Part 7 (1/2)
”Send for you at this tiht? MON DIEU! Jean, do you think that I am quite mad?”
”Francois telephoned me to come at once; that you were in trouble and wanted me”
”Francois? Who in the world is Francois?”
”He said that he was in your service He spoke as though I should recall the fact”
”There is no one by that name in a laughed
”I fear that it a,” he replied
”There is more back of it than humor”
”What do you mean? You do not think that--”
”Where is the count?” he interrupted
”At the German ambassador's”
”This is another move by your estimable brother Tomorrow the count will hear of it He will question the servants Everything will point to--to what Rokoff wishes the count to think”
”The scoundrel!” cried Olga She had arisen, and co up into his face She was very frightened In her eyes was an expression that the hunter sees in those of a poor, terrified doe--puzzled--questioning She trembled, and to steady herself raised her hands to his broad shoulders ”What shall we do, Jean?” she whispered ”It is terrible Tomorrow all Paris will read of it--he will see to that”
Her look, her attitude, her words were eloquent of the age-old appeal of defenseless woman to her natural protector--man Tarzan took one of the war one
The act was quite involuntary, and almost equally so was the instinct of protection that threw a sheltering arirl's shoulders
The result was electrical Never before had he been so close to her
In startled guilt they looked suddenly into each other's eyes, and where Olga de Coude should have been strong she eak, for she crept closer into the man's arms, and clasped her own about his neck And Tarzan of the Apes? He took the panting figure into his hty arms, and covered the hot lips with kisses
Raoul de Coude made hurried excuses to his host after he had read the note handed him by the ambassador's butler Never afterward could he recall the nature of the excuses hewas quite a blur to him up to the time that he stood on the threshold of his own ho quietly and with caution For some inexplicable reason Jacques had the door open before he was halfway to the steps It did not strike hih afterward he remarked it
Very softly he tiptoed up the stairs and along the gallery to the door of his wife's boudoir In his hand was a heavy walking stick--in his heart, a was the first to see him With a horrified shriek she tore herself from Tarzan's arms, and the ape-man turned just in time to ith his arm a terrific blow that De Coude had aimed at his head
Once, twice, three ti rapidity, and each blow aided in the transition of the ape-uttural snarl of the bull ape he sprang for the Frenchrasp and broken in two as though it had been ed for his adversary's throat Olga de Coude stood a horrified spectator of the terrible scene which ensued during the next briefher husband--choking the life froht shake a rat
Frantically she tore at his great hands ”Mother of God!” she cried
”You are killing hi e Suddenly he hurled the body to the floor, and, placing his foot upon the upturned breast, raised his head Then through the palace of the Count de Coude rang the awesoe of the bull ape that has made a kill From cellar to attic the horrid sound searched out the servants, and left the
The woman in the room sank to her knees beside the body of her husband, and prayed
Slowly the red an to take for the perspective of civilized a,” he whispered She looked up, expecting to see the ht of murder in the eyes above her Instead she saw sorrow and contrition
”Oh, Jean!” she cried ”See what you have done He was my husband I loved hiently Tarzan raised the limp form of the Count de Coude and bore it to a couch Then he put his ear to the a,” he said
She brought it, and together they forced it between his lips