Twice-a-week plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1895-1913, 1912-03-29

| HduH We UetteI MeeI Outsluo Ine
opera?"
"Never. till We go away for good!
It would bring us bad luck. II l did
not keep my word. promised him
to see you only here"
Its a good thing for me that he
allowed you even that. Do you know"
said Raoul bitterly, that 1t was very
plucky of you to let US play at being
engaged?"
'Why, my dear, he knows all about
it! He said, I trust you, Christine.
NJ. de Chagny is In love with you and
is going abroad. Before he goes,
want him to be as happy as I am
Are people so unhappy when they
love?"
YES, Christine, when they love and
are not sure of being loved"
They came to Christmas dressing.
room.
"Why do you think that you are
safer in this room than on the stage?"
asked Raoul. you heard him through
the walls here, therefore he can GER
tainly hear u.s.
mo. He gave me his word not to
be behind the walls of my dressing
room again and believe Eriks word.
This room and my bedroom on tho
lake are for me, exclusively, and not
to be approached by him."
"How can you have gone from this
room into that dark passage, Chris
tine? Suppose we try to repeat your
movements; shall we?"
ut is dangerous, dear. for the glass
might carry mo off again; and, In
stead of running away. I should be
obliged to 60 to the end Of the secret
passage to the lake and there call
Erik
Would he hear your"
Erik will hear me wherever ! call
him. He told me SO. He Is very
curious genius. You must not think.
Raoul, that he is simply man who
amuses himself by living under.
ground. He does things that no other
man could do; he knows things which
nobody in the world knows"
Take care. Christine. you are max
ing ghost Of him again!"
mo, he is not ghost; he is a man
OF heaven and earth, that is ALL"
"A man of heaven and earth i.
that is all! A nice way to speak Of
him! And are you still re-
solved to run away from him?"
Yes, tomorrow.
Tomorrow. you will have no re-
solve left"
Then, Raoul. you must run away
with me in spite of myself; Is that
understood? ?"
II shall be here at twelve tomorrow
night: shall keep my promise. what
ever happens. You say that. after
listening to the performance. he is to
wait for you in the dining-room on
the lake,"
"Yes"
"And how are you to reach him, II
you don't know how to go out by the
glass?"
"Why, by going straight to the edge
Of the lake"
Christine opened box. took out an
enormous key and showed it to Raoul.
Whats that?" he asked.
1.-The key of the gate to the under
ground passage in the Rue Scribe"
Il understand, Christine. 1t leads
straight to the lake. Give 1t to me.
Christine. will your
treacherous!'
Suddenly Christine changed color.
A mortal pallor overspread her fea'
lures.
"Oh, heavens" she cried. Erik!
Erik! Have pity on mel"
Hold your tongue!" said Raoul.
"You told me he could hear you!"
But the singers attitude became
more and more inexplicable. She
wrung her fingers. repeating, with a
distraught air:
"Oh, heaven. Oh. heaven!"
But what is it? What is it," Raoul
lmplored.
"The ring the gold ring he
gave me-
"Oh, so Erik gave you that ring."
You know he did, Raoul! But
what you don't know is that. when he
gave it to me. he said. I give you
back your liberty, Christine. on con-
dition that this ring is always on your
finger. AS long as you keep 1t. you
will be protected against all danger
and Erik will remain your friend. But
woe to you If You ever part with It,
for Erik will have his revenge! .
My dear. my dear. the ring is gone!
Woe to us BOTH"
They both looked for the ring. but
could not find It, Christine refused to
be pacified:
1T was while gave you that kiss,
up above, under Apollo's Tyre she
said. 1.-THE ring must have slipped
from my finger and dropped into the
street! We can never find 1t. And
what misfortunes are in store for us
now! Oh, to run away"
Let us run away at once Raoul
insisted, once more.
She hesitated. He thought that she
was going to say yes. Then
her bright pupils became dimmed and
she said:
NO! Tomorrow"
And she left him hurriedly, still
wringing and rubbing her fingers, as
though she hoped to bring the ring
back like that.
Raoul went home, greatly perturbed
at all that he had heard.
IF don't save her from the hands
of that humbug," he said. aloud 20