The Elbert County tribune., 1915-12-24
NINTH INSTALLMENT
CHAPTER xxxIIl.
The Trap.

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"Mademoiselle, give it to me! Let
us end all this"
The voice of Count Frederick was
agitated. For once he had met sit
uation sufficient to shake him from his
calm.
Kitty Gray made no answer, as she
shrank back, the coin tightly clasped
in her hand. She cast on him look
SO full of womanly anger as might
have scorched him-an anger now de-
void of fear. Gagged, trapped. left with
out resource, helpless in the hands of
o her enemy, still she seemed deadlier
than that enemy now.
"Will you not?" The mans voice
had in it now something almost OF
pleading. Count Frederick felt some
thing of shame at his own part in this.
mol" she answered at length, her
own voice low and even, painting out
the words. NO, will not. Come and
take it from me If you dare. You have
done that once, why not again?"
He turned away with sudden ges-
ture, his face red in chagrin over the
Justice of her taunt.
You remember that?" said he.
what remains? Must be yet more
rude with you? 1t is not that l like
the part, mademoiselle; be sure of
that 1t was not myself but my man
who laid hands upon you that other
time"
HE is still your man. You yourself
still are willing to persecute woman
and a stranger. You are no better
than he"
Suppose l am not, then. Does it
look as though you would gain much
by defying me? Come. now. The coin
is, nothing to you; it is everything to
me. / swear 1t is more than l thought
it ever would be. 1t is life and death
for me, and more than that made
moiselle. Would you stand between
me and an ambition such as that? L
would repay you hundredfold in any
way you needed, if you would but lis
ten to reason But perhaps woman
does not know the word for reason"
mo. l do not / remember only one
word, and that is hate for you! When
my chance comes / shall still remem-
ber that. In turn l will put you be-
hind the bars if ever the opportunity
comes to me. And you shall stay there
always for all of me. l hate you!"
Count Frederick smiled grimly.
There is comfort in that word made
moiselle" said he. Rather that than
leaden-eyed Indifference, at least. But
as for me, do not hate you, neither
am Indifferent toward you. 1 only
at least, mademoiselle, try only to
think of the coin and what it means
to me-"
a. hall To III
would have gone to you long ago. If
: you ever owned it you would own 1t
now"
A sudden change came over the face
of the nobleman as he caught the con-
viction in these words. They touched
= for him some consciousness long left
unawakened
What do you mean?" he asked in
a low voice what is it that you
mean when you say that?"
when Frederick, Count of Gretz-
hoffen, deserves this coin; when he
earns it; when he gains title by virtue
of right thoughts and deeds, then per-
haps it will come to him; surely not
before This COIN" she held it now out
before her in her hand. ''it will come
eventually to that place where it be-
longs. 1t is seeking for that place now.
The people really own it. They ask
freedom and justice and liberty. And
/. now you ask me why cling to 1t;
why it clings to me. l suppose it is
because something impels me, COM
pels me to do what / have done"
Count Frederick turned to compose
himself to situation of greater COM
I fort. AS he did So. and about to seat
himself upon the lower stair, some
thing fell from the pocket of his coat;
something which he had brought with
him from his room. in the hope that 1t
had not been observed there by this
woman. 1t fell now face upward on
I the stair between them, and he saw
' that she had seen it. He accepted the
fact, and at first did not attempt to
pick up the little picture, for it was
the little picture which he had brought
with him from his room.
you saw, mademoiselle?" said he
II had hoped that you would not"
Yes, see it now; I saw it there
in your ROOM" answered Kitty con-
temptuously. You ask why venture
into your apartments now and then
Have l not the right? May not claim
my own property? / am not familiar
with the laws of Gretzhoffen. Indeed,
1t seems to me there are no laws In
this land. Not knowing how to re-