Abbeville progress. (Abbeville, Vermilion Parish, La.) 1913-1944, 1920-01-10
%Victor Rousseau
cspyriShs W. O. chsps~as

and know IL time to come here Soon
time to kill Simon come as we'll"
when. In heavens name. will II
cOme?' | cried.
Come soon. His diable tell me-"
answered Pierre Caribou.
II go now" he announced ITO
morrow | come for you. take all
through tunnel. You stay here till I
come; all sleep till morning"
81 will go with you. Pierre" | said,
still under my obsessiOn. But he laid
his heavy hand upon my arm and
pushed me away.
"You no kill Simon" he answered
"Why you no kill him again when you
have sword? Only diable can kill him
When time come diablc tell old Carl
bou. You sleep now. I 90 for take
my woman and gal safe through tun-
mel to place ] know. When my woman
and gal safe | come back to m'sicur
and ma'm'selle."
lay down. The silence was lOneli-
ness itself, and not rendered less
lonely by the occasional cries of the
old man and the drip. drip of water.
/ could not see anything and Jacque-
line might have been woman Of
stone for she made not the least move
ment.
At last spoke to her.
"JaCQuclinc"
heard her start, and knew that she
had raised her head and was looking
after me. I crawied toward her, drag
ging my blanket after me. | felt in
the darkness for the place where I
knew her hand must be and took II In
mine.
"Jacqucline :" | said again.
"Ah, NJ. Hewlctt"-thc WEAKNESS in
her voice went to my heart-"it might
have been so different-if-"
"If what. JacQueline?'
"If there had not been the blood of
n dead man between us" she mOaned.
Tf-yOu-had nOt-killed him."
Her words were revelation to me,
been spared the full remembrance Of
what had happened In the Tenth street
apartment She thought that II was ]
who had killed Louis dEpernay.
And how could deny this, when to
SO would be to bring to her mind the
knowledge of her own dreadful guilt?
The hours wore away, and we three
lay there. two waiting and one dream
ing Of the old days of youth, no doubt.
I tried to light the candle to see the
time. but my shaking hand sent 1t fly
ing across the cave, and when I
searched for my matches I found that
the box was empty.
1t seemed an eternity since we had
come there. 1t is one thing to walt for
dawn, and quite another thing to walt
where dawn will never come.
/ resolved to follow the exit for
little distance to see whittier II led.
and II / could discover the light Of
day.
So took my sword and sailed out
through the passage In the cliff.
I had only proceeded few steps
when the air grew cold and sweet.
And before I had traversed two hun
dred yards l saw a dim light in the
distance. This was no candle light
but that of day. SO had endured all
those agonies Of mind with the open
air but a short distance away!
As advanced fancied that heard
the soft pattering Of feet behind me.
halted and listened intently. I
crouched against the wall and waited.
But I heard nothing now except the
distant roaring Of the cataracts. How
sweet they sounded now!
| listened intently. leaning against
the wall and facing backward. holding
my sword ready to meet any intruder.
But there was no sound from within,
except the sOughing which one hears
I'm tunnel. and satisfied Mt last that
| had been the victim of an over
wrought imagination | pursued my
course. But had not gone six PAGES
before | heard n scream that still
rings in my ears today, and a shadow
sprang out of the darkness and rushed
at me. 1t was old Charles Duchaine.
His white hair streamed behind him;
his face bore an expression of indelible
horror and rage, and in his hand he
held the other sword.
He struck at me. a great. sweeping
blow which would almost have cut me
in two. ] had just time to parry 1t,
and then he was upon me, raining
blows upon my outstretched sword
Though his attack was wild the
vigor of his blows almost beat down
my guard. At last random blow of
mine swept the weapon from his feeble
old hand and sent 1t whirling down the
cataract into the lake below.
Then he was ut my throat, and II
was fortunate that there was firm rock
instead of slippery ice beneath us, or
we should both have followed the
sword.
"Calm yourself, for heavens sake.
monsieur" l gasped rs gained mo-
mentary advantage over him. Don't
you know me? l am your friend.
want to save you.''
You shall not take mel l have
done nothing! 1t was years ago! Let
me goi Let me gol" he screamed.
released him for a moment. hoping
that his disordered brain would calm
enough for him to recognize me and
that. when he saw my motives were
peaceful he would grow quiet.
INF xxyfth
sprang past me. sweeping me against