The citizen-Republican. (Scotland, Bon Homme County, S.D.) 1???-19??, 1918-11-28
CHAPTER TwENTY-cont,nued.

Why, my dear sir, what &
state we re getting ourselves in.
to! OF course, | understand that
my sudden return seems an un.
usual and even an inconvenient
proceeding, but still it does nc:
dc to be. SO uncontrollably i'm
pressed. Men have see much
more extraordinary things than
that, such as Joshua staying the
sun, and more sensational dis,
asters, such as the Lisbon earth
quake OF 1855.
The wise man reduces events
to their proper proportions aud
Judges them, not by their action
upon his own destiny, but by the
way In which they Influence the
fortunes of the world. Now con
fess that your little mishap is
purely individual and does not
affect the equilibrium of the solar
system. You know what Marcus
Aurelius says, on page 81, Of
Charpentier's edition."
The cripple had plucked up
courage to raise his head; and the
real state of things now became
so obviously apparent that he
could no longer get away from
the undeniable fact: Arsene
Lupin was not dead! Alsene
Lupin whom he bad hurled INTO
the bowels of the earth and
crushed with a hammer; Arsene
Lupin was not dead!
How to explain SO astounding
a mystery the cripple did not
even stop to wonder. One thing
alone mattered: Arsene Lupin
was not dead. Arsene Lupin
looked and spoke as a living man
does. Arsene Lupin was not dead.
He breathed, he smiled, he talked,
lie lived!
And it was SO certainly life that
the scoundrel saw before him
that, obeying a sudden impulse Of
his nature and Of his hatred for
life, he flattered himself to his
full length, reached his revolver,
seized it, and fired.
He fired; but it was too late.
Don Luis had caused the weapon
to swerve with a kick Of his boot.
Another kick sent it flying out of
the cripple's hand.
The villain ground his teeth
with fury and at once began hur-
to tumble in his pockets.
is this what you're looking
for. sir?" asked Don Luis, hold
ing up a hypodermic syringe
with a yellow fluid. TEX
cuse me, but I was afraid lest you
should prick yourself by mistake.
That would have been a fatal
would it mott And I should
never have forgiven myself
Bhe cripple was disarmed. He
hesitated for a moment, surprised
that the enemy did not attack him
more violently, and sought to
profit by the delay. His small,
blinking eyes wandered around
him, looking for something to
throw. But an idea seemed to
strike him and to restore his CON
fidence little by little; and, in a
new and really unexpected fit Of
delight: he INDUCED in one. of his
loudest chuckles:
And what about Forence?''
he shouted. Don't forget Flor
For I've got you therel /
can miss you with my revolver
Md you can steal my poison; but
4 have another means Of hitting
you, right IN the heart. You can t
live without Florence, can youg
Florence y death means your own
sentence, doesn't it9 If Florence
is dead, YOU mput the rope round
your own neck, won't you, won't
you, won t youf
Yes. If Florence were to die,
4 could not survive her!"
She is dead cried the scoun-
drel, with q renewed burst Of
merriment, hopping about on his
knees. She's dead, quite, quite
dead! What am I sayingY She s
more than dead! "A dead person
retains the appearance Of a live
one for q time; but this is much
better there's no corpse here,
LLnpin Just q mess of flesh and
bonel
The whole scaffolding 81
rocks has come down on top 81
her You can picture 1t, eh /,
What q sight Come, quick, its
your turn to kick the bucket
Would You like . length of rope
- - Clr 49, QNN ~ - HtLEL- NF