Wausau pilot. [volume] (Wausau, Wis.) 1896-1940, 1919-08-12

nave SWOTu! Oniy uldDl0 Ctt0 XIII llID.
When time come diable tell old Carl
bOu. You sleep now. l go for take
my woman and gal safe through tun-
mel to place know. When my woman
and gal safe l come back to m'sieur
and ma'm'selle."
l lay down. The silence was loneli-
ness itself, and not rendered less
lonely by the occasional cries of the
old man and the drip, drip of water.
l could not see anything, and Jacque-
line might have been a woman of
stone, for she made not the least move
ment.
At last 1 spoke to her.
"JacquelineI"
/ heard her start, and knew that she
had raised her head and was looking
after me. 1 crawled toward her, drag
ging my blanket after me. I felt in
the darkness for the place where /
knew her hand must be and took 1t In
mine
"Jacqueline said again.
"Ah. NJ. Hewlett"-the WEAKNESS In
her voice went to my heart-''it might
have been so different-if-"
''If what, Jacqueline"
eff there had not been the blood of
a dead man between us" she moaned.
"If-you-had not-killed him! -
Her words were a revelation to me,
for l learned that she had mercifully
been spared the full remembrance of
what had happened in the Tenth street
apartment. She thought that it was l
who had killed Louis d'Epernay.
And how could l deny this, when to
so would be to bring to her mind the
knowledge of her own dreadful guilt?
The hours wore away, and we three
lay there, two waiting and one dream
ing of the old days of youth, no doubt.
1 tried to light the candle to see the
time, but my shaking hand sent it fly
ing across the cave, and when l
searched for my matches l found that
the box was empty.
1t seemed an eternity since we had
come there. 1t is one thing to wait for
dawn, and quite another thing to wait
where dawn will never come.
resolved to follow the exit for
little distance to see whittier it led.
and If l could discover the light of
day.
So took my sword and sailed out
through the passage in the cliff.
l had only proceeded a few steps
when the air grew cold and sweet.
And before 1 had traversed two hun
dred yards 1 saw a dim light in the
distance. This was no candle light
but that of day. So had endured all
those agonies of mind with the open
air but a short distance away!
AS advanced 1 fancied that heard
the soft pattering of feet behind me.
halted and listened intently. l
crouched against the wall and waited.
But l heard nothing now except the
distant roaring of the cataracts. How
sweet they sounded nowl
l listened intently, leaning against
the wall and facing backward, holding
my sword ready to meet any intruder.
But there was no sound from within,
except the soughing which one hears
in a tunnel, and satisfied at last that
1 had been the victim Of an over
wrought imagination pursued my
course. But had not gone six PAGES
before / heard scream that still
rings In my ears today, and shadow
sprang out Of the darkness and rushed
at me. 1t was old Charles Duchaine.
His white hair streamed behind him
his face bore an expression of indelible
horror and rage, and in his hand he
held the other sword.
He struck at me, a great, sweeping
blow which would almost have cut me
In two. 1 had just time to parry 1t,
and then he was upon me, raining
blows upon my outstretched sword.
Though his attack was wild the
vigor of his blows almost beat down
my guard. At last a random blow of
mine swept the weapon from his feeble
old hand and sent 1t whirling down the
cataract into the lake below.
Then he was at my throat, and II
was fortunate that there was firm rock
instead of slippery Ice beneath us or
we should both have followed the
sword.
"Calm yourself, for heavens sake,
monsieur !" gasped as 1 gained mo-
mentary advantage over him. Don't
you know met I am your friend.
want TO save your
"You shall not take me! I have
done nothingl 1t was years agol Let
me gol Let me go" he screamed.
released him for a moment, hoping
that his disordered brain would calm
enough for him to recognize me and
that. when he saw my motives were
peaceful he would grow quiet.