The Twin Falls times. [volume] (Twin Falls, Idaho) 1905-1916, 1915-03-16

shadows shifted with the shifting of
the vine leaves on the wall of the Ii
brary. They got on Owens nerves..
owen was a man who was waiting
for the JOY of a death message. The
waiting tortured him He was not
afraid that he might hear they were
alive.
The dimming light in the library
drove him out to the fresh air of the
veranda He turned sharply, how
ever and dashed back into the library.
He caught up the telephone feverishly
in trembling hands.
"Balthazar,' said low voice over
the wire
"Yes-Owen," answered the secre-
tary.
1T is all well. 1t is DONE" came the
musical words of the gypsy.
Owen softly returned the telephone
receiver to its hook. A smile of COM
placence overspread his sallow face.
He had not dared to ask questions,
but he felt sure that if Bathazar had
made his way to Westbury-the near
est place where a telephone could be
had-the work had been fully COM
pleted. He felt sure that Harry and
Pauline lay dead in the sealed pit of
tne ruined factory.
The telephone bell rang again.
Owen paused, his hand clutching his
chin in hesitant self-questioning But
after a moment he answered the call.
"Hello-Castle Marvin came a
mans excited voice over the wire.
Yes" said Raymond Owen, calmly
this is Castle Marvin"
Tell Mr.. Marvin all Braithville is
burning-the factory's gone. We cant
stop the fire"
You are crazy, man. What do you
mean?' yelled Owen in excellent
alarm
Il mean I'm the manager
But Owen had hung up the receiver
and was turning with a look of utter
satisfaction away from the table.
He will think | am dashing madly
to warn the household" he whispered
pleasantly to himself
The automobile in which Harry and
Pauline lay helpless crushed it's way
slowly along tn brambled road that
Owen and Balthazar had traversed a
few hours before
Harry lay on his back in the bottom
OF the tonneau; Pauline lay on the
seat. Balthazar with a drawn revol-
WI al iio iilIu, 0IoUu SudIu over lU1In
But the machine moved so slowly that
the other gypsies on foot kept pace
with it. To any indifferent eye, they
were all fuSitives of the conflagation
The automobile stopped. Harry and
Pauline were lifted from it and carried
rapidly through a narrow path. The
swish of the bushes told them that
they were in secluded place, but
their blindfolded eyes gave them no
clew to there whereabouts.
Gagged into utter silence, helpless,
hopeless, the only comfort that came
to either of their minds was thai they
were together in the fatal hour.
To Harry it was certainty that this
was the end. He had seen the face
of the gypsy Balthazer while they were
binding him in the shadow of the by
road, in the glare of the fire But as
he lay on the bottom of the automobile.
the soft fold of silken girdle brushed
his face. He caught the scent of it.
No artifice of perfume, no breath of
blossonl-only the aureate aroma of
her he loved. Men who have loved
greatly know that good women breathe
a fragrance holy and sublime
So, as their captors bore them
| y,
knew thath she was near him, and he
gave tanks that, if death came, togeth-
er they should share it.
This is the place." said the voice of
the gypsy, Balthazer.
They heard the change of the foot
steps from the soft mold of the woods
to the board flooring of house.
Everything is here is il not, RAY
/ a a r1...
"Ravelli is not here" answered one
of the gypsies.
When did he leave us-where did
he So2" demanded Balthazer.
I'VE do not know-he was with US
when We bound the prisoners"
A look of suspicion and of fear
flashed over the face of Balthazer.
Look behind the barrels there" he
ordered neryously.
Two men rolled a barrel from the
corner of the wrecked room and re-
yea ell, carefully prepared and arralg-
ed, the tools and the mortar and the
piled bricks that Rayelli had promised
to provide.
Balthazer,s yellow hands folded his
chin in abject bewilderment.
Go ahead" he said. you know
what is to be done" But his mind
was bordering deeply the mystery of
the disappearance of the man he had
called his chief aide.
Hurry" he added nervously
Pauline and Harry were thrust
through the hole over the great forge
of the abandoned factory.
The work went forward rapidly.
There were evidently others in the
group of gypsies who were able to
handle mortar and trowel
But the eyes of Harry and Pauline
were blinded, and they did not know
what was happening. They heard
falntly, the muffled words of a man:
Good God, Master; it will live in our
hearts forever Let me kill them with
the knife
Then came the sound of a muttered
oath, the half metallic shock of fist on
flesh and the thud of a falling body
Balthazer had quickly silenced a
possible mutineer