El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1911-03-01
THE TR AP
BY ]. H. Rosny, jr.

III HE trap has closed upon me.
had seen this trap. had escaped
it first, second and third time
had become used to it as a person gets
used to everything. and did not believe
the time would ever come when no es-
cape is possible, when one must pay
and pay in the blood.
I come of a family of officers. Ny
father retired from active service
when he became widower, to devote
himself to the education of his two
sons. He was very successful with
my brother, Saint Cyr, who had seen
two years service in the army. then
departed on confidential mission
for Indo-C China, made a brilliant rec
ord and married an Irish girl of high
birth by whom he had two children.
He had been assisting his fatherinlaw
in the management Of a large enter
prise and 10 years passed before he
could think of the trip home which
my father looked upon as the reward
Of a noble life. life, alas which I
had embittered. I needed a strong
hand to guide me and my poor father
who shed tears at my bedside, when
I was asleep. had always been weak.
At school / was a bad case and was
at last expelled Later on I began to
study law, but devoted far more time
to the beautiful Mile. Casoar of the
Athenee theater than to nay books. I
soon lost all sense of honor. Nile.
Casoar had many relatives who did
their best to plumber me and finally
when 1 had nothing left. they made me
join their gang 1 felt disguised. Ny
father had paid my debts, sacrificing
all he owned accepting a position in
the office Of an insurance company.
and was now living almost in poverty
with the quiet heroism Of an old SOL
der His only sorrow was my dis
graceful conduct. He never complain
ed. however but kept everything to
himself.
eI am paying dearly for my love Of
YOU" he said to me, "but / tell you
this, that the day you commit a crime
that cannot be covered up. 1 will blow
my brains out"
In spite of my depravity. loved my
father. and this love kept me from
done, but what single virtue can with
stand a whole army of vices? An
evening came when Casoar wanted me
to take her out for supper. thing
which my finances did not permit me-
TO do. and she scolded and Knocked RI
for it. Then along came the IL
Jules. an abominable fellow. who al
ways had plenty OF money, though no
one knew how he got It.
Though you are an aristocrat," he
said to me, you are a fool and
would have shaken you off long ago.
but I am Casoar's friend. Come, will
make you a good proposition I need
a baron"
I thought he was joking, and Ca
soar had to explain to me that
baron is an accomplice in the game
of biribi All I had to do was to put
on nv best clothes and take seat in
the Cologne express or the Madrid fly
er with three or four others and try
to make the acquaintance Of swell
with more money than brains
1 consented to come along as an am
ateur Wild with the excitement of
this devi1ish game, I was Tuning with
rage without realizing that L was
playing my part of baron" to perfec
ton. and when we left the train Jules
handed me 1000 francs as my part Of
the profits and advised me to treat
Casoar to the supper I owed her.
Though my conscience troubled me
at first, I was happier than had
been for long time. for I had always
plenty of money now and my eompan-
ions were too smart to allow US to be
suspected by the police. If victim
protested, we helped Jules to escape,
pretending to be as angry as our vic
tim. We demanded our money back
with angry words and clenched fists.