Pierre weekly free press. (Pierre, S.D.) 1889-19??, 1918-06-27

sacred thing on earth. Marie was
III prison. Marie was accused of
committing two murders! -. |
went mad.
"At first controlling myself,
playing a part with the Prefect
of Police, then oyerthrowing
every obstacle, shooting Chief In
spector Ancenis, shaking off Ser
geant Mazeroux, jumping from
the window, | had only one
thought in my head-that of es-
cape. Once free, | should save
Marie. Were there people in my
way! So much the worse for
them.
by what right did those peo-
pie dare to attack the most blame
less of womenf | killed only one
man that day! [ would have
killed 20! What was Chief In
spector Ancenis' life to met What
cared l for the lives Of any of
those wretches? They stood be-
tween Marie and myself; and
Marie was in prison."
CASTOR Sauverand made an eff
fort which contracted every
muscle of his face to recover the
GOODNESS that was gradually leav-
ing him. He succeeded in doing
so, but his voice, nevertheless, re-
manned tremulous, and the fever
with which he was consumed
sheok his frame in a manner
which he was unable to conceal.
de continued:
AT the corner of the street
down which | turned after out
%distancing the Projects men on
the Boulevard Richard Wallace,
Florence saved me just as | be-
lieved that all was lost. Florence
had known everything for a fort
night past. She learned the news
OF the double murder from the
papers, those papers which she
used to read out to you, and which
you discussed with her. And it
was by being with you, by listen
ing to You, that she acquired the
opinion which everything that
happened tended to confirm: the
opinion that Marie's enemy, her
only enemy, was YOURSELF"
but why? Why?"
Because she saw you at work"
exclaimed S%auverand, "because it
was more to your interest than to
that of any one else that first
Marie and then | should not come
between you and the Mornington
inheritance, and lastly"
"What?"
CASTOR Sauverand hesitated and
then said, plainly:
LASTLY, because she knew your
real name beyond a doubt, and be-.
cause she felt hat Arsene Lupin
was capable of anything"
They were both silent; and their
silence, at such a moment, was i'm
pressiye to a degree. Florence e
manned impassive under Don Luis
Perenna's gaze; and he was un-
able to discern on her sealed face
any of the feelings with which
she must needs be stirred.
CASTOR Sauverand continued:
ut was against Arsene Lupin.
therefore, that Florence, Marie's
terrified friend, engaged in the
struggle. 1t was to unmask Lupin
that she wrote or rather inspired
the article of which you found the
original in a ball of string. It was
Lupin whom she spied upon, day
by day, in this house. 1t was
Lupin whom she heard one morn
ing telephoning to Sergeant Maze
roux and rejoicing in my immi-
nent arrest. It was to save me
from Lupin that she let down the
iron curtain in front of him. at
the risk Of an accident, and took
a taxi to the corner Of the Boule-
ward Richard-Wallace, where she
arrived too late to warn me, as
the detectives had already entered
my house, but in time to screen
me from their pursuit.
Her mistrust and ter~ror-strick-
en- hatred Of you we're told to me
in an instant" Sauverand de-
clared. During the 90 minutes
which we employed in throwing
our assailants off the scent, she
hurriedly sketched the main lines
of the business and described to
me in a few words the leading
part which you were playing in
at and we then and there pre-
pared a counter-attack upon you,
SO that you might be suspected
Of completely.
While l was sending a mes
sage to the Project of Police, Flor
fence went home and hid under the
fashions Of your sofa: the end Of
fha ctink whioh& hod Lnrf ~ 49,,