Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1911-02-13
CHAPTER XII.
Of Myself, in the Role of Abductor

Of Myself, in the Role of Abductor.
lay awake until dawn. footing up my
account for the day. and the balance
which I struck was far from satisfactory.
MIR. Hayward's supposition that I was
thief might have been to my advantage,
but had more than Offset It by my vain
attempt to prove my innocence. I had
found the road to the cave. but Pierre
knew that 1 had found it. had made
futile effort to escape and Sylvia had
caught me. And finally. by my hot
headed defense of woman who needed
TO defender had incurred the girls en-
nifty.
| This fact worried me above all the
others. If there were any one upon the
island whom I wished to please, 1t was
Sylvia. And yet had flown into a sense
less rage at her. been discOurteous, in
s,lting, and for no reason. l dared not
imagine her opinion OF me now. The
memory of her last words still cut like
the lash of a whip 1t was not to be
wondered that the sleep which overlook
me at daylight was haunted with night
mares and that, when it departed 1t left
me hollow-eyed and unrefreshed.
l dressed languidly and strolled down to
the house in search of breakfast. Pierre
met me on the veranda with grave face.
ITS breakfast over?" 1 asked. sourly.
Long ago. But re maid-shc hat save
some for YOU. All! she bring eet now.
| AS he spoke the woman appeared in the
doorway with tray. Pierre, taking it
from her, placed it on table. I drew
up chair and sat down to the meal In
peevish silence. The F'renchman watched
me with q troubled frown.
Il fear m'sieu' has ben foolish again"
he said, at last.
Say unfortunate. rather"
"No-foolish.'' He laid stress upon this
word. "Eef msieu' had wish to escap'
he should hat gone alone
| Il did
| II found her in the cave"
| 'Foun' her, m'sieu'?'
| "Yes--found her" His evident disbe-
lief made me angry. do you think
met her on purpose?"
Pierres frown deepened Eyes. m'sieu'.
we-zey-do ley tink you help her es.
cap, from her room here
| He repeated the statement.
That's ridiculous.' 1 expostulated.
''Why. man. 1 never laid eyes on her until
last night. l don't know now where you
keep her locked up"
| He shrugged his shoulders incredulously.
Zen who did help herr"
Nobody, probably. She told me she
had stolen the key Of her door and had
slipped another into its place. She could
mot unless some one had CIV her Eat
ozzer key" And then. as he saw my look
OF bewilderment: you know. m'sieu'.
she try to escap' re same way night be-
fore las. When you heard her scream
ma'mselle had JUS caught her. So we
take every key out OF her room. Ze one
she use las night mus hat been sent her
| from outside
| "And you accuse me of sending it,?
Yes, msieu.''
/ "Why?"
you were wiz her when she was
| foun.''
that in Pierre's earnestness which warned
me that 1t was no laughing matter. 1
began to question him in a more serious
| tone.
How. am 1 supposed to have sent the
key to herr"
Fey think you tie eet to a string an
she pull eet up through re window. You
see. she would know what to do wiz eet
from re time before"
He nodded.
Perhaps they've forgotten that I was
locked up in the hut until Dick broke in"
mo. m'sieu'. ley remember Eat you
were not locked up-from supper to mid
night. Zere was plenty time for you to
fin her an tell her how to get out"
But how could / find herr?
"She may hat cali from her window.
When ma mselle went in at IL to say
discover later Eat eet was zen she change
re keys in re door Las night she change
'em when re maid brought her supper.
Bot times m'sieu' might have talked to
her through her window beforehan an
we nevaire know. Zen. again, m sieus
talk wiz ma'mselle las night was agains
him. Eef he had no interes' in madame
he would nevaire hat said what he did,"
He paused and looked at me intently. SO
you see, zere is reason-moOch reason-for
belief
| There was. indeed. It seemed as though
some hostile fate was ever at my heels.
pursuing ME. drawing me into its tolls
What does Mrs Hayward say" de-
manded
"Eozzing."
Cant she explain how she got the
key"
more
There was no help in that direction. The
woman, in. spite of her simple exterior.
had the shreWdness. the cunning, of in
sanity. II she imagined it to her interest
TO be silent, no power on earth could
make her speak. AS a last resource /
preached the question of motive.
Your story may sound we'll enough in
theory l argued. But just look at it
from the practical side and you'll see how
absurd it is. What object could pos
sibly have in letting Mrs Hayward es-
cape-to say nothing Of taking her with
me?
re ozzers think you might hat sew
eral.''
such as what?"
"Such as because you blieye We treat
] her cruelty Ma'mseller say Eat. But
NJ sieu' Hayward say you wish to get her
on re mainlan', an hol' her as-what you
call eet-hostage. Zen again. He
hesitated.
! "Well?"
| Aren't two enough, M Sieu'? ?"
II wish to know everything against
me-"
| His eyes shifted from mine and he
drummed nervously on the table. "M'sieu'
doubtless knows Eat she is-gone in re
head-Zat she try always to kill herself"
he said, slowly, falling back into the for
NAL third person.
i've good reason for knowing it,
| "Ah! Zen, las night"
| "She tried again." / laughed grimly.
His beady eyes flashed with excitement
what happened?
| 1 told him. He drew pronounced sigh
Of relief
$50 you save her-you really save her?
Zen eet--cannot be true"
| 'What?"
"Ze ozzer reason why you help her to
lescap'."
\ For an instant I gazed at him in per-
pleXity. Then the meaning of his words
/ flashed upon me. and jumped to my
/, feet in angry astOnishmeDt.
| do they say 1 let her out so she could
kill herself? Do they think l tried to
murder herr