The Winslow mail., 1910-01-15


Still, they may spare you. IF
you live, here for your hearts com
fort / leave constant witness of my
love. 1t is my will and testament
written by my own hand, in which
give you all my worldly goods And
here are our two portraits which |
have loved to carry married over my
heart as we once hoped to be. They
must not be profaned Here is sure
hiding place. Watch me now and re-
member"
No need, dear love Alone
shall never find them. IF We are
spared we may come back for them
together
I being in the next chamber heard
all this, but could not see nor guess
where the things were hidden
Upon this the great long clock in
M. de Preville's room struck the
three-quarters, and Mile Alice gave
loud cry, for the smashing of the
heavy doors by the infuriated rabble
caused the whole mansion to tremble.
and ere could spring to the door the
rioters had rushed in and fred
For me there was little danger.
being of the faith; but to save the
others I was powerless.
The marquis fell, mortally wound
ed. Mercy he cried Mercy for
her. She is your own religion"
mot so,' she exclaimed. Il am
of his religion and will have no
otber,"
And they swore and raved and
fired again and laughed when they
saw her dying.
"Renault," she said, family, I'VE
shall find each other. 1 love you
We shall meet again"
And so she died."
Here ended the manuscript. The
marquis was agitated, the marquise
was very pale.
Suddenly in the next room a clear
vibrating stroke was heard, the hour
sounded, then after an instant's in
terval the half
The two old people started nerv-
Ously.
"Oh, I know" said the maruuise
j remember now. 1t is long clock,
horologe. which was found to-day
in the attics with some vother things
behind partition. | thought the
clock so handsome that told AnatOle
to dust it and have it brought down
He wound it and it seems to be going
all right. What events it r.ust have
witnessed-wha fateful hours it has
sounded"
The clock struck again. The mar
quis felt an uneasiness which he could
not understand. Each stroke of the
hour sounded like funeral bell. and
he fancied he heard the cries. of
woman, shots and the clash of arms
The marquise also was troubled
She shivered as though awaiting,
dreading some event. What, she
could not have said.
- Recovering presently from this sort
of stupor they began to talk tenderly
of their youth and their early love.
The marquise took up her favortte
theme. They had loved for centuries.
she insisted. Falling in with her
mood her husband wondered if this
might be true until, thus having en-
tered the domain of dreams, reality
was effaced. and they scarcely remem-
bered. who they were; they lost count
of time, forgot that they rere old,
forgot which century they belonged
to. 1t was as though two souls
slipped into space.
The clock struck one, then the quar-
ter and half-past.
The marquise gave cry; RE
nault," she called Alice" he an
swcred.
Pale. frozen with fear, they clung
to each other. Their eyes were fixed
on invisible dangers, their ears atten-
tive to imaginary sounds.
The wilbur portraits are there"
said the marquise, passing into tic
other room and pointing to the base
of the clock.
The marquis pressed a secret spring
which caused a panel to slip aside: a
parchment fell out and two miniatures
lay inside.
The marquis picked up the parch-
ment and read; "1, Renault de Pre-
vile. captain of the Guard for the
Prince de Conde. do bequcath all my
worldly goods to my betrothed be-
fore God. Alice de Rveline Signed
Renault de preville"
The portraits now," exclaimed the
marquise.
The marquis took them up and
handed them to his wife. I'VE our
selves, my dearest. as we were at 30.
Is it no.. miracle?"
NO., she said, softly, when hearts
are true, death itself cannot dissolve
the tie You see it is as | have al
ways told you. we have loved each
other for centuries"
This time he did not laugh at her
fancy.
Yes" he said, thoughtfully, three
hundred years and over
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