Twice-a-week plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1895-1913, 1912-05-10

! therefore watched on tne Dauk VI
the lake and, weary of long waiting,
was beginning to think that he had
gone through the other door, the door
In the third cellar, when 1 heard a
slight splashing in the dark, l saw
the two yellow eyes shining like can
dies and soon the boat touched shore.
Erik jumped out and walked up to
me:
you've been here for twenty-four
hours" he said, land you're annoying
me. tell you, all this will end very
badly. And you will have brought 1t
upon yourself; for have been ex-
traordinarily patient with you. You
think you are following me, you great
BOBBY, whereas it's l who am follow
ing you; and know all that you
know about me, here. spared you
yesterday, in my Communists road;
but I warn you, seriously, don't let
me catch you there again! Upon my
word, you don't seem able to take
hint!"
think, for the moment, OF interrupting
him. After putting and blowing like
a walrus, he put his horrible thought
into words:
yes. you must learn, once and for
all-once and for all, say-to take a
hint! tell you that, with your reck-
lessness-for you have already been
twice arrested by the shade in the
felt hat, who did not know what you
were doing in the cellars, and took
you to the managers, who looked up
on you as an eccentric Persian inter-
ested in stage mechanism and life be-
hind the scenes; know all about it.
I was there, in the office; you know
am everywhere-well. tell you that,
with your rfcklessness, they will end
by wondering what you are after
here and they Will end by
knowing that you are after Erik {.
and then they will be after Erik them
selves and they will discover the
house on the lake. II they
do, 1t will be bad lookout for you.
old chap. bad lookout! l
won't answer for anything"
Again he pulled and blew like a
walrus.
Il won't answer for anything!
II Erik's secrets cease to be Erik's
secrets, it will be bad lookout for
a goodly number Of the human race!
That's all have to tell you, and un-
less you are a great BOBBY. 1t ought
to be enough for you except
that you don't know how to take a
hint"
-, He had sat down on the stern of
his boat and was kicking his heels
against the planks, waiting to hear
what had to answer. l simply said:
/ "Its not Erik that I'm after here!"
"Who then?"
You know as we'll as do: It's
Christine Daae," I answered.
He retorted: II have every right to
see her in my own house. l am loved
for my own sake"
THAT'S not true," I said. You
have carried her off and are keeping
her locked up"
Listen" he said. "Will you prom.
ise never to NEEDLE with my affairs
again. If prove to you that l am
loved for my own sake?'
YES, 1 promise you," replied, with
out hesitation, for I felt convinced
that for such a monster the proof
was impossible.
"Well. then, it's quite simple. {.
Christine Daae shall leave this as she
pleases and come back again!
Yes. come back again. because she
wishes come back CT herself,
because she loves me for myself"
"Oh, I doubt II she VIII come back!
l., But 1t is your duty to let her
60"
my duty, you great BOBBY!
It Is my wish my wish to let
her go; and she will come back again
|, for she loves me! All
this will end in marriage II. a
marriage at the Madeleine. you great
BOBBY! Do you believe me now?
When tell you that my nuptial mass
Is written wait till you hear
the Kyrie.
He beat time with his heels on the
planks of the boat and sang:
"Kyrie! Kyrie! KY
RE eleison! Wait till you
hear, wait till you hear that mass"
Look here" said Il shall be-
lieve you If see Christine Daae come
out Of the house on the lake and go
back to 1t of her own accord"
"And you won't NEEDLE any more
In my affairs?"
mo-"
Every we'll, you shall see that to-
night. Come to the masked ball.
Christine and I will 60 and have
look round Then you can hide In
the lumber.room and you shall see
Christine, who will have gone to her
dressing room, delighted to come back
by the Communists road. :.
And. now, be off, for must go and
do some shopping"
TO my intense establishment, things
happened as he had announced. Chris
tine Daae left the house on the lake
and returned to 1t several times, with
out, apparently, being forced to do so.
It was very difficult for me to clear
my mind of Erik. However, l resolved
to be extremely prudent, and did not
make the mistake of returning to the
shore Of the lake, or OF going by the
Communists road. But the idea OF
the secret entrance in the third cellar
haunted me, and l repeatedly went
and waited for hours behind scene
from the Roi de Lahore. which had
been left there for some reason or