__ g

   

 

 

 

 

OURNAL.

 

 

“ To pull him out through the skylight,i

for it’s right over the room where they‘ve
got him locked in.”

“ Good l—if it is so?” -

“ So t-eof course it’s so i"

“ How to get up. now ?"

“ With a ladder.”

“Ha! yes—the ladder.” ‘

' She understood him ; and, without further
talk, they turned to where the ladder was
leaning.

But, the task they contemplated was not

an easy one. The material was heavy from.

exposure—had long lain in a place that was
damp, even in the dryest weather—and
their combined strength was barely sufficient
to draw it up.

The labor was more severe, owing to the
fact, that they ,durst not make any noise, for
fear of discovery.

It was a long time ere they accomplished
the half of their object; and Jose Moreno
had left the house, on his errand of hate
and - murder, before they succeeded in
placmg the ladder against the caves of the
higher roof. '

ack was first to ascend. When he reach~
ed the top he uttered an exclamation of sat-
isfaction. There was the skylight, as he
had expected, and it was over the apartment
in which Hercules was confined. He stepped
over to it at once.

Lu did not imitate him. She had discern
ered the trap leading to the interior of the
house; and, in her fearless nature, she re-
solved to enter, to confront the enemies of
the Hunchback, at every hazard.

Willis mashed in a pane of glass, and
called, guardedly:

“ Hello, down there?”

“ Well ?” was the answering inquiry.

“ I’m going to get you out.”

“ You are a friend ‘3”

“ Of course I .am—”

“ Go for help, then,” interrupted the pris- '

oner.

“ N 0 use in that; I‘ll get you up through
here.”

“ I must go out through the door. I‘ll go
no other way.” ,

f‘ That’s nonsense—”

“ Do as I say, if you are a friend. Make

haste. Mortimer Gascon is at No. —-, ——-
street, and he will wonder at my long ab-
sence.” ,

"‘ The man’shalf lunatic l” thought Willis.
“ Mortimer Gascon—who’s be? Oh, yes!

———brother—in-law to old Nelson Greville. I
knew him well. Yes, I knew him.”

He returned to the ladder, and rapidly
made his way to the ground—entirely for~
getting Lu for the moment, and not notic-
ing that she had disappeared.

Running out at the alley, he collided with
a figure that stood near the steps, like a
dark statue.

“ Out of the road, you jackass!” he
grunted, recovering his breath, with a
gasp ; but he exclaimed, immediately:

“ W'hy, hello l—Greville 3?"

“ That’s you, Jack lVillis ?”

“ Yes—me—-—”

“ Why did you fail to meet me at the sa-
loon ‘9” I

“ No time new to answer questions l“ in-
terrupted the detective. “ We‘re in for a
grand row ! This house is full of Tomcats
and reprobates! Jose Moreno, Miguel——”

“Jose Moreno, you say ‘i"

“ Yes-3’ «

“ Then I was right. I was passing here,
and saw the ruffiau come out. I thought he
looked like cc of the men who tried to as-
sassinate me in New Orleans.”

“Yes, yes, yes,- but there’s no time to
waste. You'll find Mortimer Gascon at
No. .--, —— street. Maybe he needs you,
right away. M * hands are full. Hurry
yourself. I’m 0 !” He darted across the
street, to halt two men who were hurrying
past, intending to enlist their services in
the liberation of the Hunchback.

Evard Greville~the true Evard Greville
-—-was not a little mystified by the de-
tective’s excitement. But he caught and
understood the mention of Mortimer Gas-
con, and, fearing that his uncle was in
danger,,he started, at a swift pace, to find
the house Jack Willis had named.

 

CHAPTER XXIX.
THE CLIMAX.

THE negress and the Indian woman
glared at each other with all the ferocious
hatred of rival beasts disputing a prey.

,“that do you want here?” demanded
the crone.

“ The man who is in that room.”

“ There‘s nobody in there. Be off 2”

“You lie, you witch! —— Hercules, the
Hunchback, is a prisoner in there. Let
him out.” '

“I shall not !” snapped she, perceiving
that attempted falsehood was useless.

“ But you will!” ,

“ Try me, and see i” defied Lala, her eyes
flashing, while she crouched to receive, the
leap she saw her enemy was about to
make.

At that juncture, Miguel appeared at the
door of the medicine-room. In one hand
he held the heavy iron ladle, and he held
this toward her, while he cried: ,

“ Here l—Aake this, Lala, and beat her in
pieces! I can’t stop,‘or I would help you
devour her! Kill her before she can ray!
I must be of.” He dashed toward) the
stairway, intent upon escapin ; for he
plainly saw that Lala was hard y a match
for the muscular negress—he had felt her
promass, and cared not to face her again in
combat; more, he saw that Hercules must
soon be at libert ; and to be in the" house,
with the Hunch ack‘ free, was to be in the
very jaws of death.

But the Spaniard was: not to get off.

At: one spring Lu left the ladder, and
landpd directly in his path.

Miguel‘s hand was upon his revolver in
an instant, for he divined her purpose. ,

Ere heicould use the Weapon, the barrel-
stave whizZed above his head, and descend-
ed with terrific force.

He tried to dudgei—in vain ; and, uttering
a tremulous groan, he», sunk down insensi—

,But the nogrcss was soon busy. Lala
rushed upon her, and, with artful precision,
dealt her a blow with the massive ladle.

Lu slaw cred; and before she could re-
turn theli ow, the Indian woman bad rap-
pled with hem-biting, scratching, tearing-—
ngliting. with limb,-tooth ‘ and nail, and
striving to fasten her decayed snags in the
throat of her antaonis't. , ,

"Withzth'e furyog a mad wolf, the supple-
ness of}: shake—army yelping, now hissing,
now‘spittiug andtsnappiug likea monstrmss
angelic sorel y,e1)resSetl Lu to her utmost
resrstancc. -' i ’ '

gill .Wevaexalre-ady.seen...the nerve, the

endurance, the unconquerable nature of the
,gszcgress, in an unequal combat with two

 

.Miss Hermoine.
ffor the true child used to have a dark, hairy
mole on her left arm below the elbow, when

 

strong men; and when she recovered from
the first shock, she, too, uttered a yell, and
bent her muscles to the fierce struggle. '

Dropping the stave, she doubled one fist,
while she wound an arm round the crone’s
neck, and forced her chin lip—then, like a
hammer, fell the fist, and Lala shrieked
with pain. , ‘

Tripping over the prostrate form of
Miguel, they rolled down the stairs, con-
tinued the fight on the landing—then went
tumbling, doubling, screaming, gouging,
down to the lower hall.

Lu shook herself loose, and bounded back
up the stairway—just as Willis, with two

men close at his heels, entered by the front"

door. .

“ Hold that witch!” cried she, to the de-
tective. . , 7‘ ~

But Lala had breathed her last. As they
fell dOWn the steps, her head had caught
between the uprights of the banister, twist-
ed her neck nearly in two, and she was
dead ere the new-comers reached her.

As Lu made toward the door of the room
where Hercules was confined, Miguel re-
covered. ‘ He leaped to his feet, and struck
her with his fist, from behind—a. blow that
brought her to her knees. But her hand
was upon the key, and ere he could force
her to loosen her grasp, she had wrenched
it round in the lock.

He saw that all was lost—escape by the
stairs was impossible, as he heard the tramp
of those who were ascending.

Half-snorting, half-crying, in terror, at
his hopeless situation, he fled precipitater
into the medicine-room, meaning to jump
from the window.

But his cry turned to a wild, despairing
shriek; for there was a roaring voice rung
out behind him, and the form of the Hunch-

back shot through the air, squarely onto his "

shoulders.

«The greatest coward will fight when
death stares him in the face; and Miguel
struggled desperately.

But as well attempt to stay by hand a,

heavy fly—wheel as to resist the Herculean
embrace which closed around him.

He fired one barrel of his revolver fairly
into the face of Hercules; but the bullet
missed the mark for which it was intended
—-arnd hit another.

Hermoine had discovered the opening in
the fireplace, and came through, just at the
critical moment. The bullet whistled past
the car of the Hunchback, crossed the hall,
entered the room opposite, and struck the
maniac in the center of the forehead.
Without a groan, she fell dead.

Hercules was a demon in every lineament,
as lhie felt his hated enemy squirming in his

0 .

In less time than we take to tell it, he
threw Miguel to the floor. Twining his
fingers in the hair of the doomed man, he
bumped his head with all the savage strength
he could command.

The Spaniard’s vision began to blur he
howled in agony. But the grip that was
killing him slacked not.

Thud! thud! thud! struck the head.
Blood poured from the ears, the nose, the
mouth; there was a gasping, tremulous
moan, and Miguel was past all aid.

Then a pistol cracked.

Hercules uttered a quick cry, and tottered
to his feet. ‘

In the doorway of the adjoining room
stood the burnt and blistered figure of Trix,
the Indian boy. He held the fatal weapon
with its smoking muzzle half lowered, and
his eyes seemed to burn as he cried:

“ Murderer of Rose-Li p i—dz’e I”

The dwarf sprung at him. He did not
budge. Again the pistol blazed forth its
deadly contents; then those arms of iron,
with muscles of steel and giant stren th,
grasped and raised the boy on high! ne

 

moment's poise, and he was hurled across ’
the room, to the opposite wall, with a force ,
that seemed to crunch the bones in his ,

bodv.

It" was the last act of a dying man. Both A

shots delivered by the boy had found a vital
spot; and the Hunchback sunk down, with
glassy eyes rolled up in their sockets.
Jack Willis and his assistants bounded in,
in time to witness the last act of the tableau.
Lu came in, carrying little Car! in her
arms; but, ere she could realize how mat-
ters stood, Hercules was no more.
A strange, awful silence settled where
had so recently reigned the Sounds of dead-
strife; and while the negress looked

1,
dybwn on the last one who had perished, a -

single tear, great and hot, trickled down

her clieekmand this, and the quivering lip, '

told how deeply she felt the loss of a com-
panion whose friendship was dear to her.
The tragedy of our romance is over.

 

W'hen Evard Greville entered the room
where Zone and Mortimer Gascon were, he
was recognized at once by them; and Zone
exclaimed, half to herself:

“ It is true, then ! Evard Greville did es-
cape the assassin’s knife! It was his face I
saw at the library window!”

Gascon held a hand out to the comer. In
a moment the young man was embracing his
uncle. ,

We will not impose a useless dialogue on
the patience of the reader at this late hour
in our story. Let it suffice to say that there
were long explanations asked and made be—
tween uncle and nephew—mostly bearing
on the substance of Zone’s narrative.

It was near morning, when Jack W'illis,
remembering the number of the house,

. given him by Hercules, guided Lu to the lo-

cality.

The negress carried Carl in her arms;
Willis carried his carpet-bag, which he had
recovered from behind the parlor curtains
of Lola’s home. ,

Zone saw a roll of MS. in the detective’s
hand, and it was tied with a black ribbon,
sealed with a black seal. In another second
that which was to restore her inheritance
was in her possession.

“ Where is Hercules ‘3” inquired Mortimer
Gascon.

For awhile no one spoke.
swered, sadly:

“Dead.”

“ Dead!”
whisper.

“Yes,” said Jack; “he’s gone up !——that
is, he’s defunct. 80’s that female piece of
imposition who called herself ‘Hermoine
Greville.’ You see, Mr. Mortimer Gasoou,
I used to live in Chicago; and I was here
when this adventuress came to personate
Iknew she was a fraud;

Then Lu an-

The word was repeated in a

{she was a child. I saw it! and this im-
ipostor didn‘t, because she wore short sleeves
on severial occasions, and I was unlucky
enough to‘notice it"! Mind, I say unlucky.
For, before I‘could do any thing toward

' exposing her, she found out that I'd found

 

 him.
" hand !”

 

her out, and she hired him rascals to drown
me out on the lake. They came pretty
near doing it, too! But I got off, and went
to New Orleans—scared pretty near to
death! I became a detective. While plyn
ing my profession there, I met your nephew.
He told me what he’d been through, and
what he wanted to do. I wanted some
satisfaction myself in the same direction;
and so we came to Chicago. I was on the
track of a house-thief, named Miguel, at the

time; and to—night I saw him here. But

our friend, the crookback, kindly saved me
some trouble by thumping the fellow’s brains
out! And there’s one of the remarkable
sketches of my life. We’re all here, aren’t
we? Now, I guess every thing will soon
be all right.”

“How did you come by this?” asked
Zone, indicating the MS. “Delia Rivers
had it.”

“Found it on the stair—landing, at the
house where we’ve just had a muss,” was
all the explanation he could give.

(The manic had, with a quick motion, de--
posited the'valuable papers up in one cor-
ner of the stair-landing, when she was fol-
lowin Jose Moreno and the crone to the
secon story of the latter’s house; and the

roll had remained there unseen, until the,

keen glance of the detective had discovered.
it.)

 

If there is more to add, let the reader ex—
ercise his or her imagination.

We have finished 'our work—and woven
another item into the events of that memo-
rable night, when Chicago sunk in ruins un-
der the scourge of fire. I

THE END.

Madeleine’s Marriage:

OR,

THE HEIR OF BROADHURST.

BY MRS. E. F. ELLET,
AUTHOR or “rNDEn THE CLOUD."

CHAPTER XXX.
FACE TO FACE.

DORAM‘ crossed the room to open the
door, which was never kept fastened dur-
ing the da P.

George Miles was defending it with his
“thundering big stick,” against two per-
sons.

“ Oh, if my dog were only alive!” he
was saying; “ wouldn’t he have peppered
both of you? and they could only bring it
in manslaughter against a quadruped.”

“No, George,” interposed Dorant; “no
violence!”

George looked around when he heard his
voice.

“Oh, sir, you have opened the door!
W'ill you let them in? I would not have
you disturbed !" .

“ Come in,” said Lewis, stepping back.

The intruders were Marlitt and his ac—

 

 

 

 

complice, Hugh Rawd; both well armed,

and intent on their nefarious purpose.

They entered the house without hesita-
tion.

“ Oh, very well!” muttered George.
“ Hang me if I don’t follow them, in case I
might be wanted. W’ho knows? I don’t
like ‘the looks of that oldest hangdog fel-
low .‘ ‘

The scene within was a most unexpected
one to the unwelcome visitors.

The lamp gave but a dim and imperfect
light, but it. disclosed all the figures with
sufficient distinctness for recognition.

In the center of the room stood Madcr

leinc, her vail thrown back, on her way to
the door, to go home, as she had proposed.

Oriel stood leaning on the arm of young
Duclos.

Frank was very pale and greatly agitated r
by what he had heard. He clasped Oriel‘s ‘

trembling hand, holding her arm pressed to
his side, and looked sternly at the new-
comers.

Dorant preceded them, and they were

followed by George, leading the monkey by ,

his string.

“These gentlemen,” observed Lewis,
with a grim smile, “appear to have had
some trouble in effecting an entrance.

George thought we wished to be alone. 
But we had just been speaking of them—eh,

Duclos ?”
Frank Duclos, with face blanched, and
eyes flashing fire, advanccd a step or two-—

putting Oriel back, and dropping her hand. r

The two villains had expected to find
their intended victim alone, and they were
startled and alarmed by seeing so many
persons. Marlitt was first to recover his
self-possession. ;

“Upon my word,” he said, sneeringly,
“ a singular group! we called on business
with Sanders here, and find him entertain-
ing avcouple of ladies, whom I am very
much surprised to meet in this place! Per-
mit me to ask, madam, for what cause this
house is graced with your presence?”

Madeleine turned away her face, and
made him no answer.

“Or yours, Miss Oriel?”

The girl’s youn lover advanced to an-
swer for her; but orant waved him back,
and stopped him from speakin .

f‘ These ladies came,” replie Lewis, “for
the purpose of returning to me this pocket-
book which I had sent to them, as contain~
in papers in which they were interested.”

e held out the pocket—book as he spoke.

“By Jove l” yelled Hugh Rawd, “it is
the very same the rascal robbed me of!
Give it back this instant !”

He started forward to snatch it from Do-
rant, but the latter repulsed him. and at the
same moment Frank laid hold of him.

“ Off with you!” the wretch exclaimed.
“ Give back my property! It is mine!
Marlitt, help me to get it back l”

Marlitt had drawn himself up with an
arrogant assumption of superior authority.

“ No need of violence,” he said; “the fel-

, low will have to give it up. But first, Mrs.

Clermont, I request you to withdraw."

“I acknowledge that name no longer !"
answered Madeleine, looking at him scorn-
full '. “ Here stands my husband !”
“lVoman, 'ou are raving !”

“This is Wis Durant, whom you and

that villain ”-—and she pointed to Hugh——

“tried to murder years ago. Providence
saved him-wand unites us after our long
separation.”

“And has sent me,” added Duclos, “to

avenge the death of my father."

“ You!" exclaimed Marlitt, turning to
“ You-the aspirant to my daughter’s

“ I am no daughter of yours !” put in the
young girl. - -

“Very true !" sneercd Marlitt;
earnestly recommend you, air, for your own
sake, to abandon all idea of the marriage,"

 

 

, from their dues.

 

“Why so ‘9”

“I presume you would scarcely care to
unite yourself to the daughter of a woman
who may stand shortly as a culprit before
a public court, on a charge of bigamy.”

“The shadow of that fear, miscreant,”
said Lewis Dorant, “has kept me in con—
cealment ever since I came from the wars;
that and unwillingness to disturb my wife’s
possession of the wealth that was her birth-
right. I could not bear to hurl her from
those splendid possessions—little as Was
the joy they gave her—and make her the
scorn and scandal of society. So I conceal-
ed my existence, and watched over her in
secret. But. chance—or rather Providence
——has again brought us together.”

“ To part no more !” said Madeleine.
will never leave him again!”

Marlitt gnashed his teeth.

“ And you will encounter the shame of a
trial ‘9‘”

“I was innocent of wrong!
that he lived !”

“ How can you prove your innocence,
madam? The law will require that!”

“ Liar !” exclaimed Dorant. “ It is for
the law to prove guilty ! But she can prove
her innocence by proving your attempt to
murder her husband !”

“ He is right !” exclaimed young Duclos,
no longer able to keep silence. “ You have
studied for years to invent tortures for your
blameless wife; and now you hope by an
absurd calumny to overwhelm her, and pre-
vent her daughter’s marriage! You had
your own reasons for getting that lady’s
husband out of the way—that you might
wed her, and come into the fortune! But
you had not the courage to strike the blow
yourself, and you hired accomplices. Is
not this man one of them?” he asked of
Dorant, pointing to Hugh Rawd.

Dorant nodded afiirmatively.

“I,

I knew not

“ This villain made a mistake in doing his‘

work, and thereb another—Colonel Duclos
—my father—fella victim to your murder-
ous designs.”

Hugh Bawd, crushed by these discoveries,
had shrunk into the corner, his shaking
hand grasping the weapon concealed in his
breast~pocket. Even the more dauntless
criminal was staggered. He grew pale, but
recovered his self-possession.

“ A preposterous accusation!” his white
lips articulated.

“ It is one you shall answer for, both of
you!” cried the young man. “ Yon villain
does not leave this room till he is in the
hands of the officers of justice.”

“ It is one thing to threaten, and another
to perform, as you will find,” Hugh re-
plied.

“ How my fingers do itch to strangle him
——the vampire!” muttered George. “ I had
best get out of the way, or the temptation
may prove too great for me.” He stole on
tiptoe toward the door. “Be quiet, monkey,
or I will put you in your box.” .On second
thoughts he turned back.
' “ I may be wanted yet.
better part of valor.”

“ Now, sir,” resumed Marlitt, “to return
to business, I require, first, your surrender
of that pocket-book, which, by your own
confession, you stole from its owner l” .'

“ ‘ Stole’ is a word I never used,” retorted
Dorant. “I took it from a man who was
not its owner."

“ How do you know he was not? Why
did you take it ‘2”

“ Because I heard him say he could ruin
with the papers it contained a lady tover
whose safety I watched. That is my an-
swer to your last question. To your first I
reply: he can not be the owner of the papers
—for on their face they bear evidence that
they are the property of others. Would
you know what they are ?”

Marlitt made no answer.

“ Make him give them up i” cried Hugh.
“Though it’s little can be done with them
now.”

“ The papers,” resumed Dorant, “ are a
certificate of the lawful marriage of Edward
Clermont—the son of Mr. Clermont of
Broadhurst, Sussex—with Emily \Vatts, the
daughter of the miller, then living in her fa-
ther”s cottage. This was given by the Rev.
Isaac Morgan, of Dundee Rectory, who hap-
pened to be on a. journey and stopped at the
villa e near Broadhurst.

“ nother paper is the leaf torn out of
the parish register, recording the marriage
of those two persons.

“Another is the register of the birth and
baptism of their son, Edward Clermont.

“ Other papers are letters from the father
of this boy to his wife,‘when she was ab-
sent in London.” \

“ All very fine l” commented Marlitt, with
a sneer meant to be incredulous. “ And
what do you mean to do with these im-
portant papers, if I may be so curious as to
ask ‘2” - ,

“ You have nothing to do with my inten~
tion, Mr. Marlitt.”

“ Destroy them, no doubt.”

“ N o, sir,” exclaimed Madeleine, eagerly.
“ We shall restore them to their rightful
owners. Too long have they been kept
It was for that I brought
them to him; it was for that he sent them
to me i”

“ Virtuous self-sacrifice ! Are you aware,
madam, of the consequences to yourself,
should such papers fall into certain hands ?”

“I am; I know that I shall lose the es-
tate.”

“ And you are going to give them up,
nevertheless ‘3”

“ They shall be given up tomorrow.”

“ Very good, as far as you are concerned.
But I have a stake in the property, since
half belongs to me; and I shall not let it go
so easily.”

He strode forward quickly, and before
Dorant was aware, had snatched the pocket-
book from his hand, and flung it toward
Hugh, meaning him to catch it.

It fell at his feet, and he stooped to lift
the prize. _ ‘

But the monkey was too quick for him.
The animal darted to him in an instant,
caught up the pocket-book, scampered ofi’
with it, and the next moment had climbed
upon one of the bare rafters of the room,
and sat perched on the window cornice,
quite out of reach. '

“ Bravo !" shouted George. “Bravo,

Prudence is the

'Jocko! Keep it there, my good fellow;
' take care of it.” » .

The monkey, as if understanding. him,

:leaped up and thrust the pocketbook fast
i between one of the rafters and the ceiling,
3 wedging it in tightly with several blows of
 his heavy fist.
‘2 and capered about his master.

Then he ran down nimbiy,

With a bowl of rage Hugh sprung at the

creature, but only got Some severancratch-
, , ire, besides a mawling from George himself.
“and I 3‘

- Marlitt had observed this little scene with
a scowl of disappointment. I
“ You keep monkeys trained to theft !'

trusted in for his only method of saving

 

‘_ The baronet, who had not resolved the royal
blurtedout: “Madam, hevrthinks of a we:

‘ly nonplussed, and was heard _. to iretorti:
~“ Well, Sir Edward, I. must,_ not w ecufutc

 

he said, angrily. “ I. can easily compel you
to give it bac a”

“ And what will it benefit you, sir ‘9” ask
ed Dorant, “since your marriage gives you
no claim!”

“ lVe shall see to that.”

“ My husband was living,” said Madeleine,
“ when that empty ceremony passed,
which—" .

“ Which, at least, vailed the shame and
infamy of your first marriage i” said Mar-
litt, for the first time enraged, since he saw
ruin impending which he could not avert.

“ For shame, sir! How dare you talk of
infamy ‘3” Madeleine replied, “ except in
connection with yourself 1"

“ Your husband—forsooth—a fisherman
—a beggar l”

“My father never was a beggar l” inter-
posed Oriel, indignantly. “ He worked
hard to earna support for his family, but
he was an honorable man, blessed by all
who knew him—loved dearly by his wife
and child. But you, wicked man, have
neither heart nor feeling l”

Marlitt turned upon her furiously. The
time had come to provoke the encounter he

himself from the coil in which he was in-
volved. If he could provoke a headlong as-
sault, so much the better. He gave the-con-
certed signal to his accomplice.

“ Insolent girl !” he exclaimed, as he seized
her by the arm.

Oriel screamed, and tried to escape him.
Dorant, who had watched the man, threw
himself between them, tore him away, and
hurled him several feet off, with tremen~
dous strength. I

At the same time Duclos was grappling
with Hugh, whose massive strength might
have overpowered him, but for the assist-
ance of the monkey. The little animal fas-
tened his claws in the assailant’s leg, biting
him so severely that he let go his hold of
his antagonist, and retreated with a yell of

am.

p Frank sprung after him, seized his arms
before he could extricate himself from the
monkey, and pinioned them fast behind
him. '

“ A cord, here, quickly !” he shouted. “I
must bind him, or he may fire on us !”

George looked about bewildered for a
rope; but none was in sight.

“ Take my scarf !” said Oriel, offering it.

It was of fine wool, but very strong.

Twisting it, with George‘s help, Duclos
soon bound the villain’s arms firme behind
him. The monkey’s string sufficed to tie
his legs. He was then entirely at their
mercy.

Frank proceeded to take his pistols and
dagger away, laying them on the table.

“You will excuse my interference, Mr.
Marlitt,” said Dorant, ironically. “ I've a
bad habit of meddling, and am rather rough ;
old soldiers generally are rough ; and when
I see a man—no, not a man—a gentleman—
pardon me, I shouldn’t say that : but, one
like yourself, assault a lady, or threaten
one, why, I go back to my old habits.” ,

Marlitt saw that his game at hazard was
lost, unless he could redeem it by a bold
stroke. Hugh was then strug ing in the
grasp of his two opponents. Iarlitt laid
his hand on one of the pistols in his bosom.

“I might lie in wait for you, as you did
for my child, near V‘Vatcrloo Bridge,” went
on Dorant, “ and thus take revenge, in Spite
of your being armed, as I see you are. But
a soldier can not be an assassin! He must
fight his enemy honorably, face to face.”

Crossing the room, he took up one of the
pistols Frank had just laid on the table, and
turning, faced his foe.

“ Oh, Lewis, my husband shrieked
Madeleine, “ do not fight with him! He is
armed ; let us leave this place ! Come
with me! Come—let us go!” _

Oriel, trembling with terror, joined her
entreaties to her mother’s.

Marlitt saw his advantage. “ Your inso-
lent rage,” he said, scornfully, “ causes you
to forget the difference between us.”

“ You say well there is a difference !” re-
torted Lewis. “ I know you to be a rascal,
and I am an honest man. Nevertheless, I
consent to overlook the disparity.”

“ I meant the difference between a gentle-
man and a hackman l”

“ Oh, you call yourself the gentleman, do
you ?” he went on, tauntingly. “ You, who
for years have robbed, plundered and tor-
tured two defenseless women; and when
you are called to account by the husband
and father, you talk of the difference of sta«
tion! A soldier who has had ten years of
service, sir, is your equal even on that
point! But I advise you not to provoke
him, or he might fOrget the laws of honor,
and shoot you where you stand. Draw out
your weapon, fellow! I see your hand is
on it.”

He advanced two or three paces, his wife
and daughter still weeping and clinging to
h.

1”

1m. _
Marlitt slowly drew out his pistol, cocked
it, and leveled it at Dorant.

“Move not a step nearer,” he said, “or
you are a dead man.”

He saw that Madeleine’s clinging arms
had made Lewis powerless for self-defense-
He took deliberateaim at his heart. ‘

Suddenly Madeleine flung herself in front
of her husband, Shielding him frOm the
murderous weapon of his enemy. Both her
arms were clasped round his neck”.

“Fire now, if you dare !” she exclaimed.
“You will kill me, but he is saved!”

Marlitt' did not wish to kill her instead
of her husband. Lewis strove in vain to
release himself.

“Beware!” he shouted.
her, you shall hang for it!” ' ,

The assassin lifted his pistol. The wife’s
head lay on her husband‘s shoulder. Mar-
litt chuckled, thinking he could shoot him
through the head, while he was deprived
of all power of self-defense. ‘ '

The deadly aim was taken.

' At this instant, George, who had sprung
toward him, clutched the arm that held the
pistol.
himself from his new assailant. In the
struggle the pistol; went off, its contents

“ If you harm

lodging in Marlitt’s breast. *

As George released his hold, he sunk,
with a deep groan, upon the floor.
(To be continued—~cownenced in No. 105.)

 

 

W QUEEN ELIZABETH, seeing a certain
baronet in her garden one. day, lopked out
of the window and asked him: “ ll but does?
a man think of when he thmks of nothing! _-

favor which he had. been led to expect,

manls promise.” The queen Was complete» ,

you. Anger makes men witty, but it keeps 

Marlitt struggled Violontly to free i

. x ‘ Wflmwm NWWWV , , . I .. 4,, s. 4...... . w. r 

 

them poor."

 

 

 

"WM