The Mellette County pioneer. [volume] (Wood, Mellette County, S.D.) 19??-1971, 1919-10-24
CHAPTER XVII.
The Little Dauoer.

Leroux staggered back against the
wall and stood there, scowling like a
devil. 1t was evident that my answer
had been totally unexpected.
did you know this, madame?" CRIED
LerOux fiercely to J~acqueline.
Eyes" she replied.
"You lied to shield yourself2"
"No, to shield him." she cried. "Be.
cause he was my only friend when ]
was helpless in a strange city. You
did not steal my money, did you,
Paul?' she added, turning swiftly upon
me. "No, you have paid me. You
were keeping it for me-"
"You lie, d-n you" yelled Lee
roux, and he struck her across the
| mouth as he had struck me.
/ writhed in my bonds. l pulled the
| heavy table after me as / tried impo-
tently to crawl toward him, sending
the wheel flying and all the papers
whirling through the air. / cursed Lee
roux as blasphemously as he was ours
ing Jacqueline.
And at the door was the pale face
OF philippe LacroiX.
Leroux turned on me and kicked me
| savagely and dragged the table to the
far end Of the room and struck me re.
peatedly, while l struggled like a mad
man. The oaths and execrations that
streamed from my lips seemed to be
| uttered by another man, for / heard
them indifferently, or rather some
thing hat was /, deep in the maze IF
my personality, heard them-not that
pitiful, puny, goaded thing that fought
in it's bonds until it ceased, pantif'g
and exhausted.
There followed a long silence, while
| Lerolx strobe furiously about the
room. At last he stopped; he seemed
| to have made up his mind.
/ saw J%acqueline looking at me. {
| would not meet her gaze, but at last
her persistence compelled me. Then I
saw her glance toward the wall.
The two b~roadswords hung therc
within arms reach, above the broken
mirror. My heart leaped up at the
thought of her valor. She had nu
mind to yield.
But 1 shook my head imperceptibly
In answer and looked down at my
| bonds.
/ had been trying hard to devise
some method Of freeing myself. My
struggles had relaxed the ropes
around my wrists sufficiently to allow
my hands two or three inches o" move
ment, and l hoped, by hard work, to
loosen them sufficiently to enable me-
to get ut least one hand free.
Then l felt that something hard wss
pressing into my back, just within
reach Of my right thumb and fore
finger. / let my thumb and finger
travel up and down it. 1t had the
form Of a tiny knife with a heavy,
rounded handle.
And suddenly I knew what 1t a
1t was the knife with which Louis
d'Epernay had been killed!
l could just get my finger and
thumb round the point of the blade.
The ropes scored deeply into my
wrists as I worked at 1t, but / felt
the lining give. and presently i had
worked the blade through and had the
knife out by the handle.
But 1t was made for thrusting more
than cutting, and / had to pick the
ropes to pieces strand by strand.
Jacqueline had been imperceptibay
edging- away from her father and Lee
roux; she was now standing immedi-
ately beneath the rusty swords. And
outside the door I stin perceived Ia
croix, motionless.
1t flashed acros my mind that he
understood the girls desperate use.
and that he was waiting for the issue.
/ picked furiously at the ropes which
bound my hands, and q long strand un.
coiled and whipped back ON my wrist.
Leroux seized JacQueline by the
wrists and dragged her across the floor
to me.
look at him! !" he yelled. "Lcok
into his face. Will you marry me If
I let him go freeT
"Nov answered Jacqueline.
II swear to you that he. shall be
thrown from the top or the cataract
unless you give your consent within
five minutes"
"Never!" she answered firmly.
81 will denounce your father!"
you can't brighten me with such
stuff. l am not a weak old mani"
"You will think differently after
Charles Duchaine has been hanged In
Quebec JAIL" he sneered.
His words received a wholly mex
pected answer. The dotard leaped
forward, stopped down and picked up
the heavy roulette wheel.
He raised 1t aloft and staggered
wildly toward Leroux.