Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1913-03-11
her pale, intense face, told that she
was listening

her pale, intense race, tolQ tnat sns
was listening.
Madame, she was an angel-the
great God only knows how good she
was to me, and loved her. She was
blonde and beautiful, and young
barely eighteen when she married that
man, and she had fortune of know
not how much money. I had been her
maid from her childhood, for she had
lived long in Paris-she and her faith
er. He was an old Russian noble, and
he died the year of her marriage.
Il liked not my mistress's husband
from the first, madame; I liked not
his valet, Adolphe, who was a smiling
devil, sly and cunning as fox. No,
abhored both master and man. But
my dear mistress loved the count; she
thought him noble and good; she gave
him freely of her fortune, and for a
little while all went well. At the end
of six months, however, he began to
tire of her; and she, who was as beau
tiful as you are, though in a different
way-used to sit in her chamber
madame, and weep, and wiring her
hands, because he had ceased to love
her-because his coldness and cruelty
made her life miserable. How hated
him then, and ciel! how / hate him
still, when think Of It!
well, it was not long before he
spent all her money-monsieur the
count Is an adept at spending money
and then, think, he began to con-
slider how he could safely rid himself
of her. She was as sweet and guile
less as a child-she loved him, and she
suspected nothing! but Of that black
serpent Adolphe she always stood In
deadly fear. After her death the count
whispered among his friends that my
poor mistress had cherished secret
faisehood! She detested the wretch.
He terrified her-he filled her with
horror. AT sight Of that man. she
once said to me, I become like ice.
The sound Of his voice makes me
shiver.' And at another time / heard
her plead with the count to send him
away, because of the repugnance
which she felt for him; and monsieur
laughed and said, No, he could not
live without Adolphe-it was simply
impossible. And so he was not dis
missed.
"The count began to be hard pressed
for money.
More and more frequently I used
to find my young mistress In tears
Yet they were often seen In public to-
fection' for her. though all the time he
was plotting her destruction. Now
that her fortune was spent, and she
had become a burden to him, he meant
that she should die.
"One night-ah, can ever forget It!
i dressed the countess for ball al
the Tuleries. She looked like an angel
madame-all white, from her god head
to her little feet-white as a shroud
The count told her she was incompar-
able, and kissed her hands with q
great show Of devotion-the arch-hy-
pocrite!
HE went with her to the palace;
and after their departure I was put
ting away some laces and Jewels In
the countess's dressing room, which ad-
joined her boudoir, when I heard in the
latter apartment a sudden noise
stealthy, creeping footsteps. I ran to
the portiere just in time to see Adolphe
making his exit into the corridor.
What are you doing in the coun-
tess's room!' I called.
He turned about changing color
rapidly.
"Ah, peste!' he answered; looking
for a diamond stud which monsieur
the count has lost. One kiss. Marie!
He came close up to me under the
hangings, and tried to press his lips
to mine. snatched up little dagger
with which the countess sometimes cut
the leaves Of books, and struck at him
and wounded his hand.
Keep back from me, serpentn
said.
His black eyes snapped. He looked
as If he would like to twist my neck.
BAH You are not so kind as your
Mistress he laughed. "She loves me.
THAT is a lie, Monsieur Adolphe!
I answered; a vile, miserable lie! Dc
you not know better than to ten it to
me? She hates, she abhors you!'
'"You will see,' he answered. with
wicked shrug; and so passed out into
the corridor and vanished.
After a while l went into the bou-
| doir, and began to search for mon
sieur's lost stud. 1t was not there;
| but carefully concealed behind a pic
ture I found a small vial marked
| 'Laudanum.' Mind, it was an empty
vial, madame, with the smell and the
stain Of the deadly drug fresh upon It
Next opened a closet in the wall be-
hind the satin hangings, and there
saw a decanter of wine and a long
necked Venetian glass, both looking as
If they had been placed there fol
some special purpose. l said to my
self, did Ado!phe bring these innings
to the countesss boudoir-an empty
vial ard a decanter of wine? I couic
make nothing of It, Should I go and
find the villain, and ask him to ex-
plain the matter, or wait till the coun-
tess returned from the ball, and show
her what l had found? On second
thought, I concluded to wait.
| Madame, it was late-almost morn
ing, when she came, wrapped in hel
opera cloak the count supporting hel
up the stair, for she was a frail little
thing, easily fatigued. He led her to
sofa, handed me her cloak, and waved
me back when l would have gone tc
her. noticed that he was pale, ant
as nervous as a cat.
| "'Go!' he said to me; I will attend
! to your mistress
(To be continued.)