Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1912-04-10
CHAPTER XIV.
chrIstInel chrlstinel

ed the almost supernatural powers OF
the Angel OF Music, in this domain OF
the opera in which he had set up his
empire. And Raoul rushed on the
stage, in a mad ct OF love and despair.
Christine! Christine," he moaned.
calling to her as he felt that she must
be calling TO him from the depths OF
that dars; pit to which the monster
had carried her. Christine, Chris
tine!"
And he seemed TO hear the girls
screams through the frail boards that
separated him from her. He bent
forward, he listened, he wan
dered over the stage like a mailman.
All, to descend. 10 descend into that
pit Of darkness every entrance to
which was closed TO him, for
the stairs that led below the stage
were forbidden to one and all that
night
Christine! Christine! ."
People pushed him aside, laughing.
They made fun OF him. They thought
the poor lovers brain was gone,
BY what mad road. through what
passages OF mystery and darkness
known to him alone had Erik dragged
that pure-souled child to the awful
haunt, with the Louis-Philippe room,
opening out on the lake?
Christine! Christinel Why
don't you answer? Are you
alive? o"
Hideous thoughts flashed through
Raou!s congested brain. OF course.
Erik must have discovered their Sc
cret, must have known that Christine
had played him false. What a ven
geance would be his,
And Raoul thought again OF the yell
low stars that had come, the night be-
fore. and roamed over his balcony.
Why had he not put them out Tor
good? There were some mems eyes
that dilated in the darkness and
shone like stars or like cats eyes
Certainly Albinos. who seemed to
have rabbits eyes by day. had cats
syes at night; everybody knew that!
Yes. yes. he had undoubtedly
hred at Erik. Why had he not killed
him? The monster hau fed up the
gutter-spout like a cat or a convict
who-everybod knew that also
would scale the very skies, with the
help Of gutter-spout. No
doubt Erik was at that time contem-
plating some decisive step against
Raoul. but he had been wounded and
had escaped to turn against poor
Christine instead.
Such were the cruel thoughts that
haunted Raoul as he ran to the sing
er's dressingroom.
Christine! Christine!"
Bitter tears scorChed the boys eye
lids as he saw scattered over the fur
piture the clothes which his beautiful
bride was 10 have worn at the hour
OF their fight. oh, why had she re-
fused TO leave earlier?
Why had she toyed with the threat
ening catastrophe? Why toyed with
the monsters heart? Why. IN final
access of pity, had she insisted on
ninging. as last sop 70 that demon S
soul, her divine song:
Holy angel In heaven blessed.
My spirit longs with thee 70 rest!
Raoul, his throat filled with sobs,
oaths and insults, fumbled awkwardly
at the great mirror that had opened
one night before his eyes, TO let Chris
tine pass to the murky dwelling be-
low. He pushed. pressed, CROPPED
about, but the glass apparently obeyed
no one but Erik. Perhaps &C
lions were not enough with glass OF
the kind? Perhaps he was expected
TO utter certain words? When he
was a little boy, he had heard that
there were things that obeyed the
spoken word!
Suddenly. Raoul remembered some
thing about a gate opening into the
Rue Scribe, an underground passage
running straight to the Rue Scribe
from the lake. Yes, Christine
had told him about thai. And,
when be found that the key was no
longer in the box, he nevertheless ran
TO the Rue Scribe.
Outside, In the street, he passed
his trembling hands over the huge
stones, felt for outlets met
with iron bars were those
they? Or these? Or
could II be that air-hole? he
plunged his useless eyes through the
bars. How dark It was in
there! He listened.
AL was silence! =. He went
round the building and came
to bigger bars. immense gates!
II was the entrance TO the Cour do
administration.
Raoul rushed into the doorkeeper'i
lodge.
Il beg your pardon, madame. couic
you tell me where to find gate oil
door, made OF bars. iron bars, opening
into the Rue Scribe and lead
ing TO the lake? You know
the lake l mean? Yes, the
underground lake e.. under the
opera"
YES. sir. know there is a lake
under the opera, but don't know
which door leads TO II. have never