The Tabor independent. [volume] (Tabor, S.D.) 1913-19??, 1918-06-06

play, at the moment when chance,
by leading him to Hanged Mans
barn, as he christened it, brought
him into the presence of two
skeletons, Florence appeared as a
murderous vision, as an evil
genius who was seen wherever
death had passed with its trail Of
blood and corpses.
"Oh, the loathsome c%reature!"
he msttered, with a shudder.
"How can she have so fair a face,
and eyes Of such haunting beauty,
so grave, sincere, and almost
guileless"
In the church square, outside
the inn, Mazeroux, who had re-
turned, was filling the petrol tank
of the motor and lighting the
lamps. Don Luis saw the mayor
of Wamigni crossing the square.
He took him aside.
"By the way, Monsieur lie
Marie, did you ever hear any talk
in the district, perhaps two years
ago, Of the disappearance of a
couple 40 or SO years Of age7 The
husbands name was Alfred"
"And the wife's Victorine,
ehf' the mayor broke in. 81
should think sol The affair ere
ated some stir. They lived at Allen
con on a small, private income;
they disappeared between one day
and the next and no one has since
discovered what became of them,
any more than a little hoard, some
10000 francs or so, which they
had realized the day before by the
sale of their house. / remember
them well. Dedessuslamare their
name was"
"Thank you, Monsieur lie
Maire," said Perenna, who had
learned all that he wanted to
know.
The car was ready. A minute
after he was rushing toward Allen
con with Mazeroux.
"Where are we going, chief"
asked the sergeant.
"To the station. / have every
reason to believe, first, that Sau-
verand was informed this morn
ing-in what way remains to be
seen-of the revelations made last
night by Nine. Fauville relating
to old L%angernault and, second
ly, that he has been prowling
around and inside old LANCER
nault's property today for reas
ons that also remain to be seen.
And I presume that he came by
train and that he will 60 back by
train"
Perenna's supposition was con-
firmed without delay. He was
told at the railway station that a
gentleman and a lady had arrived
from Paris at 2 o'clock, that they
had hired a trap at the hotel next
door, and that, having finished
their business, they had gone back
a few minutes ago, by the 7:4O ex-
press. The description of the lady
and gentleman correspondent ex-
actly with that Of Florence and
Sauverand.
"Off we go!" said Perenna,
after consulting the time table.
"We are an hour behind. We may
catch up with the scoundrel at
LIE Mans"
"WeM do that, chief, and we IL
Ecollar him, I swear: him and his
lady, since there r two Of
them"
"There are two of them, as you
say. Only"
"Only WHAT"
Don Luis waited to reply until
they were seated and the engine
started, when he said:
"Only, my boy, you will keep
your hands off the lady"
"Why should II"
"Do you know who she isl Have
you a warrant against her9"'
"No."
"Then shut up"
"But-"
"0ne word more, Alexandra,
and I'll set you down beside the
road. Then you can make as
many arrests as you please"
Mazeroux did not breathe an
other word. For that matter the
speed at which they at once be-
gan to go hardly left him time to
raise a protest. Not a little
anxious, he thought only of
watching the horizon and keeping
a lookout for obstacles.
The trees vanished on either
side almost unseen. Their foliage
overhead made a rhythmical
sound as of moaning waves. Night
insects dashed themselves to death
apaipSt tho amn