Richmond planet. [volume], November 02, 1907, Page 2, Image 2

About Richmond planet. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1883-1938

Image provided by: Library of Virginia; Richmond, VA

                
CHAPTER XVIII.
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t
a
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was r>
I
t' morn?
ing 1
My door v tl ?? r .,
pushed i had
uaher.
wlth <
I
U It mlght
ba ccj to avall
aervices, I true.
But T .-n to
: I had no b?.
tbe mau, and lf he were ignora
the ex
nauf h by n iklng hlm the wiser.
"I am anxious to see Madame de |
Tarni? '. ralslng myself on my
?lbow to pour out my coffee. "Is she
r rises until after her ?
aecond bi hed the man. ,
**But I>r Starvautaa a^
that he is at ybur Exccllency'a dls- ,
posal."
"He la very good." I yawned. and
diamissed hlm.
Now that Madame de Varnier was J
not ta (or the t
wlshed I might have slcpt long?r. It j
was too h ap the doubtful ap- |
polntment wlth Locke. even had I
wlshed. But I dld not wlsh to keep it. !
First of all niust come Madame de ;
Varnler's story. Afterwan!
xnust shape their course aa they would.
But it was impoesible to sleepagain;
the glare of thc llght was unendur
able. The nolsc of the rlver Aare
aeemed to rise in a steady crescendo.
I dressed leisurely, for I was deter
xclned not to leave the chateau until
I had seen Madame de Varnier. And
yet I had no deslre for the company of
"Dr. Starva. I looked about for a book
or magazine to bcgulle the houra be?
fore luncheon.
Half a dozen awaited my perusal,
xnost of Ihem yellow backed Fraach
xtovela. One book. bowever, waa in
Engliah. 'The Foreign Offlce Liat and
DijdomaiJc ?Vttd Cposyjar H/andbooJi/'I
?
and
?
,-v ;
Then
Toward the Chateau Walls.
of a i
m be
:
?
this, bcrause i
Aare was a .uade.
I
son, a woman. and she ?
para'
and from r
ard still
agaln
as no longer re
-led. I stood at the window, Iean
t I ccuh: - algn
of no person at such of the wlndowa
as I could r:d. My glan
idly to the woman sunclng herself on
the opposite bank. And as I loo
tiny shaft of Ught arrcsted my atten
tlon.
It was scarcely larger than my hand,
but It seemed endowed wltb e'fi; h !n
i nce. For lt moved, lt da
Aad always ln the dlrectlon of the
woman with the para:
Now lt crawled slowly along tho
graveled walk in a direct line from
the river bank toward her. Now it
burned. a ahinlnp mark, motlonless.
Then lt darted about ln ctrclea, and
alwaya closc to tho woman as If to en
gage her attentlon. A miuute. flve
i minutea paased, whlle I watched the
eccentrlc gyratlons of thia extraordl
j narlly lntelligent shuft of light. Over
I and over Its antics were repeated.
The woman'a parasol was tllted care
| lessly back for a nioment. The nar?
row beam of light selzed Its oppor
tunity. lt play.-d fantastically on tha
dress of the woman. Now at last she
had aeen lt. It flaahed upward toward
h^r face. She looked about vaguelv,
then toward the chateau walls. Now
I had seen her face.
It waa Helena Br??tt.
I struck my forehead, Impatlent at
xgy itujiidjty. Jt jrag _Captaln JEaibee
??d to
roarlng rlvar
had drowned his < -t I had
He waa
The j
oa a mir
ror will c
1 her
?n of !
y and In
CHAPTER XIX.
TrM ^g Message.
r face
ward
h of
tage i
r>ed a
r
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i
aa it
Am!
gamo to no i
To ? was my one
ses lay b^fore me.
.
fore Helena n
that nd if I ? :
hastlly it.-j to the
klng's m? all mlght yet be
well. At :.ir as the establlsh
ment of my innocence waa <
Or I migh* ntf.i-f?V:e Helena
To ber I mlght make my confesslon.
And if she were pcrsuaded, nt.'
that I waa acting in her interesta. but
that my plan up Sir I
mer's dlsappearance promlsed success,
..ow be succe;
It was my fear that she would seorn
fully refuse both to belleve my story
and to accept my ald that made me
hoaltato aa to this courae.
It was Dr. Starva who decldod for
me.
He had appeared on tho terrace be
low, and he was following Helena
? tt
I had read Captaln Forbes's mcssage
as well as Helena. Why, then, could
there not have been a thlrd pcrsou
. lnterested ln the strange antics of the
; mirror? And lf this eurmise were
I true? If Dr. Starva or Madame de
Varnier had read the message? They
, had not hesltated to use despera'* aa>
! pedioats to galn their purpose. Would
Dr. Starva hesltate to use means as
, desperate la prevent Helena from
summoning help?
I aaked myself thls startllng qurs
,tlon as I took tbe stairs two at a time
to the great hall. The main entrance
was locked. For a monvnt I thought
that I waa a prlsoner in the chateau as
well as Captaln Forbea. Even now I
am not certain that such was not the
latention of Madame de VarniT. But
Dr. Starva had galned the terrace by
a small door close hy the aplral stair
caae. In hia baate he had forgotten to
lock this door.
Deaperata aa waa my own ba
tfiok tJie_j?recautlo_n of lorklr; the side
door
?his were
It was an lnstinct that
: ?( autir-n
Hut
I my'
- .-i
I ran swlftly
aa and l
? end
' ? ?
Now
?
Neithcr
?
aa soon aa,
ion.
>ked hlm'
!." he an-1
bat is
Th
Dtly
hur> .
lsrd
I Bl
\mer
ay."
:
thc g. i ig ln a
m tha'
go by
t
:
I was i
lv a'
.
.
I
:
r
lt Waa an Unequal Struggle.
? atalrway as I grappled Wlth
him.
aaal struggle. I felt
?Ta halry hands c'ose about
and I was hurled backward.
CHARTER XX.
I Am Rudeiy Enllghtened.
.-? of tha blow had stunaed
aaa for tha momenL Prasently I heard
Heleca calllng for help. I strnggled
to n y r-et and laaned gasp!ng against
the waii.
"Are you much hurt, slr?" she asked
In French, ln a cool, matter of fact
volce. She had not recognizcd me ln
the scrni gloom.
"i am nat hurt at all," I replled ln
Dut I am aorry. Miaa Brett.
that that villain haa made hia eacape."
"I faney I heard some one rush after
1 she contlnued, comlng to me
cJoser and trying to distinguish my
features.
"I am Mr. Hsddon." I said, quietly.
She repeated the name vagueiy.
Tha coward,' I added.
There waa an, awkward pause. Wp
began to ascend fhe second Illght of
ateps.
"I am arrald you are assuming a
vou hava III
I'eve now.
I am i ' ou."
! a white hand ln tbe
gloom. Thero was absolutely nothlng
of aentimentalism in the actlon
for myself. 1 was cynlcally unmoved.
tbanks ?
and a little sullenly.
"I llttlo thoaahl
dreamily, "that you, of all men, a
It savors a good
-matlc, docs lt no
I
est it was a 1 lent,
a man was a
too !
I
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! waa
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was
?
?
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?
hrothcr. If you are L>
frlend." I
fact t\
argur.i
"Ye-<; :.
I
ho ha
now i
ln my hands. I d
righL It ln a task I ha
Once I to me
the life
:.iO."
?
humbly. Tata haa punlshed m>
ild have Judged you so 1...
and so wrong.
I spoke in flerco remon
stranca. "Will you never be J
me? That waa an accident, I
you."
"I do not llke you less that you say
so."
It waa hopeless to make h<-r va
atand now. I should have coofessed
my cowardice aooner if I wlshed to be
belleved. She had judged aa at La*
And this judgment caused me
mucb the greater paln.
"Liaten." I drew her to a garden
aaat "A llfe for a life?that is what
you said. But if, Jnstead of a life. lt
wera a man'a honor that I could save
?If It were tho honor of your
brother?"
Her lips tremhled. She leaned to
ward me in her appeal.
"Oh. you would crush me wlth the
weifcht of my gratitude. Save my
brother'a honor. and, and?"
"I should then stand equal wlth
other men ln your rospect?"
"Yes," she said faintly, her eyes
bright with unshed teara. "We need
a frleod so much now. We are in
such deep dlstress because of my i>oor
brother. Bvldently you know of bla
dlagrace." Shamo hlanched her cheek.
"I kaow somethlng of it." I said
with aympathy. "Tell me, Mlss Brott.
do I not bear a marked resemblance
to yaur brother?"
JlAX Jlral ajgbt ii is J(artl]nx" ?ba
crlad eagerly. ? and
I saw you at Luoerae we tho -
of his death. you can understand how
if I am agaln sus
plcioe that I should ?
the K- a Varnier now.j
at tata ?
"If I a;n to help you. ' trust
me."
' ??.'?
nier?to l
i
woman. If my powr bn.
a rl<
?
I
-
I
' "ust Truat
too la
?
?
i
see, I
oked at '
.
ve no woi
night
?
.
i con
. >3 will he:.
'
Mr. Locke who dir? -daln
a and m;
i not include among my
eblad aa,
"tho fact that I was so fortunato as to
?
i up speechless. Ro'k
| startled glance
upt,
iu saved my life?" repeated
1 ader.
"Havo I robbed my gallant country
man of your gratitude, Miss Brett?"
araaaaaly.
"Then lt was you who rusbod down
tho stalrway?" I stammered, my face
hot with ahame.
i. sir," he said. sternly, "lt waa
I. It is not a pleasant faty to oxpose
tho cowardlce of an acqi
Miss Brett. I could have forglven hlm
his terror. But that ha should rr.aa
querade as a hero while I was valnly
attemptJag to aaraaa tho biackguard
who tried to murder you?that la a
little too much."
I confronted him, my hands clench
ed ln my rage. But I did not speak.
A iafeaaa was imposaible. I stared at
hlm ln sil
"I am al ;hat you
aro rather fond of wearing tha lion'a
skln. 1 U>lieve I had an appointment
Wltb you thls mornlng at ten o'c:
betty. "No?"
"Then you did not receive the note
placed on your pillow laat night? Ah,
afartlaaat I beg your pardon, Mr.
. >n.M
I tnrned from him: I looked at
Helena (Jur eyea met. I did not aay
one word; I did not beaeech avea by
a look. I had askcd her to truat me,
but I had not looked for a altaatlon
llke thls. Her eyes fell before mlae
and they had told me nothtng.
"I shall leave you to your Intervlew
l with Mr I-neVe - she aaid quletly.
VER8E WORTH READINO.
Tha Man In the Bo>.
a'-orn ls wrapped th* forsat.
?pa:
?way wlth th. apar*.
lay
?
oi a roothor's Joy,
m furled.
An.l a . atla bcy,
tha world.
' ua
ilest sktee
rtstf;
A f -ld.
...
1
?vorld,
-Anon.
A Natural Coward.
- in' one
An* s -o you bet
: ? ?.? i
has
I knowa I kln I mat
.' Va tired
I
So I'a -<? aa* turn
' what
< aud
.i-hol
I aln' folks
Our Life.
ara.
From "Oream Pedlsry."
croi
?
?
; kaaa faP
ag".
-
And ?
'
Song.
aow that lif. Is sweet
feet
To lead ari>.
ralr
?
?'a protectlng car.
To !?
W that life 1. dear
tha t.ar
ji>y or ??; ?
?Clln; ' ro[.f."t?n Mag
azine.
With Mary.
Dnn't know how lt came about?
ry!
? nt to aafll ry!)
riia?
a ry;
? ie words.
. niill wlth Mary!)
.'d her-ptain!
agaln!"
II and Mary!)
?Atlanta Constltutl
Joy Too Brief.
vaa gay with sunshlne
The ara was sznooth antl
ajba panaael i>- sMo .? ioaL
And bude me Ua her sho<?.
I knelt upon the snowy aand,
The little sho. was trown,
And brown tha sllken stocklng was
Beneath tb. aweet, white gowo.
"I hope you do not mlnd?" sb. aaldL
Sald I: "Oh, no. Indeed.
t rather wlsh." I darad to add,
"You were a ceaUp*4*"'
The Brute.
"So Xantippe Snifklna ls going to
apply for a dlvorce. Do you k::uw on
what grounds? '
"Cruel and lnhuman I :.t."
"Dld bat busband treat her so very
badly?"
"No man could have treated a wom?
an worse. He never would give her
any good reason for finding fault with
him."?Baltimore American.