The Tabor independent. [volume] (Tabor, S.D.) 1913-19??, 1918-06-20
CHAPTER NINE, (Continuer.)

wasn't she?"
eyes, sir, she received a tele-
gram asking her to 60 to the
country to see a relation who was
Ill. She came back last night"
81 want to speak to her. Send
her to me. At once"
"In the study, sirf"
"No, upstairs, in the boudoir
next to my bedroom"
This was a small room on the
second floor which had once been
Q lady's boudoir, and he preferred
It to his study since the attempt
at murder of which he had been
the object. He was quieter up
there, farther away; and he kept
his important papers there. He
always carried the key with him !:
. special key with three grooves
to it and an inner spring.
Mazeroux had followed him
into the courtyard and was keep
ing close behind him, apparently
unobserved by Perenna, who hav-
ing so far appeared not to notice
1t. He now, however, took the
sergeant by the arm and led him
to the front steps.
"All is going well. / was afraid
that Florence, suspected some
thing, might not have come back.
But she probably doesn't know
that l saw her yesterday. She
can't escape us now"
They went across the hall and
up the stairs to the first floor.
Mazeroux rubbed his hands.
$50 you've come to your senses,
chief"
cat any rate I've made up my
mind. l will not, do you hear, l
will not have Nine. Fauville kill
herself; and, as there is no other
way of preventing that catastro-
phe, l shall sacrifice Florence"
without ~regretf"
Without remOrSe.
"Then you forgive met"
i thank you"
And he struck him a clean,
powerful blow under the chin.
Iazeroux fell without a moan, in
q dead faint on the steps Of the
second flight.
Hallway up the stairs was a
dark recess that served as a lum-
Der room where the servants kept
their pals and brooms and the
soiled household linen. Don Luis
carried Mazeroux to it, and, seat
ing him comfortably on the floor,
with his back to a housemaid's
box, he stuffed his handkerchief
into his mouth, gagged him with
a towel, and bound his wrists and
ankles with two tableclothes. The
other ends Of these he fastened to
q couple OF strong nails.
As Mazeroux was slowly coming
to himself, Don Luis said:
Il think you have all you want.
Tablecloths--napkin s-something
in your mout in case you re hun
CRY. Eat at your ease. And then
take a little nap, and you'll wake
up as fresh as paint"
Hc locked him in and glanced
at his watch.
II have an hour before me.
Capital"
At that moment his intention
was to insult Florence, to throw
up all her scandalous crimes in
her face, and, in this way, to
force a written and signed confess
sion from her. Afterward, when
Marie Fauville's safety was in
sured, he would see. Perhaps he
would put Florence in his motor
and carry her off to some refuge
from which, with the girl for a
hostage, he would be able to in
fluence the police. Perhaps
But he did not seek to anticipate
SFCIlIS. udI uC NdulCu was Ill
immediate, violent explanation.
He al up to his bedroom on the
second floor and dipped his face
into cold water. Never had he
experienced such u stimulation of
his whole being, such an UNI
bridiing Of his blind instincts.
Its she" hc splut.ered. 81
hear her: She is at the bottom of
the stairs. At last! Oh, the joy
of having her in front Of me Face
to facet She and ! alone!"
lie returned TO the landing out
aide the boudoir. 10 took the key
from his pocket. The door opened.
Hc uttered a great shout: Gas.
ton Sarse-and was there, in that
locked room CASTOR Sauverand
was waiting for him, standing
with folded arms.