The Mellette County pioneer. [volume] (Wood, Mellette County, S.D.) 19??-1971, 1912-12-20

., ouI auose tue ietteIS tndI IOiioW.
This. no doubt. escaped you. There
remains only the serious question OF
what led her to this"
Armand was in deep thought.
What will you do with herr" he 40
last said
you have my word she shall not
be touched. But have duty to per-
form, and will perform II. BY to-por-
row night We shall be In possession OF
| all the facts. and this ugly Nightmare
VIII have come to an end. Please re-
turn at once to Chinon, and wait till
you hear from me-"
My friends villa In Vile d'Avray
stood within its own grounds behird a
cluster of trees that hid IL from view. As
| Madame P had written TO her hus-
band that she was suffering from in
| fiuenza, | went TO the tobacconist's at
the corner. and, having purchased a
| few cigars, inquired after Monsieur
P. He, was told, was Ia Paris;
but madame had not gone with him.
Had she been i'll? No, madame had
been driving her ponies every day He
had just seen her enter the gates.
| went straight to the house, and, a
few minutes later. Madame P
came to me In the library.
"You here, M Goron?" she exclaim-
ed. at is six months since We saw
you. You are neglecting your friends"
She was still the same thin, old
notwithstanding little woman, with
pale checks, pale hair, pale hands,
and a curiously big voice, not in keep
ing with her small stature
Have you seen Armand?" she
asked.
Yes, l knew he was better. aud 7
came here hoping to find him"
No, be is still away. l could not
90 10 him because I have only just
recovered from an attack Of influenza.
Can J do anything for you?"
Eyes, you can render me small
| service. want 70 send q letter TO
some one. but not in my own writing.
want 20 sion It only. win you al.
low ne to dictate it TO you?'
Certainly"
She sat at her husbands desk,
dipped her pen in the ink, and waited.
The woman you love- I began. is
attempting
Madame looked un. her lips parted.
her whole face turned an ashy gray.
els attempting your life Be
warned"
could 20 no further.
With fear expressed in everv line
of her face. she rushed at me. seized
both my arms in a couvulsive grasp,
and, throwing herself on the sofa,
her face buried in the cushions, broke
into peals OF uncomfortable laughter.
II was fearful.
After a while she grew calmer.
Madame" said, twill you"
At the sound of my voice she
jumped up and stood in front OF me.
'No," she screamed in q paroxysm
of excitement, don't speak, don't ut.
ter n word. Only listen. Yes, you
the whole truth. | can read It in
your face You have come to avenge
Armand. But you shall listen 10 me.
You shall know what | suffered. and
why became n murderess. NJ. Goron,
have you ever heard OF a woman kill.
ing n man because she loved him?
Don't look at me surprised. | am not
mad. ! am quite sane. Had I been
bereft of reason I should have suffer.
ed less.
81 love Armand as no woman ever
before loved man. He is kind, gen.
erous, and would give my life for
him any hour OF the day. | loved him
from the moment first saw him. and,
when We married. ! wanted him to
know all he was TO me. But curse
seemed TO rest on me- My stony
features and my harsh voice repealed
him: and when tried to tell him how
| worshipped him. and that was pin
ing for his affection. my tongue
seemed paralyzed. Finally gave up.
And then I knew he was lost to me;
and had 10 see him spend half his
days in the company of that Eighty
doll. his cousin. | resolved TO kill
myself, but | knew that he would
marry that woman: and | swore that
sooner than that he should die"
longed 10 have this painful inter
view over and said:
Madame. I have not come to ar
rest you. because Armand made me
promise that If the crime should be
brought home TO you, you should not
be harmed, so far as the law is con-
cerned. In order TO save my friends
life | am making the sacrifice of my
, duty: but ! must insist on your obey
} ing my injunctions."
She bowed her head. and II was de-
cided that before the end of the week
she should leave France. She at once
proposed to go to the cholera-stricken
, district In Tonquin. where she could
, be useful, and | promised to see her
, safely on board the next outgoing
steamer. She also signed a declara-
ton to the effect that she was leaving
her husband and her home. which
; would enable Armand to obtain a d.
vorce without any trouble. As rose
to 60, she stopped me.
"Allow me to make a last request.
, Don't tell Armand anything about my