Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1913-07-24

words; and I left the cellars Of the
opera after carefully replacing the
stone.
I continued to be greatly interested
in the relations between Erik and
Christine Daae. not from any morbid
curiosity. but because Of the terrible
thought which obsessed my mind that
Erik was capable of anything, II he
once discovered that he was not loved
for his own sake, as he imagined. /
continued to wander, very cautiously,
about the opera and soon learned the
truth about the monsters dreary love-
affair
He filed Christine's mind, through
the terror with which he inspired her,
but the dear chfld's heart belonged
wholly to the Vicomte Raoul de Chag-
ny. While they played about. like an
innocent engaged couple, on the up
per floors of the opera, to avoid the
monster, they little suspected that
some one was watching over them. 1
was prepared to do anything; to kill
the monster, II necessary, and ex-
plain to the police afterward. But
Erik did not show himself; and felt
none the more comfortable for that.
1 must explain my whole plan.
thought that the monster, being driven
from his house by jealousy, would
thus enable me to enter it, without
danger, through the passage in the
third cellar. 1t was important, for
everybody's sake, that | should know
exactly what was inside. One day,
tired of waiting for an opportunity,
an astounding music: the monster
was working at his Don Juan Tri-
umphant, with every door in his
house wide open. l knew that this
was the work of his life. | was care
full not to stir and remained pru-
IDENTIFY in my dark hole.
He stopped playing, for moment.
like a mailman. And he said alouG,
at the top of his voice:
1T must be finished first! Quite
finished!"
This speech was not calculated to
reassure me and, when the music
recommended, | closed the stone very
softly.
On the day of the abduction of
Christine Daae, did not come to the
theater until rather late in the eve
ming, trembling lest | should hear
bad news. | had spent a horrible day,
for, after reading in a morning paper
the announcement of a forthcoming
marriage between Christine and the
Vicomte de Chagny, | wondered
whether after all, | should not do
better and denounce the monster But
reason returned to me, and | was
persuaded that this action could only
precipitate a possible catastrophe
When my cab set me down before
the opera, | was really almost as
tonished to see it still standing! But
l am something of fatalist, like all
good OrientaIs, and l entered ready
for anything.
Christine Daaes abduction in the
Prison Act, which naturally surprised
everybody, found me prepared | was
quite certain that she had been Jug
gled away by Erik, that prince OF
conjurors. And | thought positively
that this was the end of Christine
and perhaps OF everybody, so much
so that | thought OF advising all these
people who were staying on at the
theater to make good their escape. /
felt, however. that they would be sure
to look upon me as mad and / re-
Trained.
On the other hand, [ resolved to act
without further delay. as far as /
was concerned. The chances were in
my favor that Erik, at that moment,
was thinking only Of his captive. This
was the moment to enter his house
through the third cellF; and | re
solved to take with mesthat poor lit
tie desperate viscount. who, at the
first suggestion. accepted, with an
amount of confidence in myself that
touched me profoundly. l had sent
my servant for my pistols. [ gave one
to the viscount and advised him to
hold himself ready to fire, for. after
all, Erik might be waiting for US be-
hind the wall We were to go by the
Communists road and through the
trap-door.