Fulton County tribune. (Wauseon, Ohio) 1883-1925, 1920-03-12

stopped there, and looked Odch.
II go now to the schooner he SAID.
II shall be aboard till we sail this eve
ming. If thou come 10 me before l san
and tell me the name, give tnee ms
life, one life for another"
"What life? What other?" cried the
girl wildly.
He glared into her eyes, and the
look in his own was that Of a man
devil-haunted.
'Dost thou think l do not know" he
cried, "of Monsieur Askew and thee,
or that Mademoiselle has broken her
betrothal with him because Of thee?"
he turned toward her with menacing
gesture. "The nameI he thundered.
She covered under his words, and
the name now trembled upon her lips.
But before she spoke it Dupont was
gone.
He was gone, and she was alone in
the gray of the morning, watching the
gray sea heave under a Frightening
sky, as she had watched 1t all her life.
And her fathers appearance in her
room seemed unreal as a dream.
ALI day she watched him from the
cottage, busy about his ship, piling the
logs on deck. ALI day she waited,
stunned, and incapable of action, re-
| peating over and over in her mind her
! fathers words, whose meaning was
unintelligible to her. Yet st. Boniface
remained unchanged in that ruin that
had come upon her. Men laughed
noisily as they strolled from their
work at noon, children shouted at
play; the hum of the mill was soft
undertone accompanying the horror in
her heart. 1t seemed incredible that
st. Boniface could know nothing, when
the whole universe was crying out
! against her.
1t was late in the AFTERNOON when
she saw two figures slouch toward the
vessel. She recognized Pierre and Le-
blanc. And in a moment she under
stood the meaning of their appearance.
Murder was being planned, against
Hilary, who had saved her. She
watched them go on board, paralyzed
with fear.
Then the power Of action, return
ing, shattered the paralysis of will
that held her. She ran bareheaded
from the cottage, through the streets
of st. Boniface, toward the Chateau.
She must get help there; her thoughts
turned instinctively thither. as st.
Boniface had always turned for aid
toward Its Seigneur.
Madeleine, seated In her room, with
her memories of her dead, heard the
door bell jangle. She went down, to
see Marie in the hall. At the sight
of the girl feeling of repulsion. wild
and unreasonable, stiffened her. but
when she looked into her face. she
spoke gently.
what is it?" she asked.
"Mademoiselle," stammered the girl
"they are planning to kill him"
"Whom?' \
Monsieur Askew, who saved me
from Pierre that day. Mademoiselle,
have only now learned what they say
of him and me. 1t is not true. Ant
they are going to murder him. came
to you to save him."
"Where is he?"
HE is going on board tonight. Per
haps he is there now. Pierre and LIE
blanc are waiting for him there"
swat herer cried Madeleine.
She ran back into the Chateau, pu
on her coat and hat, and took re
volyer which had lain for many year
unused in a drawer Of cabinet. Sh
hurried to the stable, harnessed tn
horse, and brought the sleigh to tn
door. She motioned to Marie to enter
leaped In, and took the reins, and tn
two girls started along the roa
through the forest.
1t was a difficult journey throug
the deep snow. Often the horse -four
dered knee-deep In the drifts, and tn
r way seemed endless; but near the vi
lage the snow was tramped hard, an
the sleigh went like the wind. Neithe
e of the girls spoke, but before the eye
+ of each was the same dreadful pictur,
:. At last they emerged from the fol
i est and crossed the bridge. The hui
+ of the mill had ceased, and had bee
:. succeeded by another sound, we
known to dwellers along the St Law
/ renee shores when winter arrives: Tt
e stirring of the ice foes as the impent
ing storm drives them together to the
8 long winter anchorage.
!, The sleigh went madly along tf
= wharf, which groaned and creaked 6
II the ice battered 1t on either side. Mad
leine sprang from the sleigh and ra
on board the schooner, which was a
8 ready moving.
As Marie descended to follow h'
she saw that it was too late. The
: was an increasing space between IL
- wharf and the deck. She hesitate
and then it was impossible to follo'
= For a moment she thought she sa
. Madeleine threading the narrow pa
= !, sage between the piles of lumbe
then the darkness closed about her.
a The pulleys creaked. The mainss
n and foresail swung upward and belli,
In the wind. The two gafftopsai
- cleaned like white birds against t
IA night.
=, Then only the sails remained. tn
turned and shifted. disappearing al
-. appearing again elusively, until tn
na blended with the fog and the darkne
~ and vanished finally.
ve The horse, left uncontrolled. swu
nd round and galloped homeward, ira
ing the empty sleigh behind him. MAJ
or stood shuddering at the end Of t
wharf. For while she stared out
terror toward the invisible schoon
er lost in the distance. She could s
tlv nothing, but she could still hear I
nd roar of the wind In the rigging and
Tapping of the great sails.
l Presently, with low cry, she turn
ou and began running homeward.
lee staggered into the cottage and sa
ne. down before the stove, crouchi
there.
nj
on When Hilary reached the wharf
Id, was already dark. He had been r
i've ognized by no one on the way.
wv went straight aboard the schoon
by and found Dupont on deck.
0xNf | Il e,Ao o,,x0 h. 4