The Elbert County tribune., 1919-08-22

oeShh ihooriouSiy 10 urhg tne DagS OF
earth into this last refuge. Before 1t
had grown quite dark had barrIcaded
Jacqueline and myself within a place
the size of a hall bedroom inclosed
upon three sides with rock.
And there waited for the end.
sat beside Jacqueline. holding her
hand with one Of mine. and my re-
volver in the other. There was faint
fiutter at her wrist. 1 fancied that It
had grown stronger during the past
half hour.
whisper to me. and when she spoke ]
was alert in u moment.
"PaulI" she said family.
"Jacquelinew
PAUL Bend down. I want to
speak to you. Do you know 1 have
been conscious for long time, my
dear? 1 have been thinking. Are you
distressed because of mer
MY deari" said; and that was ell
that l could say. I clasped her cold
little hand tightly in mine.
you must leave me, Paul, because
because of what is between us. You
must go to Leroux and tell him SO.
You love me, Paui?
Always. Jacqueline." I whispered
She put her arms about my neck.
II love you, Paul." she said. "It
seems so easy to say 1t in the dark,
and it used to be SO hard. Do you
know what 1 admired and loved you
for. even when you thought my mind
unstable and empty? How true you
werel 1t was that, dear. 1t was your
honor, Paul.
"That was why, when I remembered
everything that dreadful night in the
snow, the revulslon was so terrible. /
ran away In horror. could not believe
that 1t was true-and yet l knew 1t
was true.
"And Leroux was waiting there and
found me. 1 did not want to leave
you, but he told me there was Pere
Antolne's cabin close by. and that you
would come to no harm. And he made
me believe-you had stolen my money
as well. But / never believed that,
and only taunted you with 1t to drive
you away for your own sake"
She drew me weakly toward her and
went on:
''Now that we are to part forever,
and perhaps am to die, l can speak
to you from my heart and tell you.
dear. Kiss meas though were your
wife, Paul
$50 you will go to Leroux," she
added presently.
SIS that your will, Jacqueline?"
Eyes, DEAR" she said. Because we
have fought. and now we are beaten.
Paul"
bowed my head. knew that she
spoke the truth. 1 knew at last that
1 was vanquished. For, now that
Jacqueline lay there so weak, so help.
less. and thinking all our past was
but dream, there was nothing but to
yield. 1 could not fight any more.
So I left her and climbed cross the
bags and went down toward the
stream.
But before 1 had reached 1t a dark
figure slipped from among the shad-
ows of the rocks and came toward
me; and by the faint starlight 1 saw
the face of Pierre Caribou
He stopped me and held me by both
shoulders. and he drew me into the
recesses of the rocks and bent his
wIzened old face forward toward mine.
"Ah. monsieur. so you did not obey
old Pierre Caribou and stay in the
cave" he said.
''Pierre. / did not know that you
would return" answered
'Never mind" the Indian answered,
looking ut me strangely. "All finish
now. Diable take LerouI. His time
come. Diable show mev
''Howf" / answered, startled.
"All finish" said Pierre inexorably,
and, as I watched him a superstitious
fear crept over me. He, who had
cringed, even when he gave the com
mand, now cringed no longer, and
there was look in his old face that
1 had only seen on one mans before
on my fathers the night he died.
"Pierre, where is Leroux7" / whis-
pered. "Shall 1 surrender to him or
shall fight?'
mo matter" he said once again.
"Msieur. suppose you go back to
ma'm'selle, and soon Simon come. His
diable lead him to you. His diable tell
you what to say. All finish nowl"
He walked past me noiselessly. a
as proud as that of his race had been
in the long ago, when they were lords
where now their white masters ruled
CTo BE CoNTINUED.)