River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1914-09-24

denness
Taken Dy surprise before the vicious
fury of the girls attack the butler
staggered back. Before he could re-
cover she was upon him, driving him
toward the door. He lifted his hands
to fend his face, then stopped abruptly
as he staggered into his master, just
entering the room.
Hugo Loubeque waited watching the
furious girl and the rufled butler curl
ously. A smile curved his lips as he
turned toward her.
You object to the draft, | presume.
/ assure you it has no III effects and
will make the journey one Of pleasure
instead Of WEAKNESS" Then he whirl-
ed upon the butler, his face hard as
granite, his teeth clipping off each
| word like steel particles.
What are you doing here?"
Il came to see if the draft had taken
effect" sulkily murmured the butler.
by what authority
Asking your pardon, sir. but sug-
gested it and was afraid it might have
bad effect | grew to take an inter-
est in Miss Lucille in Manila, sir, and
did not wlsh'-
Loubeque frowned heavily, but cut
him short with an impatient wave of
his hand Lucille felt a sudden inn
pulse to tell him the truth, but CON
quered it swiftly. She could fight
Thompson much easier than this man.
She must keep her own counsel The
spy turned to her again.
"You did not take the draft?"
Nor
Il assure you on my word as a gen
tleman that it will cause YOU no incon-
Venience. Further, | hoped net to be
obliged to teR you that IL yeE do not
take it willingly you win be compelled
to get 1t down.
She bent her head docHely. Resist
ance was out of the question, and, aft
err all, she must save her strength to
fight the big things After moments
hesitation, a shudder at the enticing
colors shed from the stuff, she drained
the glass.
Languor, comfort peace. She gave
herself up to the drug with prayer,
Il DIdyGE bnC lett 81 C6ILdln WOlhu DC
needed, that in her slWnber a smile
parted ber hps. played about her Seun-
tenanoe. And when she awokG she
was at LoubeQUe's Mexican ranch.
Low. rambling houses of Spanish
architecture dotted the great area
which the curiously fantastic, wholly
artistic fence inclosed The grounds
were laid out in orderly fashion, bloom
ing like the garden Of Eden with a
riotous profusion Of flowers and.plants.
This was a new Loubeque she met
there Always had she associated him
with the manner of her knowing him.
Times he had been tender, other times
he had been cruel, always was he Graf
i ty, cunning, courageous, one ideal
man. But now he seemed al Roet,
painter. Site c0AA hear the sSfsened
tones of his voice as, with some OF his
companions, he wandered about the
grounds, tenderly explaining to them
the history, the beauty of the towers,
the rare species he had imported for
the place.
that she noticed signs of some impend-
ing change about the menage. One
morning he suddenly walked toward
her, entering the house to shortly en-
/ ter her room.
! II am leaving today" he began abb
ruptly, all the nature lover gone from
his cold stern manner. again | ask
| NOR 70 toll vryho
| pers."
'Then they haven't been found
She stopped abruptly, realizing that
her delight bad revealed quite as much
as his demand.
] II am sorry, Lucille. that you cannot
see the folly of this. 1t is your last
chance to tell me- 1t rs your last
chance to count me friend ] am
waiting"
She did not answer Their eyes met
and held, both filed with an unatered
purpose. Then Loubeque, without a
word, left the roem
Nor did she see him again. That he
had gone she knew from the Laxness
about the household among his serv-
ants. 1t gave her food for hope. She
must escape-she must She must es-
cape before the iron grip of dreamy
languor about the place became UNI
breakable.
But always when she wandered
about she would encounter one of Lou
beque's aids, always masked, always
casually surprised at coming upon her,
always urbane and polite, yet insistent
upon turning her in an opposite direc-
ton. II got upon her nerves to such
an extent that she finally took to the
house and remained there. Every room
was grated, and, though she knew they
were not here for the purpose, they
'erved it admirably.
Thompson seemed upon his masters
departure to have lost poise as
thoughts Of the ruby necklace his fin