The Lexington intelligencer. [volume] (Lexington, Mo.) 1901-1949, 1915-06-18

the vehicle in which / would drive to
Karnoul, arrangements having been
made to send the conveyance back.
Farewells said, amid the cheers of my
friends-and every person in the viii
lage was my friend-I took my depar-
ture
Katrina, | did not call upon, though
she waved her handkerchief from the
window This act l pretended not to
see. An hours fast driving and was
in sight of the guardhouse.
Paul frightened as l entered
81 was afraid you meant to leave me
here all night for a joke" he said, a
trihe neryously, ! thought.
q am even now on my way to Kar-
noul. | called to bid you good-by," l
said simply.
There was a narrow billet of wood
which had carried to the place long
before for a seat. This l picked up and
placed upright within bare reach Of
my captive. On the top | placed the
loaf Of black bread from the parcel.
why did you return so soon?" l
asked him.
my business took a shorter time
than expected" he replied, giving me
a strange look.
"And the road you traversed is a
dangerous one" l observed smilingly'
what do you mean?' he asked
quickly.
"That you will not be missed"
alexis! Surely you are not going to
leave me here? No one has been here
for fifty years; none will come. shall
die" Paul moaned.
folded my arms ove my chest and
laughed.
"This loaf of bread is the artistic
touch to my joke, Paul. 1t is food.
You will be hungry. Don't devour it
all in a day, for there will be none left
for the dreary days to come when you
will hope for rescue; hope, when in
your heart you will know that there
a be no hope.
First, you will pick Off a corner OF
the bread; then, when hunger grips
a little more. Soon all will be gone
and you will die. / shall never return
Good-by, Paul"
AS | made my way back to the horse
4, his voice came to me.
Alexis! For PHYS sake, Alexisl"
This, with variations, | heard unit
halfway down the hill, when thu
, sounds became like whispers, and lonl
. ere | reached the road all was silent
! though l knew he was still calling.
Twenty-Five years had passed sine
all this had happened. l would loo
s at the guardhouse, then proceed to tn
village, posing as a traveller until
could hear Of Katrina.
S AS l approached the place my fea
OF recognition vanished. None woul
h know me, l had changed SO great.
It Even my voice was different. l woul
Just peep in before returning to tn
waiting Ivan.
AS l stepped inside something caugt
my eye. l stopped abruptly; my heal
n started tapping in my ears.
Precipitation broke from me. | wa
afraid.
Then, as the truth flashed upon M
d l shrank back and clutched at the wa
- for support.
Under the iron waistband to whic
ID l had fastened Paul lay a pile Of bone
<. while shreds of clothing hung frol
70 the chains. There was no need to loo
at the buttons, the little personal art
or cles from the pockets; that was u
,r necessary; l knew them at once IL
re- Paul's.
/ shivered.
re- Paul must have reached out for Il
loaf and in his fright knocked over Il
ut insecurity placed log, the action eau
10 ing the bread to roll out Of his reac
Se Yes, that was it.
Id Naturally. the bread had long al
Id disappeared-the rats had seen
" that.
l Anu the nle-lue stIonB me- ia
imbedded in the loaf-the file wi
Id which he was to release HIMSELF
nd on the floor, a good two feet out of b
reach!
lie,
.g- what is it? Did you see the ghost
lid Ivan asked on my return, starting
nv he saw my face.
OF. "Yes-that's 1.-THE ghost" l sta
ny mered. Drive back to Karnoul. / q
We not going to Ragorsk."
I'd. l dared not ask him of Katrina.