cavern they had seen
me desert her-fool that I wasl-they
had waited until I was safely away,
then they had crept in upon her, sur
prised her as che slept, secure In the
thought that I was watching over herI
And they had murdered her, or worse
than that
With a groan Of agony, I CROPPED for
her wrist and found myself clutching
a pistol whose barrel was still warm.
In e. fash I understood and my heart
bounded again with Joy, the while I
cursed my carelessness. It was she
who had fred at mel How was she to
know me in this dressT She had been
watching for me outside the ave, and
had seen q brigand approaching her;
she had slipped behind the curtain and
a moment later I had burst in upon her
without a word Of warning. Fool that
I vast Fooll And yet my heart was
singing with Joy and thankfulness--
Joy that she had escaped; thankfulness
that she had turned the pistol against
me and not against herselfl Had she
done that-but I shook the thought
from me lest I break down completely.
l drew her to the entrance Of the
cavern that the cool air Of the eve
ming might play upon her face. At
the end OF 4 moment, her lips parted
in a faint sigh, her bosom rose and
fell convulsively and she opened her
eyes and stared up at me, with a gaze
In which borrow grew and deepened.
DO you not know me, my lover"
I asked. 1T is Tavernay. See," and
I snatched of Pasdeloup's knotted
headgear.
The warm color flooded her face
and she sat suddenly upright
Then It was you'll" she gasped-
TT was you'll"
Eyes" and I laughed with the sheer
AAwx uAnt-- hAN nnntn No f.II
life. TT was l al whom you discharged
your pistol. An inch to the right, and
I should not be talking to you now"
and / placed my finger on the still
smarting scratch acros my cheek.
She gave one glance at 1t, then fen
forward, sobbing, her face between her
hands. What would I not have given
to take her In my arms, to hold her
close against my heart, to kiss away
those tearsi But ever in that mo-
ment, there was about her something
which held me back; something which
recalled the promise I had made her,
something which bade me remember
that she was in my care, defenseless;
that she trusted me, and that to abuse
hat trust were Infamous. So I stilled
the hot pulsing OF my blood as far as In
me lay, and even succeeded In speak
ing with a certain GOODNESS
"Mademoiselle," l said, touching her
delicate, quivering shoulder, "It was
n~othing-or, rather, 1t was Just what
you should have done. The fault was
wholly mine. ! should not have burst
In upon you like that. But I was 30
worried. so anxious to know that you
woe safe. You were right In shoot
ing. If you had killed me, II would
nave beef no more than / deserved I
blame only myself, and bitterly. I
was a fool. / hope you will find II In
your hear to pardon me-"
Her sobs had ceased and as I An
ished, she threw back her hair and sat
erect again. l saw with establishment
and relief hat she was smiling-and I
found her smile as disturbing as her
tears.
Then we are quits, are we not,
monsieur" she asked, since we each
made g mistaken"
You did not make O mistake" !
protested, $50 we are not quits until
you nave forgiven me-"
She held out her hand with
charming gesture.
You are forgiven" she said, 80
far as you need forgiveness. And now"
she continued, drawing away the hand
which / had not the courage to re-
linquish, and rising quickly to her
feet, what are your plans?"
There is, down yonder," I answered.
"a charming little brook. which purls
over the stones and stops to loiter,
here and there, in the basins OF the
rock. The water Is very cool. and
clear"