Show i INTg11NATIONAL PRC56 ASnOC1ATION CHAPTiil X III count ordered 7 f n 11 1 1 preparations I consistent with the Co resources of the I chateau to be made N v7J k fur the approarh tl v 7 Inn wedding niul ilAdt flattered himself J that ho was tery 1 diplomatic In talking U talk-ing confidently before be-fore the servants of the series of fetalillles which should follow that event Ho affected on nlr of the utmost mwurll coil laid out a ftore of Improvements to be made In Ihe garden nl a period 1 when he meant 1 la be lately landed on a foreign shore And every few houra he exchanged 1 knowing nail with M I Pierre an If glorying over his wise sagacity In these preparations of course the nb icnco of the moitt valuable service of filter was discovered but the wily M 1 1lerre hud forestalled the need of ex lilanatlon by Informing his credulous master that ho had taken the precaution precau-tion In consideration of the disturbance disturb-ance In other places to secrete It ant that It should be ready for him nt the wedding festltnl unless ho preferred In have It snugly packed for transport ntlon to time lulling sloop which last Idea the count caged secomled lie rode over to Krojus to find some one I to perform the ceremony and on thor tho-r way thither met n bishop coming la him for protection lie had left farts expecting to find n relative I nt Krejus I but every one who held the slightest I i claim to aristocracy had fled from n 1 1arld i Tho count received him warmly and carried him back to the chateau In triumph IJ 1 tri-umph Now everything was prrpired only walling for the bridegroom to be able to perform his share of Ibo ceremony cere-mony M Pierre was o tcn lbly most nelhc In carrying forwnrd the preparations prepara-tions but the countem shuddered every time she mot his aye The bishops presence gao the ladles mora excuse for lingering In their own room and It also seemed an opportunity to visit the Little forest Therefore that very evening they stole forth caulloiiily and went speeding atnng toward the hollow tree lleforo they reached tho edge of the wood time form of mile started up from Ibo hedge which bordered tho meadow Ho spoke their names gingerly ginger-ly and dispersed the momentary terror which his sudden appearance had canted 1 Thank lemon I you have cornel I woo trying to conjure up an opportunity opportu-nity for speaking with you How proceed pro-ceed matters nt the chateau I Illy enough I fear though the count fancies everything favorable answered countess j And the overseer I He Is there still I The comi t is i him Implicitly and has confided tu him nil his plans of escape 1 I Man bleat Is I Iho man demented i Ho will not listen to our remon trances answered elide while her mother kept Hllcncc Have you told him what you heard No though we assured him that we Lad proof of his treachery Ho declared lie should go to MPIcrrewlth our accu tuitions and HO dared not meal alt without first consulting you That was prudent said Imllo I while between his teeth he muttered Dolt Idiot brutal the man does not deserve to live And In n moment he added gravely It would bo the ex tinguishment of your best hopes of es cape to reveal my presence here or the m locality of the retreat I havo provided 1 half expected to find you gone and I fervently hoped It might be so I Wo waited for tho Marquis 1M ward I wardAnd ho arrived two nights ago Why were you not away before this tevery hour Is I of priceless value Tho countess sighed heavily Ho Is I III wo are only waiting for ills recovery then tho marriage Is I to stake place nnd we are to ride directly to the wharf at Bt Josephs I wish I knew tholr plans better not a soul has entered the woods since II como and the pikes have been rooted ro-oted lost the precious opportunity liy my long absence r v Ah cried Pellcle wo looked for you so anxiously We grow so troubled v about you I could not come 1 hove learned a bitter lesson In my absence I who held them to my away before have f bt eit found the tide so swollen that It bore me along liken feather lifted up my voice for freedom equality manhood did I know they would Interpret It lawlessness i law-lessness demoralization brutality Alackl ono cannot play with fire except ex-cept to be scorched My heart has died u within mo to witness the horrors which reign triumphant conscious as 10m that I helped to nurse the spark which has become such a madly devouring de-vouring element There Is I but ono course left me I must secretly aid all who come within reach of my helping band bandYou You counsel us to refrain from mentioning p men-tioning the adventure In the woods that night questioned Ibo countess anx Jous to return as speedily as possible f I certainly do If ill Is to be retailed fit once to the arch villain Pierre Besides Be-sides It Is I too late now Pierre Is aware 11 your movements I wlah I were cer I tutu of his I must go to Prejiw and hunt up a few trusty comrades by heir means I may learn more Hut It III be prudent for you to accompany jjme to tho tree and learn how to mangO man-gO the spring which opens the jigged r floor of the tree Then If you ran reach It > ou will bo sate wdmem happens to me Let us go now we may taro no other opportunity Mid Kellcle They proceeded thither In silence Tho countess seemed greatly fatigued and sat down on the ground while mlle I carefully Initiated her daughter Into the m > Merles of the spring cunning cun-ning filed Into n round excrescence of the bark Lady Kellcio practiced upon It until able to open It Instantaneously Now let us hasten hAck raid the countess shivering with the chilly night air Just as she turned she paused suddenly sud-denly nnd extending her hind said with grate solemn sweetness Heaven bless you Kmllo and reward re-ward you for all your devotion lie held her hand In his Just a brief moment then dropped It without n word The cnunttss drew Kellclos arm within hers nnd hurried away nor cast n single backward glance They were Just In reason to escape detection and had hardly removed 1 their wrappers when the count burst In upon them Tomorrow night Kellcle my lover exclaimed he The Marquis IMwnrd Improves rapidly ho declares hlmicll convalescent and Insists that there bono bo-no further delay So get out your finery fin-ery tomorrow lie will not see you till you ors dressed In jour bridal garments gar-ments Its a pity the wedding must be such n paltry affair but well cries braiD It In worthy stylo when wo return again to France lint be sure you look little like a Lnnguedoc After all the dress cnn bo quite an pretty as If you hd I a dozen corbellles from farts Theres plenty of rich lace In tho ward lobe and the diamonds will brighten all I want Edward to remember his bride as a charming picture though there bo no guests nor festival And you Intend to proceed nt once to Ibo vessel nskod limo countess Yes Immediately Gent mn this favor as a bridal gift mon pore exclaimed Kellcle tho team rushing to her eyes let M PI I crro believe wo are not to go until limo i night after Foolish child ore those tears I am so terribly afraid of that man mon lucre promise I beseech pout 011Wh not I will not mention another an-other word to him nro you content Once safely at sea we shall forget all these horrors Thank you oh thank yowl papa ill Is I such a relief Ho did not dlecloio the fact that ho had just coma from M 1lcrra and had dlscuwcd the whole arrangement freely free-ly I And so bellovlng M Terre In Ignorance Ig-norance and conscious of mites vicinity vi-cinity mother and daughter slept peacefully through tho night CIIAITKII XI LTHOUOH apparently Ii appar-ently very quiet fr 1 flll tho next day was really n busy and a I anxious ono at tho chateau Edward e was up and dressed drctfur In clothes fur C SJ1 blshed up from the well stocked wardrobes ward-robes quite early In ho day but he preferred not to sea his bride until the marriage vows were exchanged on the ostensible plea of reserving all his strength free from excitement but In reality from a disinclination ho could not overcome Tho countess herself dressed her daughter In tho fleecy whlto robes nor would allow another hand to touch a single fold She lingered lin-gered fondly I over the task reluctant tu finish and even Kcllclo was obliged to say with a bluih and a smile There there mamma I am sure Ills all complete now you could not bo more particular If there wero a thousand guests to behold mel Hut the countess smoothed a wave of hair hero brushed out a tumbled flounce readjusted each spray of tho orange crown and finally removed the diamond ornaments entirely and replaced re-placed them with her own rich set of milky pearls My father will not approve whls pered Kellcle Kor this unto no matter bo will not havo time to allude to It The pearls are so much prettier Now Is I my darling a fairy looking bride Indeed In-deed Surely Edward will open his heart to her at once Ah ill Is I for him you are so fastidIously fastid-Iously particular tonight I had forgotten for-gotten almost what It meant for me this wedding only have rejoiced because be-cause It was the gateway for our escape es-cape from this wearing life of suspense sus-pense pensoWearing Indeed reiterated the countess and putting her hand hastily to her side she turned deathly pale Kellcle sprang forward In alarm What Is I It my mother are you faint are you III No no It Is nothing It will pass Inn In-n moment And as she had said the spasm passed away In a few moments The daughter was scarcely reassured when the counts voice was heard at the door Come loiterers we are waiting for you jouThe countess seized Kollcles hand and bent forward to press a solemn hIm upon her lips The Holy One forever bless my good and worthy daughter Time deep pathos of the tones brought the tears to her eyes but there was no limo to give answer for the count unclosed the door and led her 1 from the room down the talrcatc I where II few of the errant Mood to look it the bride sod wish her happl nets The countos followed them What n itrant dismal bridal It teemed the silent hone tho anxious tare the secret uneasiness of all pm ties handy concealed beneath the mask of smile As tho bride future the little oratory ora-tory the bishop came forward tu meet her With a Muttering color on her cheek Ksllele glanced around search of the bridegroom She saw n slender figure at the window but M Ilcrras square shoulder concealed his face lldwnrd had been sitting by Iho window win-dow and he had not turned his head yet to take his first vlow of his nlll anted wife when sujdenly M I Pierre blew n shrill blast upun n whistle he had been holding ntrtously In his Annul A dozen wild faces leaped up at ever ev-er window brawny flats dashed the chore Into fragments while the burly figures leaped I I In upon them from all sides Edward was felted to the Moor by Ibo first blow With a wild cry of terror the count turned to his trusted overseer The illlaln smiled grimly and drew n pistol One brief Instant was It given to the wicked man tu realize real-ize his own folly and his servants treachery the next be fell a corpse nt the feet of his daughter Iollcloa wild shriek rang through the room Sho strove In reach her mother era a brutal arm with Its uplifted up-lifted pike should fallraw the beloved be-loved form suddenly sink back and her relf sank fainting to the floor He lilng she was conscious of n fierce affray going on nt limo chateau and shun herself lying amidst the cold corpse of her friends She crept hastily has-tily ns her weakness would allow to her mothers side and anxiously listened lis-tened for n throb of breathing at her lifeless heart All In vain And yet there was no sign of n blow or wound Itcmcmbcrlng how she had fallen ere the pike descended the poor child had a dismal comfort In behaving her heart had broken nt the sudden shock Suddenly now came tho remembrance remem-brance of her own haploM condition and tho danger of M Pierres return with those brutal ritlllans Tho new thought gave her strength Hastily disengaging n black cloak from limo shoulders of the murdered bishop she wrapped over her whlto robes leaped hastily through n broken window and darted like n frightened fawn past n man pacing to and fro ns If guarding against the approach of friend and foe She knew ho saw her and In n moment heard his plunging steps following fol-lowing Hut terror and despair gate her lleotness She knew tho path well and though every now and then her lace flounces caught upon brier and bush she tore them off with frantic hands and went leaping forward She stumbled twice and fell headlong but I sprang up again like n deer and at length gained the wood 1 It was easier eas-ier to elude him here she darted In and out among the trees until she was sure her dread pursuer had lost the track She heard his muttered curses as he blundered around and lightly as n fairy she flew on to tho blessed relief at hand She gained the tree pressed the spring with desperate hand and rushed In A cold chill sank upon her heart It was empty Where oh where was Kmllo Was there no friend left her She sank shlterlng upon the earthy floor and burled her head In her hands She could not think over then all the anguish that had fallen upon her the terrible bereavement of the past hour parents bridegroom home and friends stricken from tho hand that seemed to hold thom so securely Her brain whirled a terrible sickening fear took possession of her that M Pierre would find out her retreat or drag her forth or that Emile was killed also and oho should perish there of starvation These absorbed every faculty and crouching and listening she survived two hours of almost Intolerable agony Another hour would havo turned her brain before Its expiration a rapid step came bounding to the tree the door was flung open and Kmlloi voice cried frantically Lady Kellcle Lady Kellcle are you here 10 HI COXtl OIDI I |