The Clarksburg telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1874-1926, 1911-09-21

Il stood waiting rs If life had
| ITzSgFs left him. The note tiUttered
SSl4SJ from his fingers. and ne
drew his watch from his pocket and
placed 1t on the table. 1t was a quar-
ter after s. There still remained for
ty-tive minutes.
Three-quarters of an hour ana then
death! There was no doubt in his
mind this time. Through one of the
black holes in the wall he was to be
shot down. with no chance TO defend
himself, to prove himself innocent.
And Meleese-did she, too. believe him
guilty of that crime?
He groaned aloud aud picked up the
note again. Softly he repeated her last
words to him, IF God fails to answer
my prayers will still do as have
promised and follow you" Those words
seemed to cry aloud his doom. Even
Meleese had given up hope. And yet
was there not deeper significance in
her words? He started as if some one
had struck him, his eyes agleam.
~ will follow you"
he almost sobbed the words this
time. His hands trembed. and he
dropped the paper again on the table
and turned his eyes in staring horror
'oward the door. What did she mean7
Would Meleese kill herself If he was
murdered by her brothers? He could
see no other meaning in her last mes,
Gapa IN him an1 Gov q +t,,, ,g4n, Al
chilling Significance of her words
struck his heart he scarce restrained
himself from calling aloud for Jean
II he could but send word back to
her, tell her, once more of his great
Iove-that me winning OF that love
was ample reward for all that he had
lost and was about to lose. and that 1t
gave him such happiness as he had
never known even in this last hour of
his torture!
Twice he shouted for CroIsset. but
there came no response save the hol-
low echoinSs OF his own voice in the
subterranenn chamhcrs. After that he
began to think more sanely. If Me.
leese was prisoner in her room ii
was probable that Croisset. who was
now fully recognized as traitor al
the post, could no longer gain access
to her. In some secret way Meleese
had contrived TO give him the note
In Howand's breast there grew
slowly feeling of sympathy for the
Frenchman. Much that he had not
understood was clear to him now. He
understood why Mceese mad not re-
vealed the names of his assaiants at
Prince Albert and Wekusko He I'm.
derstood why she had fled from him
after his abduction and why Jean had
so faithfully kept secrecy for her sake
She had fought to save him from
her own flesh and blood. and Jean
had fought to save him. And be,
cause he had fought for. him and Me
Ieese the Frenchman's fate was to he
almost as terrible rs his own. 1t was
he who would fire the fatal shot Mt 6
O'clock Not the brothers. but Jean
Croisset. would be his executoner and
murderer.
The minutes passed swiftly. and as
they went Rowland was astonished to
find how coolly he awaited the end. He
even began TO debate with himself rs
to through which hole the fatal shot
would be fred No matter where he
Etood. he was In the light OF the big
hanging lamp. There was no obscure
OF shadowy corner in which for few
81. to tsyIH g. a..
TONER He even smiled when the
thought occurred TO him that it was
possible to extingulsh the light and
crawl under the table, thus gaining a
momentary delay. But what would
that delay avail him? He was anxious
for the fatal minute to arrive and be
over.
There were nnments of happiness
when in the damp horror of his death
chamber there came before him visions
of Meleese, grown even sweeter and
more lovable now that he knew how
she had sacrificed herself between two
great loves-the love of her own PEG
pie and the love OF himself And at
!. last she had surrendered to him. Was
it possible that she could have made
that surrender If she. like her broth.
ers, believed him 10 be the murderer
of her father-the son Of the man fend
who had robbed her Of mother? II
wns impossible. he told himself. She
did not believe him guilty. And We,
why had she not given him some such
word In her last message TO him?
His eyes Travelled TO the note on the
table. md he began searching in his
coat pockets. In one OF them he found
the worn stub of pencil. and for
many minutes after that be was ohlivi-
Gus to the rasstns Of time as he wrote
his last words 10 Meleese. When be