Kingsbury County independent. (DeSmet, Kingsbury County, S.D.) 1894-1929, 1911-04-07
CHAPTER xxIII.-(continued.>

VIII nave pIly-yOu are LIT. FaDOS o.
London. Oh not her, for the love OF
God-I viii tell you what you wish, give
me time-I am an old man, and the
light fades from my eyes-give me time
and | Will tell. Lisette-yes, yes-I am
going To her at Buda, and she is wait
Ing for me. You would not keep me
from Lisette-"
I poured some spirits into a glass and
put 1t to his lips.
Listen" / said. Your wife Is arrest
ed, but / can set her free. Write
truly the story Of Miss Fordibras, and
a cable from me this night shall OBJ
tain her liberty. l will listen to no
4 other terms. Joan Fordibras's story
that Is the price you must pay-here
and now, for / will give you no second
chance"
1t would be vain to speak Of the
scene that followed. the muttering. the
piteous entreaty, the hysterical out
bursts. l had never made so astound-
ing u discovery as that which told me,
a week before I left England IN my
yacht, that this old man had married
a young wife In Paris. n that-such
are the amazing contrasts of lffe-he
loved her with a devotion as passion
ate as II was lasting. The knowledge
had v me once already at Santa
Maria; tonight IL SHOULD sav 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 7 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. "Lfsette is charged with
the possession of certain Jewels once the
property Of Lady Mordant. / am the
witness who las identified those jewels
Your dupe, Harry AvenhiIl, who came
up to rob my house in Suffolk, Is the
nan who win 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,
| VIII give o just ten minutes by
that clock upon you chimney. Use
them we'll, I implore you. Think what
you are doing before 1t is too late to
think at all-the liberty this woman
Graves or the charge and punishment.
Which Is II to be, old man? Speak
quickly. for my time is precious"
! For q little while ne sat, mis- hansis
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 MS path-but who would
answer for the other? Was II possible
that his Die enemy, who had outwftted
him SO often, would be outwitted to-
night? This seemed to me his argu-
ment. I watched him rise suddenly
from his chair, beer out to the lark
ness. and as suddenly sit again.
Whether his courage had failed him
or this were the chosen moment for
kNa afkaotr n ~hAnl axva ha aAIa &n go,
with certainty. For me II was an in
stan OF acute suspense, Of nervous
listening for footsteps, OF quick resolu-
ton n prompt decision. Let there
be an echo OF a step. but n sound
without. I said. and I would shoot the
man where he sat. Thus was I deter
mined. In this dread perplexity did the
instant pass.
II cannot write" he gasped at last.
Put your questions to me, and I will
answer them"
And sign the document I 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 she'd a warm aureole of light up
on the paper. b U left the outer room
In darkness. My words were few, but
deliberate; his answers often but a
mutter OF sounds.
Joan Fodibras. whose daughter is
SHE? ~
"The daughter of David Kennard of
Illinois,"
"Her mother?"
II am not acquainted with her name
"a French Canadian. The records In
Illinois will tell YOU"
How came she to be this mar Fordi-
kPas's ward?"
His cowardice-his conscience as
men call II. Kennard was charged
with the great safe robberies OF the
year 1885. He was innocent. They
were my planning-my agents exc
cuted them. But Kennard-ah, he be-
trayed me. he would nave stood in my
path, and I removed him."
Then he was convicted? 2"
"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
Ch~angarnier who did France much mis-
chief In the year 1870-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 tho daughter and
brought her UP as his child. l
did not forbid it-why should 1? A
woman, IL she Is pretty, Is useful to
my l wished 10 humble
this man OF = o and I have done so.
Pshaw. what 8 figure he cuts to-day!
Skulking In Tunis like a paitry cut
purse-afraid OF me. afraid-but proud,
my friend-prCud, proud. as one OF
your great mobiles. that is Hubert
F~ordibras. Speak q word to the police
and you may arrest him Hush
will send you evidence. He Is proud
and there is a heart In him. Tear ii
out. for he Is a traitor. He has shnt
his eyes and head out his hands. and
have put money into them. Tear the
heart out OF hin. for he will kill the
WOMAN YOU loves
! ignored the savage treachery Of
this. its brutality and p~lain-spoke
hatred. The generals pride must have
been u bitter burden to this creepinr
scoundrei with his insufferable vanitie,
n his intense desire to abase all mer
before him. The quarrel was nothins
20 mel could well wish that Huber
FordIbras might never cross my patti
again. -
Traitor OF MOTT is your concern ,
I said. There is another question here
Why Che Was Sorry.
Ernro fhN n.~km-