Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1912-04-03


fallen. Raoul made a movement as
though to rise, but Christine kept him
beside her.
Don't CO." she said. 81 want you
to know everything herei"
But why here, Christine? I am
afraid of your catching cold"
I'VE have nothing to fear except
the trap-doors, dear, and here we are
miles away from the trap-doors =
and am not allowed to see you out
side the theater. This is not the time
to annoy him. We must not arouse
his suspicion"
Christine! Christine! Something
tells me that we are wrong to wait
till tomorrow evening and that we
ought to fly at once"
81 tell you that, if he does not hear
me sing tomorrow, it will cause him
infinite pain
1T is difficult not to cause him pain
and yet to escape from him for good"
You are right in that. Raoul, for
certainly he will die of my flight"
And she added in a dull voice, But
then 1t counts both ways for
we risk his killing u.s.
Does he love you so much?"
HE would commit murder for me-"
But one can find out where he
lives. One can go IN search of him.
Now that we know that Erik is not
a ghost, one can speak to him and
force him to answer"
Christine shook her head
NO, no! There is nothing to be
away"
Then why, when you were able to
run away, did you go back to him."
Because l had to. And you will
understand that when 1 tell you how
left him"
oh, 1 hate him!" cried Raoul.
"And you, Christine, tell me, do you
hate him too?"
NO." said Christine simply.
mo, of course not. Why,
you love him! Your fear, your ter
ror, all of that is just love and love
of the most exquisite kind. the kind
which people do not admit even to
kind that gives you a thrill. when you
| think Of 1t. Picture it: man
| who lives in a palace underground"
| And he gave a leer.
Then you want me to go back
there?" said the young girl cruelty.
Take care, Raoul; have told you:
should never return!"
There was an appalling silence be
tween the three of them; the two
who spoke and the shadow that list
ened, behind them.
Before answering that" said Raoul
at last, speaking very slowly, II should
like to know with what feeling he in
spires you, since you do not hate
him"
with horror," she said. THAT II
the terrible thing about it. He fill
me with horror and l do not hate him
How can I hate him, Raoul9 Thinl
Of Erik at my feet, in the house OF
the lake, underground. He accuse
himself, he curses himself, he in
plores my forgiveness! H
confesses his cheat. He loves me
He lays at my feet an immense an
tragic love. He has CARRIE
prisoned me with him, underground
for love! But he respects me
he crawls, he means, he weeps!
And, when l stood up, Raoul. and toll
him that | could only despise him j
he did not, then and there, give m
my liberty he offered
he offered to show me tn
mysterious road Only
only he rose too and l wa
made to remember that, though
was not an angel, nor ghost, nor
genius, he remained the voice
. for he sang. And l listened
and stayed, 10. That night, "
did not exchange another word. H
sang me to sleep
, When | woke up, l was alone, l.
| ing on a sofa in a simply furnishe
l little bedroom with an ordinary mi
e. hogany bedstead, lit by lamp stan
I ing on the marble top of an old Loui
3 Philippe chest of drawers. | soon di
q covered that l was a prisoner and tia
D the only outlet from my room led
1 a very comfortable bathroom. On r
q turning to the bedroom, | saw on II
e chest of drawers a note, in red in
J, which said, My dear Christine, yC
g need have no concern as to your fat
e You have no better nor more respeC
Q full friend in the world than myseI
: You are alone, at present, in tn
e home which is yours. l am going Of
e shopping to fetch you all the thing
3 that you can need l felt sure that
had fallen into the hands of a ma
o man. l ran round my little apal
ment, looking for a way OF escal
t. which l could not find. l upbraidt
o myself for my absurd superstitio
e which had caused me TO fall into Il
g trap. felt inclined to laugh and
1t cry at the same time.
e This was the state of mind
10 which Erik found me. After givil
n three taps on the wall, he walked
e quietly through a door which | b
* not noticed and which he left ope
E. He had his arms full of boxes al
" parcels and arranged them on the be
10 in a leisurely fashion, while | ovt
" whelmed him with abuse and call
lie upon him to take off his mask, if
S, covered the face of an honest me-
Ir i