Free trader-journal. (Ottawa, Ill.) 1916-1920, 1918-01-11

No more. SHbutfu NIdit. HlN
voice now rising shrill with passion
Not another word of that, Andre
| warn you now may do you dam
age if YOU drive ME too far. have
borne enough from you, and more
than enough The memory OF that
Vienna fasc0 in 1887 hasn't faded
from my mind yet. That's an old
score ! still have TO pay. And
now"
Now you have ruined me-. bel.
lowed Brodeur
You h We wrecked and ruined ne,
YOU mean" Ergazy retOrted. Through
my association with you | have been
broken and degraded, outcast, and vi
terly declasse. Morphn? Yes, ] know:
but why? Because Of you, Andre, and
for no other reason. Oh, the reckoning
is long
Now ] am done for. Not only is
my last shred # reputation gone, but
"A murder charge may be brought for
this and nay die for it. Enough, !
say
Die? You deserve it if ever any
man did, There's no death penalty
severe enough for you, ! have had
enough OF this and more than enough.
See what you and your vice have
made me lose. Nom dun nom. Look
at that picture, will you? See what
she was in her perfection; behold
what might have - would have -
called my own
Vital laughed again, this time with
scorn and rage.
Mine. you should say he retorl-
ed. why, poor fool, did YOU enter
tain any such fantastic notion
when"
Alexandra marry you?" sibed the
Frenchman. "You poor, drugged, half
crazed weaking Ugh Here now,
none of that"
heard erunt of pain, then the
smashing of wood and glass. | sensed
rather than knew that Vital had
hurled the camera at Andres head
struck it glancing blow. perhaps
. md after all succeeded only in break
.ng the costly apparatus.
came now sounds of A scuffle; the
impact Of blows; the tearing of pa
per- words-7surely curses-in Ian
suase | could not understand
Forgetting my own fears, | opened
the door and again crept to the stair
head.
Invisible myself, could from this
position command view of part of
the hall reflected in the large mirror
over the fireplace. The light was I'M
certain, but something could be seen.
perceived bodies moving, half
slmpsed in the ire.glow.
saw an arm shoot out A man fell
and vanished from my field OF
vision. | heard 4 snarl of pain and
rage
Brodeur dropped to his knees.
struck as if to free himself from a
clutching grasp, and scrambled to
ward the fire,
He got unsteadily to his feet. In
his hand I saw piece of smoking,
emG'Gerins paper.
Burn them, would you?' he
shouted Burn the pictures after
breaking the plates? Ha' Too damp
get to burn, You mscalculated, you
demons spawn"
Another form rose into the line of
sight. Dimly saw the bandaged head,
the face of Vital Ergazy, pallid, dis,
torted. and writhen, his teeth glintine,
madness in his eyes
Andre said he in terrible voice,
while the Frenchman stood there por-
ing over the charred pieces of the pho.
tograph, "the end Of all this has come.
Things have been said that no gentle.
man can hear without redress"
"a gentleman, eh?' sneered Bro
deur. "Ou estl! Where is the gen
tleman now. pray?'
Remember we were once both
gentlenen-in the old days. We must
not and cannot fight like yokels But
fight we must and shall--like gentle
men. however. Only one Of us, il
either. can leave this house slive!"
We'll, and how shall it be? We
have no firearms; and with your
hands YOU are no match for me Fair
play we cannot have unless we mix a
little poison and draw lots for It,"
NO. that will not be necessary"
retorted VITAL who now seemed to
have regalned some pose and more
than little Of his manhood
AT the supreme test LIE showed
something of what he must once have
been.
"rhere Is a better way. and one
more befitting our blood. See there
those rapiels on The wall?'
| say his arm rise toward the weap
ons. crossed above The mantel.
Brodeur laughed with satisfaction,
wrapped up The Torn. charred photo
: graph. and put It into his breast
pocket OF his shirt. open at the
/ throat.
He facet \tall proudly,
"A yotre service, monsieur said
he
AT once
AT once"