Pierre weekly free press. (Pierre, S.D.) 1889-19??, 1918-02-28

of usi We can easily spend the
night with you, if you prefer, by
your bedside"
Fauville replied by shaking Per-
emma violently by the shoulder, and
with distorted features, stammer-
ing:
eff there were 10 of you-if
there were 20 of you with me, you
need not think that it would spoil
their schemes! They can do any
thing they please, do you hear,
anything! They have already
killed Inspector Verot-they will
kill me-and they will kill my son.
Oh, the blackguardsl My God,
take pity on mel The awful ter
ror of it! The pain I suffer!!"
He had fallen on his knees and
was striking his breast and re-
peatirg:
20 God, have pity on mel I
can't diel can't let my son diel
Have pity on me, 1 beseech Thee!"
He sprang to his feet and led
Perenna to a glass fronted case,
which he rolled back on it's brass
%castors, revealing a small safe built
into the wall.
"You will find my whole story
here, written up day by day for the
past three years. If anything
should happen to me, revenge will
be easy"
He ~hurriedly turned the letters
of the paddock and, with a key
which he took from his pocket,
opened the safe.
1t was th~ree-fourths empty; but
on one Of the shelves, between
some piles of papers, was a diary
bound in drab cloth, with a rubber
band round it. He took the diary,
and, emphasizing his words, said:
"There, look, it's all in here.
With this, the hideous business can
be reconstructed. 80 There are
my suspicious first and then my
certainties. Everything, ev-
erything how to trap them
and how to do for them. as You
will remember, won't your A diary
bound in drab cloth. I'm put
ing it back in the safe"
Gradually his calmness re-
turned. He pushed back the glass
case, tied a few papers, switched
on the electric lamp above his bed,
put out the lights in the middle of
the ceiling, and asked Don Luis
and Mazeroux to leave him.
Don Luis, who was walking
round in the room and examining
the iron shutters Of the two win
dows, noticed a door opposite the,
entrance door and asked the engi-
neer about it.
II use it for my regular eli
ents," said Fauville, land some
times I 60 out that way"
doe it open on the garden9'
Eyes"
"Is it properly closed9"
You car e for yourself; it's
locked and bolted with a safety
bolt. Both keys are on my bunch;
so is the key Of the garden gate"
He placed the bunch of keys on
the table with his pocketbook and,
after first winding it, his watch.
Don Luis, without troubling to
ask permission, took the keys and
unfastened the lock and the bolt.
A flight Of three steps brought
him to the garden. He followed the
length Of the narrow border.
Through the ivy he saw and heard
the two policemen pacing up and
down the boulevard. He tried the
lock Of the gate. It was fastened.
"Everything's all right" he
said when he return, "and you can
be easy. Good night"
Good night" said the engi-
neer, seeing Perenna and Mazer-
oux out.
Between his study and the pass
age were two doors, one of which
was padded and covered with oil
cloth. On the other side, the pass.
age was separated from the hall by
a heavy curtain.
"You can go to Sleep. said Per-.
jenna to his companion. "TM sit
lup."
But surely, chief, you don't
think that anything's going to
happenl"
II don't think so, seeing the
precautions which we've taken.
But, knowing Inspector Verot as
you did, do you think he was the
man to imagine thingsi"
Ono, chief"
Well, you know what he
prophesied. That means that he
had his reasons for doing SO. And
therefore I shall keen NV evaa