The Bon Homme County independent. [volume] (Tabor, S.D.) 1904-1913, 1911-03-30
CHAPTER xXIII-tcontinued)

London. Oh. not her, for the love OF
God-I will tell you what you wish, give
me time-I am an old man, and, the
nght fades from my eyes-give me time
and l will tell. Lisette-yes, yes-I am
going to her at Buda, and she Is wait
ing for me. You would not keep RE
from Lisette-" .
poured some spirits into glass and
put 1t to his lips.
listen" l said. Your wife Is arrest
ed, but l can set her free Write
truly the story of Miss Fordibras, and
a cable from me this night shall OBJ
tain her liberty. / will listen to no
other terms. Joan Fordibras's story
that is the price you must pay-here
end now. for l will give you no second
chance"
1t would be vain to speak of the
scene that followed, the muttering, the
piteous entreaty, the hystericai out
bursts. l had never made so astound-
Ing a discovery as that which told me,
a week before / left England in my
yacht, that this old man had married
a young wife in Paris, and that-such
are the amazing contrasts OF life--he
loved her with devotion as passion
ate as 1t was lasting. The knowledge
had saved me once already at Santa
Maria; tonight 1t should save my little
Joan. and take from her forever the
burden of the doubt. Not for an in
slant did my chances stand in jeop-
ardy. Every word that / spoke to this
abject figure brought me one step
nearer to my goal They were as
words Of fire burning deep into a do
tard's heart.
"Lisette," continued, seeing him
still silent. "Lisette is charged with
the possession of certain Jewels once the
property of Lady Mordant / am the
witness who has identified those jewels
Your dupe, Harry Avenhill, who came
up to rob my house in Suffolk, Is the
man who will charge this woman with
the crime and establish the case
against her. Whether we go to Vienna
or persuade Lady Mordant to with
draw the charge, 1t is for you to say.
l will give you just ten minutes by
that clock upon your chimney. Use
them well, / implore you Think what
you are doing before it is too late to
think at all--the liberty this woman
Graves or the charge and punishment.
Which is 1t to be, old man? Speak
quickly, for my, time is precious"
For a little while he sat, his hands
drumming the table, his eyes half
closed. I knew that he was asking
himself what would be the gain or the
loss should he beckon some one from
the shadows to enter the house and
kill me. One witness would thus be
removed from his path--but who would
answer for the other? Was 1t possible
that his old enemy, who had outwitted
him so often, would be outwitted to-
night? This seemed to me his argu-
ment. I watched him rise suddenly
pess, and as suddenly sit again.
Whether his courage had failed him
or this were the chosen moment for
the attack / shall never be able to say
with certainty. For me 1t was an in
slant Of acute suspense, Of nervous
listening for footsteps, Of quick resolu-
ton and prompt decision. Let there
without, said, and 1 would shoot the
man where he sat- Thus was deter
In this dread perplexity did the
instant pass.
Il cannot write" he gasped at last.
Put your questions to me, and I will
answer them" 81,
And sign the document / have
brought with me. So be 1.-THE ques-
tions are here, In order Let your,
answers be as brief"
/ sat at the head of the table and
spread the. document before me. The
lamp shed a warm aureole of light up
on the, paper. but left the outer room
In darkness. My words were few, but
deliberate; his answers often but q
mutter OF sounds.
Joan Fodibras. whose daughter IS
she?"
1.-THE daughter Of David Kennard OF
"Her mother?"i
II am not acquainted with her name
"a French Canadian. The records in
Illinois will tell you"
How came she to be this man Fordi-
BRASS ward?' st:
Ills cowardice--his conscience as
men call 1t. +. Kennard was charged
with the great safe robberies Of the
year 1886. He was innocent. They
were my planning-my agents exc
cuted them. But Kennard--ah, he be-
trayed me, he would have stood in my
path, and I removed him.
Then he was convictedT'~
HE was convicted and sentenced to
twenty years Imprisonment. Fordi-
bras, under the name OF Changarnier
his real name-he Is a cousin Of that
who. did France much mis-
chief in the year 1S70-Fordibras was
then governor OF the Sing Sing prison
on the Hudson River. He was in my
pay, but David Kennard had: been his
friend. and he took the daughter and
brought her up as his own child; q
woman, IL she is pretty, is useful to
my purposes. ! wished to humble
this man OF iron and have done so.
Pshaw, what figure he cuts to-day!
Skulking In Tunis like a paltry cut
of me, afraid-but proud,
my friend--proud, proud, as one OF
your great mobiles. That is Hubert
Fordfbras. Speak a word to the police
and you may arrest him Hush--I
will send you evidence. He is proud.
and there is a heart in him. Tear it
out. for he is a traitor. He has shut
his eyes and held out his hands, and
I have put money into them. Tear the
heart out OF him. for ne will kill the
womhn you love-"
I ignored the savage treachery of
this. its brutality and plain spoken
hatred. The generals pride must have
been a bitter burden to this creeping
scoundrel with his insufferable yanfties
and his intense desire to abase all men
before him.. The quarrel was nothing
to mel could well wish that Hubert
Fordibras might never cross my path |
again.
"Traitor or motif is your concern. /"
said. There is another question here