The citizen-Republican. (Scotland, Bon Homme County, S.D.) 1???-19??, 1910-09-22

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was so blinded by the flash and by
the swirl of acid smoke which followed
il that for an instant I thought there
had been some terrible explosion; an
other mine, perhaps, designed to wreck
our cavern n entomb US beneath the
rocks. Then. in an agony of fear, not
FOR myself, but for the girl confined TO
my keeping, I 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 flre-I would take a saw
age JOY in shaking his life outI
But at the third step I stumbled
over some obstruction and came head
long to the floor. l 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 a
sound save my w hurried breathing.
Then, as my eyes grew accustomed
TO the gloom, 1 saw with establishment
that the cavern was empty. What was
1t that had happened7 Who was 1t
had fired that shot at me7 What waa
the obstruction which had brought me
down2 / could just discern It on the
toor before me-a dim. huddled mass.
went to 1t, bent over 1t. peered down
at r-and In a surren panic terror, I
saw that 1t was Charlottel The flends
had been watching, then; they had
seen me leave the cavern, they had seen
me desert her-fool that l wae!-they
mad waited until L was safely away,
then they had crept In Upon her, sur
prised her as she 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 groped for
her wrist and found myself clutching
q pistol whose barrel was still warm.
In q flash l understood and my heart
n HhI - I - y
cursed my carelessness- It was she
who had fred at mel How was she to
know me in this dress? She had beer
watching for me outside the cave, and
had seen q brigand approaching herr
she had slipped behind the curtain and
q moment later 1 had burst in upon her
without a word of warning. Fool that
1 was! 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 herself Had she
done that-but I shook the thought
from me lest I break down completely.
cavern that the cool air of the eve
ming might play upon her face. At
the end OF q moment, her lips parted
In q faint sigh, her bosom rose and
fell conyulsively and she opened her
eyes and stared up at me, with a gaze
in which borrow grew and d%eepened.
DO you not know me, my lover"
I asked. 1T IS Tavernay. See," and |
| snatched off Pasdeloup's knotted
h~eadgear.
The warm color flooded her face
and she sat suddenly upright.
Then It was you:" she gasped.
TT was you'll"
Yes" and 1 laughed with the sheer
Joy Of seeing her again 80 full OF
life. 1T was at whom you discharged
pistol. An inch to the right, and
| should not be talking to you now."
and | placed my finger IN the still
smarting scratch across my cheek.
She gave one glance at it, then fell
Onward, sobbing, her face between her
What would I not have given
Q take her In my arms. to hold her
tears! But even in that mo-
nent, there was about her something
which held me back; something which
-ecailed the promise I had made her;
something which babe me remember
hat she was in my care, defsnseless;
hat she trusted me, and that to abuse
nat trust were Infamous. So I stilled
he hot pulsing of my blood as far as in
ne lay, and ven succeeded in speak
ng with a certain GOODNESS
"Mademoiselle," l said, touching her
i%elicate, quivering shoulder, ut was
lothtng-or, rather, 1t was just what
fou should have done. The fault was
Wholly mine. / should not have burst
n upon you like that. But I was so
so anxious to know that Won
we're ale. You were right In shoot
ng- l. Q had killed me, 1t would
ave been no more than / deserved. /
blame only myself. and bitterly,
vas a fool. l hope you will find it in
our heart to pardon me-"
Her sobs had ceased and as I I'm
shed. she threw back her hair and sat
rect again. ! saw with establishment
relief that she was smilinE-and I
ound her smile as disturbing as her
ears.
Then we are quits, are we not
nonsieur," she asked, "since we each
made a mistaken
You lie not make a mistake
rotested, 80 we are not quits ,n+ti
have forgiven me-"
She held out her hand with
gesture.
You are forgiven" she said. $50
ar as you need forgiveness. And nown
continued, drawing away the hand
ghtch l had not the courage to re-
Inquish, and rising quickly to her
what are your plans?"
"There is. down yonder," | answered
q charming little brook, which purls
the stones and stops to Ioiter
iere and there, in the basins Of tha
ocls. The water is very cool. and
Liz
Continued Next Week.1