The review. [volume] (High Point, N.C.) 1908-19??, 1919-09-11
CHAPTER XVII.
The Little DAGGER.

The Little Dagger.
Leroux staggered back against the
wall and sbod there's scowllng like a
devil. 1t was evident that my answer
had been totally unexpected.
did you know this, madame?'' cried
Leroux fiercely to Jacqueline.
Eyes," she replied.
| s'You lied to shield yourself?"
| mo, 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. mo, you have paid me. You
were keeping it for me-"
"You lie, d-n you!" yelled L.
roux, and he struck her across Il e
mouth as he ha1 struck me.
l writhed in my bonds. I pulled the
heavy table after me as tried mpO-
| tent1y to crawl toward him, sending
the wheel flying and all the papers
whirling through the air. cursed lie
roux as blasphemously as he was curs-
! Ing Jacqueline.
| And at the door was the pale fa,:e
Of Philippe Lacroix.
Leroux turned on me and kicked HE
| savagely and dragged the table to the
| far end of the room and struck me re
| peatedly. while struggled like a mad
man. The oaths and excavations that
streamed from my lips seemed to be
! uttered by another man, for I heard
them indifferently, or rather some
| thing that was I, deep in the maze OF
my personality, heard them-not that
| pitiful, puny, goaded thing that fought
in it's bonds until it ceased, painting
and exhausted.
There followed long silence, while
room. At last he stopped; he seemed
to have made up his mind.
I saw Jacqueline looking at me. J
would not meet her gaze, but at last
her persistence compelled me. Then
saw her glance toward the wall.
The two broadswords hung there
within arms reach, above the broken
mirror. My heart leaped up at the
| thought of her valor. She had no
mind to yield.
But shook my head imperceptifily
bonds.
I 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 of move.
ment, and hoped, by hard work, tc
loosen them sufficiently to enable me
| to get at least one hand free.
Then felt that something hard was
pressing into my back, just within
reach of my right thumb ard fore
finger. I let my thumb and finger
travel up and down it. It had the
form of tiny knife with a heavy,
rounded handle.
And suddenly knew what it was
It was the knife with which Louis
d'Epernay had been killed!
could just get my finger and
thumb round the point Of the blade
The ropes scored deeply into my
wrists as / worked at it, but I felt
the lining give, and presently had
worked the blade through and had the
knife out by the handle.
| But it was made for thrusting more
than cutting, and I had to pick the
ropes to pieces strand by strand.
| Jacqueline had been imperceptibly
| edging away from her father and Lee
roux; she was now standing immedi-
ately beneath the rusty swords. And
outside the door I still perceived La.
croix, motionless.
| It flashed across my mind that he
understood the girls desperate ruse.
and that he was waiting for the issue,
picked furiously at the ropes which
bound my hands, and a long strand I'M
coiled and whipped back on my wrist
Leroux seized Jacqueline by the
wrists and dragged her across the floor
| to me.
'Iook at him." he yelled. "Looh
into his face. Will you marry me il
let him go free?"
"No!" answered Jacqueline.
81 sweaE to you that he shall be
| thrown from the top of the cataract
unless you give your consent within
| five minutes"
| "Never!' she answered firmly.
81 will denounce your father!"
| you cant If1gnIen me WIFI SUCH
stuff. I am not a weak old mani"
''You will think differently after
! Charles Duchaine has been hanged in
| Quebec JAIL he sneered.
His words received wholly unex-
pected answer. The dotard leaped
| forward, stopped down and picked ur
| the heavy roulette wheel.
He raised it aloft and staggered
wildly toward 1erOux.
ITO RE CONTINUED