Gilpin observer., 1913-09-18

Ddck your liberty, Christine, on con-
d1tion 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 II you ever part with IT..
for Erik will have his revenge!' I.
My dear. my dear, the ring Is gonel
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 lyre," she
said. 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" Raoui
insisted. once more.
She hesitated. He thought that she
was going to say yes. Then
her bright pupils became dimmed and
she said:
mo! 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
III 1 don't save her from the hands
OF that humbug," he said, aloud, as
he went to bed. ''she is lost. But
shall save her."
He put out his lamp and felt a need
to insult Erik in the dark. Thrice
over. he shouted:
"Humbug! Humbug!
Humbug!"
But. suddenly, he raised himself on
his elbow. A cold sweat poured from
his temples. Two eyes. like blazing
Goals. had appeared at the foot OF his
bed. They stared at him fixedly. ter
ribly. In the darkness of the night.
Raoul was no coward; and yet he
trembled. He put out a cropping, hest
tatfng hand toward the table by his
bedside. He found the matches and
lit his candle. The eyes disappeared.
Still uneasy In his mind, he thought
to himself
She told me that his eyes only
showed in the dark. His eyes have
disappeared in the light, but he may
be there still"
And he rose. hunted about, went
round the room. He looked under his
bed. like child. Then he thought
himself absurd. got into bed again and
blew out the candle. The eyes reap
peared.
He sat up and stared back at them
with all the courage he possessed.
Then he cried:
''ls that you. Erik? Man. genius. or
ghost. is 1t your"
He reflected: "If it's he. he's on the
balcony!"
Then he ran to a chest of drawers
and CROPPED for his revolver. He
out. saw nothing and closed the win
dow again. He went back to bed.
shivering. for the night was cold, and
put the revolver on the table within
his reach.
The eyes were still there, at the
foot OF the bed. Were they between
the bed and the window-pane or be-
hind the pane. that is to say, on the
balcony? That was what Raoul want
ed to know. He also wanted to know
If those eyes belonged to a human be-
ing. He wanted to know
everything.
Then. patiently. calmly. he seized
his revolver and took aim He aimed
little above the two eyes. Surely,
IL they were eyes and II above those
two eyes there was forehead and II
Raoul was not too clumsy ...
The shot made q terrible din amid
the silence Of the slumbering house
And. while footsteps came hurrying
along the passages, Raoul sat up with
outstretched arm. ready to fire again.
II need be.
This time. the two eyes had disap-
peared.
Servants appeared. carrying lights:
Count Philippe. terribly anxious: