Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1920-04-29
BY
ROUSSEAU
NnSfr0honS By
Irwin Myers

There was never any danger. LATE
was with me, and we went and came
on the tide"
AS he spoke he noticed that the
crowd at the w~harf-head had drawn
nearer. He heard a man shouting /;
there seemed to be some disturbance
which he fancied they were trying to
quell. LATE stepped upon the wharf
with the two girls. walking past Hill
airy. Madeleine turned.
Her eyes, lighting upon Marie's face,
and then Nanette's, sought Hilary's in
establishment. But she asked nothing,
and waited. Her hand, which had
rested upon his arm, remained there.
But whereas it had been a living,
warm part Of her, it now felt cold and
heavy, an. lifeless.
Then out Of the crowd burst Jean
Baptiste, screaming. He ran toward
Hilary. A knife was flashing in his
hand. His onset was so swift that 1t
took Hilary and Madeleine completely
by surprise. AS the little man closed
with him Hilary just managed to
grasp his arm.
"Tll kill you" painted Baptiste, and
the breath whistled through his throat
as if the force Of his passion had con-
stricted it to a pipes dimension. 1T
is she, and you took her from her
home last night. 1 sought for her: !
was waiting and watchful; I did not
sleep. I swore you should die"
He fought for freedom Of the stab
bling arm like a man possessed Of a
thousand devils. He worked the hand
free, and 1t went up and down, the
long knife flashing and slicing into
Hilary's coat. And Madeleine did not
utter a word.
She watched the struggle like a
| woman In a dream. Twice Hilary felt
the point of the knife as it drove
through the air and slashed to the end
Of Baptiste's reach. Then the crowd
| closed about them.
But Baptiste fought like a devil. He
hurled the lumbermen aside; three
times he fought out Of their grasp
and made for Hilary, who, Mortified
and still uncertain, made nc attempt
to escape or strike. Each time he
caught the knife hand by a miracle of
luck, and all the time he fought Bap-
| tiste never ceased shouting.
"Let me get at him !" he painted. II
watched them. 1 waited. I did not
| sleep. He took her last night to the
island. I swore to kill him. Let me
go! Let me go!"
His voice rang high above the
shrieks Of the frightened girls and the
shouts of the men. They had closed
about him now, but for the fourth
time he broke through and made for
Hilary, the knife held low now, ready
for the ripping upward stroke. Hilary
grasped at his arm again and missed.
The knife flashed back-and then in
an instant Madeleine stood where Bap-
tiste had been, and the blood dripped
from her sleeve. And still she had
not uttered a sound.
They had got Baptiste down now,
still fighting like a wild beast. They
were holding him, one man to each
limb, and his body writhed and curses
broke from his lips. And Madeleine
stood before Hilary, quiet and calm
and silent.
He sprang toward her. Madeleine !"
He seized her arm and tore the
sleeve away. There was a cash, long,
but not deep, from which the blood
was yelling. He felt beside himself
with mingled fury and fear. He began
to bind 1t with his handkerchief, the
icily cold arm that had been warm
against his shoulder. But Madeleine
drew herself away.
at is nothing" she said, and began
to walk toward the head of the wharf.
Her rig was waiting there, the horse
held by a boy.
Hilary walked by her side, speaking
he never remembered what it was he
said-imploring; Madeleine said moth
ing. Nothing until she reached the
carriage step. Drops Of blood marked
her progress. There she paused and
looked at him. He could see her face
now in the light Of the boys lantern,
and it was neither scornful nor proud,
but very hard-like the Seigneur's,
Hilary thought afterward.
But all his thoughts were on the
wound. Madeleine, your arm!" he
cried, catching at it.
1T is nothing" she said once more,
turning to mount the step.
Then Hilary knew what he had not
let himself know he knew. He caught
her hand and pressed 1t to his lips.
"Mareleine" he cried. "You do not
do not-surely you r not going to
condemn me when +"
She placed her foot on the step.
II told you nothing but your faith
lessness could kill my love-" she said
In a whisper. And, in a lower whis-
per, "G0od-by!"
The wheels e moving before Hill
airy could grasp the scene, bring ii
home to his consciousness. And after.
ward he remembered that he ran be-
side the carriage, s~enselessly calling
to her to let him bind her arm. He
must have been half way through the
village before his reason came back