Democratic Sentinel, Volume 14, Number 37, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 10 October 1890 — BERENICE ST. CYR. [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

BERENICE ST. CYR.

A Story of Love, Intrigue, and Grime.

BY DWIGHT BALDWIN.

CHAPTER IX. IN CLOSE QUARTERS,

uEFORE a twor sto’.y frame building which Bstoodsomedisftance back from a highly res p e!c t a b 1 e street the carriage came to a stop. “What’s the o 11 t look?” asked Morris, as Sears thrust forth his head and looked searchingly up and down the street.

“It’s raining pitchforks and not a soul’s insight. Now’s our time!” He sprang to the sidewalk as he spoke, •where he was a.t once joined by the banker, and almost immediately by the third villain, with his half dead, half living burden. “Wait here," said Sears, addressing the backman, and then led the way to the house, which was separated by some distance from any other. He opened the front door by a latchkey, reclosing and bolting it after the remainder of the party had entered. In what had once beon the back parlor he lighted the pas. It was furnished now as a bedroom, though a bookcase, sideboard, dining-table, and several other cuinberous articles attested that it was used for more purposes than one. “Lay him on the bed,” directed Almon, •who appeared to be the master of the house “You’ve got a snug place here, Al,” commented the burglar, as he looked seari-hingly around. “Yes. i his is headquarters for Mart and I. We’re highly respected in the neighborhood, I can tell you. I’m regarded as an eccentric young capitalist, and Mart is a retired pugilist, who is giving me lessons in the manly art of selfdefense. I never come herein the daytime unless I’m well disguised, and so there’s no risk.” “Stop your gossiping and get to business!” growled the reputed ex-prizefightar, who had deposited his still unconscious burden on the bed as directed. “That’s the talk,” assented the young man, and having divested himself of his coat he threw open the sideboard and produced a case tilled with bottles. For half an hour and more the three men worked unceasingly. Several times Cole showed signs of returning consciousness, but they proved transitory, and he sank again into a heavy stupor. “We must have a doctor, said Bloom at length, in a despairing tone. “We can’t risk that!” declared Sears, with an ominous shake of the head. “Then you propose to let him and the secret of the bonds die together!” sneered the cracksman. “Better that than to Seep them company via the gallows!” “There’s no necessity for either, ” announced Morris. He spoke with such an nirof confidence as to bring a hopeful look to the faces of his companions. “What do you propose?” queried Sears, eagerly. “I studied medicine in my youth, and practiced for a time, too.” “By Jove! that’s a fact! I was quite forgetting that. But whv ” “Haven’t I brought him round? Because I lacked the means.” “But how ” “Simply enough. I’ll write a prescription, and one of yon go to the nearest drug store und get it filled.” “That won’t do."

“Why not?" “Because Mart is known in the neighborhood, and I haven’t got my disguise here, without which I’d likely enough be recognized in my own proper person." “Very well; I’ll go myself.” Without more ado the banker donned his overcoat, pulled his slouch hnt over his eves and loft the house by a rear door, which Almon opened for him. With deep solicitude the two men watched by the bedside of the follow, creature whose life they had so recently attempted to take away.* For Borne time not a word was spoken. Theu Bloom produced his watch. “Half an hour, lackin’ two minutes,"” gnarled he, as he closed it with a snap. “1 don’t see what keeps Max so long. ” “Nor I, less it’s a scheme of you two to beat me out of my share." “Don’t be silly.” “I don’t mean to be, and that’s the reason, as I told you once before to-night, that I don’t propose to be euchred out of my share of the plunder.” The speaker rose from his chair, assumed a dogged expression and walked nervously up and down the room. Then Sears, thoroughly alarmed at the attitude of his confederate, offered arguments to mollify his anger, and allay his really nnjust suspicions. “I guess I’m wrong, glar at length, extending his hand. You’re all light, I see that, but I shall keep my eye on Morris. By the way, what in thunder keeps him so long?"

"Can’t say; he’s had time enough to go down town and back. Ha! There he comes now." , A rapping on the rear door had interrupted the conversation. In a moment the yoang man had opened it. “What kept you?” demanded he, reproachfully. "Met some friends; couldn’t get away without ’citin’ s’piscion." The voice of the new arrival was decidedly thick, and his breath strongly scented with liquor. “Max Morris, I’m astonished!" “ ’Cause I’ve drank so much an’ still sober? Needn’t be. I’m used to it. I’m a five-bottler now, I am. Go ahead." “You’ve queered the whole came.” “Nothin’ of the sort. How’s the young fellow?” “No better. Come alone." “What’s wrong?" asked Bloom, who had heard angry voices, and met them at the door. “See for yourself." “Drunk, as I live! Well, I like liquor as well as the next one, but I wouldn’t risk gettin’ a noose round my neck just for the fun of bowling up once." “Here, give me that and 1 e down.” With a look of rage and disgust, Sears sn itched a package from the hand of the stnggerin? man, and pushed him down upon a sofa, where he lay breathing heavily. “I never knew Max to do such a thing before,” said the other, as he tore open the package and displayed two bottles. “We must rely on ourselves, Mart.” Thanks to the new restoratives and the assiduous efforts of the two deeply interested men, Cole Winters soon began breathing easier, and in a little while opened his eyes and looked stupidly about him.

“Where am I? Ha! you here?” A sight of his hated enemy, Almon Sears, had completed his restoration, and brought our hero to a sitting posture. The form on the .sofa started at these words, but settled quietly back into its former cramped position. “Why have you brought me here?” demanded Cole, when no reply was made to his first query. “We changed our minds, and determined to let you live." “I’m much obliged,” remarked our hero, with mock politeness. “You doubt it?” “I didn’t say so. What do you want?” “To give you a chance for your life.” “I will not be likely to accept any conditions you may name.” “Yes, you will. Our terms are not hard. ” “Let me hear them.” “You took a bundle of bonds from the box where you concealel yourself tonight. ”

“Well?” “You don’t deny it?” “What would be the use?" “Then you took them?” “I didn’t say that. I neither affirm nor deny it." “Answer, or make ready for death!" The villain produced and cocked a revolver, which he leveled at Cole Winters’ head. “You wouldn’t have gone to all the trouble you hnve to save my life if you proposed to take it now,” said he. “That’s true,” assented Seirs, lowering his weapon. “Let’s understand each other. 1 know that you appropriated the bonds. Will you tell me where you secreted them?” “What if I do?" “Your life will be spared.” “I couldn’t trust you.” “I will so arrange matters that you can have no cause to doubt our good faith.” “Those bonds are not mine.” “What of that?” “They belong to Miss St. Cyr, and even if I knew where they were,” which I do not admit, I would not give them up.” “Not to save your life?" “No!” There was a quiet determination in tho face of the deeply wronged prisoner which avouched the sincerity of his emphatio negative. “I’ll find a -way to make you 6peak.” “That is impossible!” “We will see. Keep an eye on him. Mart.” With this admonition tho youthful villain seated himself at the bookcase and began writing. After having torn up three different notes, which, for some reason, did not seem to suit him, he folded the fourth aud inclosed it in an envelope. This done, he called Bloom aside, though at a point where they could prevent their prisoner from escaping, and conversed with him in whispers for some minutes. After this the burglar thrust the note into one of his spacious pockets, donned his overcoat, and quitted the room. Lor nearly an hour, Cole Winters lay on the bed, closely watched by his jailer, who, pistol in baud, sat near by. As for the drunken man on the sofa, he changed his position once or twice, but his heave breathing was uninterrupted. Suddenly, the sound of footsteps was heard, and a moment later tbe door of the room was thrown open and the heavy form of Martin Bloom appeared in view. “Where is he? Does he still live?” came in an agonized voice from behind the burglar. The next instant a female form, fluttering with excitement, rushed into the the room. “My God!” cried f ole Winters, in tones of anguish. “It’s Berenice St. Cyr."

CHAPTER X. THE DETECTIVE DETECTED. To say that Cole Winters was astonished would be to express but mildly the situation. Something like a paralysis crept over him, and he sank back in a half-fainting condition. When he revived from the shock, which, owing to his weakened st*te, had deprivod him of the power of motion, ho found that he was being supported by the girl who had become dearer to him than his own life, which leeently had been so desperately assailed. “I came the moment I received your note,” said she. “My note?” “Yes. The large man, there, brought it. Y'ou stated that you were badly hurt. He told me that I must hasten if I wished to see you alive.” “The wretch! I am uninjured!” “Pardon me, Berenice. I was obliged to ” “Almon Sears!" In amazement our heroine sprang to her feet and interrupted the s,. eaker by ejaculating his name. “I had no other course,” said he ly“l don’t understand you. ” “This Cole Winters has bonds of yours to the value of $300,000. ” “How can that be?” “He took them from the safe at the time of the murder.” “Well?" Sears stared at the girl in openmouthed wonder. Her coolness where he had looked for tears and protestations, disconcerted him for the moment. “I wish to recover them,” he half stammered.” “For whom?" “For you, of course, their rightful owner,”

“Give yourself no trouble on that score." “You don’t mean " “That I care nothing for them. Release him!” “I can’t do that,* replied Almon, “not without he locates the bonds. ” “What about them?" asked Berenice, turning her ty.s upon Cole, who was sitting upon the edge of the bed. “This. Last night, after the ie two men had murdered your poor father, they dragged and removed me from the bouse. Then they left me, I know not where, that I might fall into the hands of the police with these evidences of guilt, which they had placed in my pockets upon me." Cole drew forth the bundle of burglars’ tools and the watch of Mr. St. Cyr, which he placed upon the table. “This is infamous!" cried the girl, trembling with indignation. “It is what 1 would expect from you, though!" “He secreted the bonds,” continued Cole, “and he believesthat I removed and concealed them elsewhere." “I know it!” cried Sears, "and I will have them.” “Then you no longer claim them on my account?" said Berenice. “No; your father led me to expect a fortune at his death, and I propose to have it!” “Why have you brought me here?” “To induce him to disclose their hiding place. ” “So far from doing that, I request him to say nothing.” “I threatened him with death; and he laughed at me.” “And you propose?” “To try another tack. Unless he tells, and the information leads to the finding of the fortune, your life must pay the penalty.” “Monster!” shouted our hero, springing to his feet and boldly confronting the villain.

“What I have said, I mean. She’s in my way, anyhow. Once disposed of, I would produce a will under which I could claim, aye, and hold, all the St. Cyr estate, which amounts to a vast sum, without these bonds. “That’s the talk!” broke in Bloom. “And what’s more, the thing must be settled up this very night ” “You can produce no such will,” declared Berenice. “Then I’ll claim it as your husband." “What?” “Just that. It’s a simple proceeding. I always admired you, and you well know that your father designed us for each other.” “Would you dare * “Would I dare? Ha, ha! A man in the condition I find myself dares anything. What do you say?” The villainous expression upon the face of her persecutor, and the awful alternative he had offered, deprived our heroine of the power of speech, so she said nothing. Not so Cole Winters. “Attempt such a thing,” he cried. “Dare to lay a hand, a finger, upon her, and I’ll ” “Well?” interrupted Sears, with an impudent sneer. "I’ll make you answer for it with your life!" Inthenctof advancing upon his enemy, our hero was grasped from behind in the vise-like grip of Martin Bloom, who threw him on the bed, and, after a short struggle, bound him securely with a rope. “What do you mean to do?" quavered Berenice. Her bravery was gone, now that violent hands had been laid upon her lover, and anguish was depicted on her tear-stained face. , "I mean to send him out of Chicago—out of the country, in faot,” answered the young man, with provoking calmness. “Yon mean that you intend to take his life?”

“Oh, no. I only made that threat to frighten him. Is the hack still waiting, Mart?” “Yes.” “Then we’ll put him under the influence of Morris’ elixir, and ship him as a sick youug man going home to his mother to die.” “And if the police happen to catch him,” suggested the burglar, “with the evidences of guilt upon him?" “Exactly.” “That won’t be our fault We’ve given him a fair show.” “Tell him all you know, Cole.” It was the first time that the young lady had addressed him by his Christian name, and, despite his awful surroundings, the word sent a thrill through his heart, which wns prolonged by the look that accompanied it. “What will that avail?” cried the captive. “Can we rely upon the promises of thieves and murderers?" “You wouldn’t trust my honor, then?" demanded Sears. "Hardly,” was onr hero’s laconic reply. “How then can you expect me to trust you?" “Because he is the soul of honor!” cried Berenice, taking upon herself the right of answering. “He would not speak falsely to save his life!” “Nor on your account?" “Certainly not! I would despise him if he did!” [TO BE CONTINUED.]