The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1912-07-02

feigning to sleep, my hand grasped the handle of it convulsively.
 "At length I saw the lamp rise soft. ly and disappear in the depths of the ceiling. At length I heard the noise of the door which opened and shut; heard, notwithstanding the thickness of the carpet, step which made the floor creak; saw, notwithstanding the darkness, a shadow which approached my bed"
 Make haste, make hastew said Eel. ton. t'Do you not see that every one of your words burns me like molten leadY
 ''Then," continued milady, ''when I saw him near me, stretching out his arms to find his victim, struck him in the middle of his breast.
 sThe miserable villain! He had foreseen all! His breast was covered with coat of mail; the knife was bent against 1t.
 "tAh, ah!' cried he, seizing my arm and wrestling from me the weapon. You want to take my life, do you, my pretty Puritan! Come, come; calm yourself, my sweet girl! You don't love me; tomorrow you shall be free
 1'I had but one wish,, and that was that he should kill me.
 "'Beware,' said I, for my liberty is your dishonor will tell everything. I will denounce this palace of infamy. You are placed on high, my lord, but tremble. Above you there is the king. Above the king there is God!
 Then you shall not leave this place. said he. A
 "'So be it. cried I, then the place of my punishment will be that of my tomb
 |" You shall have no weapon left in your power.'
 "T will allow myself to die with hunger
 {" "'Come, come said the wretch, is not peace much better than such war as that? I will restore you to liberty this moment. I will proclaim you a piece of immaculate virtue
 "I will denounce you before men as have denounced you before Gody
 "'Well, everything considered, you are very well off here. You shall want for nothing, and if you choose to die of hunger-why, that will be your own fault
 At these words he retired. I heard the door open and shut, and I remain ed overwhelmed, still less, confess it, by my grief than by the shame of not having avenged myself.
 ''He kept his word. All day, all the next night passed away without my seeing him again. I neither, ate nor drank. I was, as had told him, re- solved to die of hunger.
 "The second night the door opened. was lying on the floor, for my strength began to abandon me-
 We'll said his voice, are we sof- tened a little? Will we not pay for our liberty with single promise of si- lence? Come, take little oath for me on the cross. I won't ask anything more of you
 "'Upon the eross,' cried I, rising, for at that abhorred voice had recovered all my strength; upon the crossi I swear to denounce you everywhere as murderer, as despoiler of honor, as base cowardp
 < 'Bewarep said the voice in threat ening accent that I had never yet heard. I have an extraordinary means which I will employ, but in the last extremity
 ''I mustered all my strength to reply to him with burst of laughter. He saw that from that time it was war to the death between us.
 'Listen,' said he, I give you the rest of the night and the day of to- morrow Reflect, promise to be silent, and riches, consideration, even honor shall surround you. Threaten to speak and I will condemn you to infamy'
 Oh, leave me- said I. 'Begone, if you do not desire to see. me dash my head against that wall before your eyesr
 "'Very well; it is your own doing till tomorrow evening thenr"
 Felton leaned for support upon a piece of furniture, and milady saw with joy of demon that his strength would fail him, perhaps before the end of her recital.