Fulton County tribune. (Wauseon, Ohio) 1883-1925, 1914-01-23

A fog seemed to blot my eyes; l
shook from hair to heel and laid my
head against the solid stone, while
the blank, throbbing seconds passed.
The Countess stood there, shocked
and breathless. / saw her sleeve in
rags, and the snowy skin all bruised
beneath.
What irony turks in blind chance
that / should owe this woman my
life-this woman whose home l had
come to confiscate, whose friends l
had arrested, who herself was now
my prisoner, destined to the shame of
exile!
Perhaps she OWNED my thoughts
do not know-but she turned her
troubled eyes to the arched window,
where a painted saint imbedded in
golden glass knelt and beat his breast
with two heavy stones.
Madame" said slowly, ''your cour.
age and your goodness to me have
made my task heavy one. Can
tighten it for you in any manner?"
She turned towards me, almost tim.
Idly. fCould / go to Morsbronn be
fore-before l cross the frontier?
have house there; there are a few
things l would like to take"
She stopped short, seeing, doubtless
the pain of refusal in my face. But
after all, it does not matter. I sup
pose your orders are formal?"
"Yes, madame"
"Then it is matter of honor?"
"a soldier is always on his honor
soldiers daughter will understand
that"
81 understand" she said.
We had stopped, by a mutual i'm
pulse, at the head of the stone stair
way.
why do you shelter such man
as John Buckhurst?" l asked, abruptly
She raised her eyes to me with per
feet composure.
why do you ask?"
Because 1 have come here from
Paris to arrest him."
She bent her head. thoughtfully an6
laid the tips of her fingers on the
sculptured balustrade.
"To me-" she said, there's no such
thing as political crime"
"It is not for a political crime thai
we want John Buckhurst,' l said
watching her. "It is for civil out
rage"
Her face was like marble; hel
hands tightened on the fretted cary
| ing.
What crime is he charged with p
she asked, without moving.
He is charged with being a com
mon thief" l said.
''It is brutal to make such (
charged she said. ''WilI you pledg,
me your honor that if he answer
satisfactorily to that false charge o
theft, the government will let hin
| go freew
Il will take it upon myself to d.
So" said l. But what in Heaven
name is this man to you, madame
He is a militant anarchist, who's,
creed is not yours, whose propaganda
teaches merciless violence, whose Pre-
gramme is terror"
| One was gazing at me WIN Qllatea
eyes, her hands holding tight to tn
| balustrade.
did you not know that?" 1 asked
astonished.
mo-" she said
"You are not aware that John Buck
hurst is the soul and center of tn
Belleville Reds?"
at is-it is false!" she stammered
"No, madame, it is true. He wear
a SNUG mask here; he has deceive
you all"
John Buckhurst will answer TO
himself" she said, steadily.
when, madame?"
For answer she stepped across tn
hall and laid one hand against tn
blank wall. Then, reaching upward
she drew from between the ponderou
blocks little strips of steel, colore
like mortar, dropping them to tn
stone floor, where they rang ou
When she had flung away the las
one, she stepped back and set he
frail shoulder to the wall; instantl
mass of stone swung silently on a
unseen pivot, yellow light streame
out, and there was tiny chamber
illuminated by lamp, and a man jus
rising from his chair.