Connecticut western news., 1919-09-18

knife-once," he resumed,
relapsing into his delirium; "but I left
1t behind me and the police got 1t.
Isn't it odd, Leroux," he rambled on,
that one always leaves something be-
hind when one has killed man? But
the newspapers made no mention about
the knife. You didn't know he was
dead, did you, Leroux. for all your
cleverness, until that fool Hewlett left
that paper upon the table? You knew
enough to send me to Jail, but you
didn't know that 1t was who killed
him. Help mel" He screamed hor-
ribly. "He is here looking at mel"
"There is nobody here, Philippe"
I said, trying to soothe his agony of
soul. What poor and stained soul
it was, travelling into the next world
alone! There is nobody but me, Phil
ippe!"
"You lie ~ he raved. Louis is here!
He has come for me! He deserved to
die He tricked me after we had found
the gold. He tricked me twice. He
told Leroux, thinking that he would
win his gratitude and get free from
the mans power And the second time
he told Carson. Then there were three
of us in the secret"
"Wh9t did gov ,'O?" asked. tLcugh
II was like c"nuurtine IL pOst-mortcm
upon a murda"er's corpse.
~ went to New York to get my
share. | wasn't going to be ousted, |,
who had been one of the discoveries.
| don't know how much Carson paid
Louis. but | meant to demand half. |
thought he had the money in his
pocket.
Il followed him all that afternoon
after he had left Carsons office. |
watched him in the street. AT night
he went to room SomeWhere-at the
top Of tall building. | followed him.
When l got in found a woman there.
Louis was talking 10 her and threaten
ing her. He said she was his wife.
How could she be his wife when he
had married Jacqueline Duchaine?
81 didn't care-it was no business
of mine. l couldn't see them, because
there was a curtain in the way. There
was no light In the bedroom. There
was light in the room in which |
was. ! put it out, so that neither of
them should see my face. She might
have betrayed me, you know, Simon.
HE spun round when the light went
out. and pushed the curtain aside. |
was waiting for that. | had calculated
my blow. | stabbed him. 1t was
good blow. though it was delivered in
the dark. He only cried out once. But
the woman screamed, and dog flew
at me, and I couldn't find his money.
SO 1 ran away.
sand then there were only three Of
us who knew the secret. Then Simon
died and there were only two, and now
there are only Hewlett and |, and he
is dead, poor fool. and have my gold
here. For Gods sake give me knife,
Simon! p
His fingers tore at my sleeve in his
last agony, and l was tempted sorely.
And it was his own knife that l had.
The irony of it!
He muttered once or twice and cried
out in fear of the man whom he had
slain. heard him gasp little later.
Then the hand fell from my sleeve.
And after that there was no further
sound.
PAUL"
1t was the merest whisper from the
wall. I thought it was a trick of my
own mind. dared not hope.
Paul! Dearest"
This was no fancy born of a de-
lirious brain and the thick fumes of
dynamite. 1t came from the wall
little way ahead Of me. l crawled the
three feet that the little cave afforded
and put my hands upon the rock, feel
ing its surface inch by inch. There
was a crevice there, not large enough
to have permitted a bird to pass-the
merest assure.
"Jacqueline! Is that you, dear?" l
called. "You are not hurt, Jacqueline"
II am lying where you left me, dear.
Paul, II heard"
"You heard?" l answered DULY.
What did it matter now?
"Why didn't you tell me, Paul? But
never mind. / am so glad, dearest
Can you come through to me?"
struggled to tear the rocks away;
l beat and bruised my hands in vain
against them.
Il will come when it grows light,
Jacqueline," I babbled. "When it
grows light"
She did not know that it would never
grow light for me. Again flung my
self against the walls of my prison,
battering at them till the blood dripped
from my hands. Again and again /
flung myself down hopelessly, and
then I tried again, clutching at every
fragment that protruded into the cave.
And at last, when my despair had
mastered met grew light.
For a sunbeam shot like a finger