Camas Prairie chronicle. [volume] (Cottonwood, Idaho) 1901-1917, 1910-11-11

condemned me to tortures. What am
you made me-"
The two walked slowly down tbs
corridor. Motioning to Larry and Bet
ty to await his return Johnny followed
in their wake. Through the main
building and across to the south room
wing they went, stopping in what was
evidently the old mans sitting room.
There the discussion broke out afresh.
Il hate you, say A thousand
times more" repeated the old man.
'Unfilial soni But / have outwitted
you! My cohorts, my good black ne
groes, any one of them worth thou
sand such sons as you, have found out
your secret castle, the gate to those
bonanza fields where the diamonds lie
| so closely bedded together that nee
dlepoint could not separate them. l am
| free of you now, forever, free; do you
understand? That wealth that your
mother and young aunt so long de-
MED me is mine, mine and Cerisse's.
All, there is devotion for you, devotion
for you! She is a girl after my own
heart! What vim What nerve! What
/
nerved fool like you, and you, my son!
| BAIL Now that have the path to tho
mines, now that need him no longer,
Hackleye may go, and his children
with him if he wishes. They are but
poor offspring for my beautiful daugh-
ter to own. Small wonder she never
loved them. Nor him either. Her heart
has long been with one man, and now
with all this new wealth she shall have
him. Money buys anything! Diamonds
are money! Cerisse shall be rid of this
Hackleye. | hate him, tool"
Another figure stepped out of the
darkness. Johnny recognized the early
morning visitor he had trailed from
the Desterle home into the Flanders
mansion, months before.
Don't believe that for a moment
this man rasped. You blithering old
fool you! Cerisse is dead! Do you
hear! She's dead! Dead!"
The old man dropped his staff and
fell back into the arms of LIE Malheu-
reux, who led him to seat near by.
"Hackleye, Hackleye!" walled the
old man, you didn't-you didn't. You
didn't kill her?'
Hackleye pulled roll of newspaper
clippings from his pocket and dangled
them before the old mans eyes, and
spread them out on the table before
him. With quivering lips the stricken
man read, punctuating each sentence
with a moan. He saw the headlines
only, then flung the papers from him
and tried to reach Hacl1leye with his
staff.
And you, you" he malevolently
called to LIE Malheureux, why did you
not prevent it?"
How could II" answered LIE NAL
heureux, land why should I? You
know what Cerisse was, father A MUIR
deress at heart, and my own sister. My
mothers daughter!"
Yes, and mine," snarled the old man.
Where are those brats of Hackleye's?
I'll kill them-kill them, tell you'll"
LIE Malheureux rang sharply on a
bell. Benoni entered from the hall, and
together they bore the old man from
the room. Hackleye gathered up the
clippings and with darkening brow
paused before the portrait of the two
children that hung on the wall before
him. Opposite was life size painting
of the mother, and his wife-radiant
smiling as she had been in her early
girlhood, and when she had listened
to the ardent love-making of her fu.
ture husband.
AS the man looked the frown van.
ished. A breeze stealing in from the
window swayed the portrait forward
on the wall. With outstretched hands
and lips apart the girl in the picture
seemed to move towards the weary
man, to offer him the roses she held II
her hands. The dim lights completed
the illusion. Hackleye sprang forward
to embrace the girl in the picture, sof
words upon his lips.
Sweetheart, sweetheart" he cried
you've come back to me. l know 1t
and you'll never go again, will you
dear? Just my girl again, just mine
just mine"
He had touched the canvas now anC
its clammy surface woke him from hi!
dream. Hurting 1t back against tn,
wall. Hackleye snatched a jeweleC
knife from the table, and slashed tn,
canvas into finest fringe.
| And all for love of a woman" quot
Johnny TO himself, as ~Hackleye un
seeing rushed down the corridor in
blind rage and almost knocked hin
r over.
Ito be continued)
1 TRA CnhIIw,o TpAuwA