The Emmett index. [volume] (Emmett, Idaho) 1893-1925, 1911-09-14

~ saA+AfAsAH'~
had finished he folded the paper and
placed II under his watch. At the final
moment before the shot was tired. he
wOnld ask Jean to take 1t. His eyes
fell on his watch dial, and cry burst
from his lips.
Ii lacked but ten minutes of the tinal
| hour.
! Above him he heard family the sharp
barking OF dogs, the hollow sound OF
mems voices A moment later there
came 10 him an echo as of swiftly
trnmplng teeI and. after that. silence.
Jean" ne called tenseIy. "Ho, Jean!
Jean CTOisset"-
He caught up the paper and ran
from one black opening TO another.
calling the Frenchmans name.
'As you love your God. Jean, as you
| have n nope OF heaven. take this note
to Meleeser' he pleaded. 'Jean-Jean
| CrOlsset"-
There came no answer. no movement
outside. and IIowlnnd stilled the beat
ing of his heart to listen. Surely CrOis-
set was there! He looked again at the
watch he held In his hand In four
minutes the shot would be fired A
cold sweat bai he'd his face. tie tried
to cry out again. but something rose
In his throat aud chOked him until his
voice was only a gasp. lie sprang
back to the table and placed the note
once more under the watch. Two min
utes. One aud half. one.
With n sudden feurIess cry he sprang
into the very center of his prison and
dung OUT his arms with his face to
the hole next the door. This time his
voice was almost a shout
lean Cruisset. there Is a note under
my watch on the table. After you have
killed me take Il TO Meleese. II you
fail shall haunt you TO your grave"
StIl no sound, no CLEAN of steel
pointing at him through the black aper.
ture. Would the shot come from be-
hind?
ick-tlck-tick-tick-
He counted the beating of his watch
up to twenty. sound stopped him
then. and he closed his eyes. and
great shiver passed through his body.
II was The tiny bell OF his watch
tinkling OF the hour OF six.
Scarcely had that sound ceased to
ring In his brain when from far
through the darkness beyond the wall
of his prison there came u creakinE
noise as II heavy door had been
swung slowly on its hinges or a trap
opened. then voices, low. quick. excited
voices. the hurrying tread OF feet, a.
fash of light shooting through the
gloom. They were coming. After all, /
IL was not to he a private affair. and
Jean was to do his killing as the hang. /
mans job is done In civilization-be- /
fore crowd. Howland's arms drop. I
ped 20 his side. This was more terri. .
BILE than the other-this seeing and .
hearing Of preparation, In which he .
fancied that he heard the click of .
Croisset's gun as he lifted the hammer.
Instead II was hand fumblinE at .
the door. There were no voices now.
lnly a strange moaning sound that he
,Ould not account for. In another mo-
nent Il was made clear TO him. The
ioOr swung open and the white rohed
figure OF MeleeSe spraug toward him
with a cry that echoed through the
dungeon chambers. What happened
.hen-th passing OF white faces be-
FOND the doorway, the subdued muir
nur or voices were all lost 10 How
and In the knowledge that az the last
they had let her come TO him.
hat he held her in his arms and that
the was crushing her face TO his breast
md sobbing things TO him which he
,ould not understand. Once or twice
n bis life be had wondered II realizes
might not be dreams. and the thought
,ame to him now when he felt the
warmth of her hands. her face. her
hair and then the passionate pressure
II her lips on his own He lifted his
Eyes. and In the doorway he saw Jean