The Bon Homme County independent. [volume] (Tabor, S.D.) 1904-1913, 1910-09-22
CHAPTER XVIII.
Circe's Toilet.

l was so bllnded by the hash and by
the swirl of acid smoke which followed
it 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, l sprang forward, deter
mined to clinch with my aasailant be-
fore he could fire again. Once my
fingers were at his throat, I knew he
would never fire-I would take a saw
age Joy in shaking his life out!
But at the third step / 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 own hurried breathing.
Then, as my eyes grew accustomed
to the gloom, / saw with establishment
that the cavern was empty. What was
II that had happened? Who was 1t
had fired that shot at me? What was
the obstruction which had brought me
down? could just discern 1t on the
floor before me--a dim, huddled mass.
l went to 1t. bent over 1t, peered down
at it-and In a surren panic terror, l
saw that it was Charlotte! The fiends
had been watching, then; they had
seen me leave the cavern, they had seen
me desert her-fool that I was!-they
had waited until / was safely away,
then they had crept in upon her, sur
prised her as she slept, secure In the
thought that / was watching over her!
And they had murdered her, or worse
than that
/ With a groan OF o / CROPPED for
her wrist n found myself clutching
a pistol whose barrel was still warm.
In a fash I understood and my heart
bounded again with JOY, the while I
-.--- 49,. .A~
who had fired at me! How was she to
know me In this dress? She had been
watching for me outside the cave, and
had seen q brigand approaching her;
she had slipped behind the curtain and
a moment later l had burst In upon her
without q word Of warning. Fool that
l was! Fool! 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 l break down completely.
I 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 a 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 d~eepened.
bo Nou Iol hflo" InSs NY lott.
I asked. 1T Is Tavernay. See" and
l snatched of Pasdeloup's knotted
headgear.
The warm color flooded her face
and she sat suddenly upright.
Then it was you!" she gasped.
1T was you!"
EYES," and I laughed with the sheer
Joy Of seeing her again 80 full OF
life. 1T was j at whom you discharged
$500, x~;ntaI - ft,oh 20 thu Vi0tf and
1 should not be talking to o now"
and I placed my finger or the STILL
smarting scratch across my cheek.
She gave one glance at II, then fell
forward, sobbing, her face between her
hands. What would l not have given
to take her In my arms, to hold her
close against my heart, to kiss away
those tears! But even in nat mo-
ment, there was about her something
which held me back; something which
! recalled the promise / had made her;
something which babe me remember
that she was in my care, defenseless;
that she trusted me, and that to abuse
that trust were infamous. So / stilled
the hot pulsing OF my blood as far as In
me lay, and even succeeded in speak
ing with a certain coldness
"Mademoiselle," I said, touching her
delicate, quivering shoulder, 1T was
nothing-or, rather, it was just what
you should have done. The fault vas
wholly mine. ! should not have burst
in upon you like that. But / was so
worried, so anxious to know that you
were safe. You were right in shoot
ing. II you had killed me, 1t would
have been no more than / deserved. I
blame only myself, and bitterly. I
was a fool. / hope O will find It In
your heart to pardon me-"
/ Her sobs had ceased and as l fin
ished, she threw back her hair and sat
erect again. ! saw with establishment
and relief hat she was s~miling-and I
found her smile as disturbing as her
tears.
Then we are quits, are we not,
monsieur" she asked, since we each
made a mistake"
you did not make a mistake" I
protested, 80 we are not quits until
you have forgiven me-"
She held out her hand with a
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 you plans?"
There ia, down yonder," / 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"
" (Contrnued Next Weekly