The Carlisle independent., 1915-06-10

ne lHTeW UlnSeH QONn DeSlQe the DOuy on the floor. The revolver as it dropped was caught in the nimble hand of the Hindu, who took two long swift strides toward the woman who now faced him instead of her husband. There was a great light in his eyes as he stood over her and she saw death staring out upon her.
 But she did not quail. She was past all that She looked straight into his eyes for an instant and then, as if putting him out of her thoughts entire ly, turned slowly toward the two men on the floor. The man half raised the pistol, but something stayed his hand something stronger than any mere physical opposition could have done.
 He glared at the half-averted face, confounded by the most extraordinary impression that ever had entered his incomprehensible brain. Something strange and wonderful was transpir ing before his very eyes-something so marvellous that even he, mysteri- ous seer of the Ganges, was stunned into complete amazement and unbelief. That strange, uncanny intelligence of | his, born of a thousand mysteries, was being tried beyond all previous exac- tions. It was as if he now saw this woman for the first time-as if he had | never looked upon her face before. A mist appeared to envelop her and through this veil he saw face that was new to him-the face of Yvonne and yet not hers at all. Absolute won- der crept into his eyes.
 As if impelled by the power of his gaze, she faced him once more. For what seemed hours to him, but in reality only seconds, his searching i eyes looked deep into hers. He saw at last the soul of this woman and it was not the soul he had known as hers | up to that tremendous moment. And | he came to know that she was no longer afraid of him or his powers. His hand was lowered, his eyes fell and his lips moved but there were no words, for he addressed a spirit All the venom. all the hatred fled from his soul. His knee bent in sudden submis | sion, and his eyes were raised to hers once more, but now in their somber depths was the fidelity of the dogi
 Go at once," she said, and her voice was as clear as bell.
 He shot a swift glance at the pros trate Frederic and strengthened his tall figure as would soldier under orders. His understanding gaze sought hers again. There was another command in her eyes. He placed the weapon on the table. It had been dis tinct command to him
 One of us will use it." she said monotonously. "Goi"
 With incredible swiftness he was gone. The curtains barely moved as he passed between them and the heavy door made no sound in opening and closing. There was no one in the hall. The sound of the shot had not gone beyond the thick walls of that pro- scribed room on the top floor. Some where at the rear of the house an in- stream of French.
 Many minutes passed. There was not movement in the room Brood, beside the outstretched figure of his unintended victim, was staring at the graying face with wide, unblinking eyes. He looked at last upon the fea- lures that he had searched for in vain through all the sullen years. There was blood on his hands and on his cheek, for he had listened at first for the beat of the heart. Afterward his agonized gaze had gone to the blood less face. There 1t was arrested. A dumb wonder possessed his soul. He knelt there petrified by the shock of discovery. In the dim light he no longer saw the features of Matilde, but his own, and his heart was still. In that revealing moment he realized that he had never seen anything in Fred cries countenance save the dark, never-to- to-be-forgotten eyes-and they were his Matildes. Now those eyes were closed. He could not see them. and the blindness was struck from his own. He had always looked into the boys eyes-he had never been able to seek farther than those haunting, in- quiring eyes-but now he saw the lean. strong jaw, and the firm chin, the straight nose and the broad fore head-and none of these were Ma tides. These were the features of a man-and of but one man. He was see ing himself as he was when he looked into his mirror at twenty-onel
 All these years he had been blind all these years he had gone on CUTS ing his own image. In that overpower- ing thought came the realization that it was too late for him to atone. His mind slowly struggled out of thrall that held it stupefied He was looking at his own face-dead He would look like that! Matilde was gone forever the eyes were closed-but he was there, going grayer and grayer of face all the time.
 He had forgotten the woman. She was standing just beyond the body that stretched itself between them. Her hands were clasped against her breast and her eyes were lifted heaven 1 ord ha hoI