The Son Of Monte Cristo Part 72 (1/2)

”Yes, sir, on one condition”

”A condition? And what may that be?”

”It is that, like your father, you will call me Mamma Caraman--not Madame!”

CHAPTER LIII

JANE ZELD'S SECRET

Sanselrief and rage Where was he going? He knew not Jane had gone without a word of farewell, and this man, e have seen unmoved amid all the horrors of Toulon, noept as he ran Whoreat as was Sansel by this time recovered his co for a lady, he was her intendant As she was a foreigner, he was afraid she had gone astray

One of the men replied, in a surly tone:

”If the lady has servants, how is it that she is out alone and on foot?”

To this natural rereat folly He realized this now, and felt sure that he would be watched Jane had no acquaintances in Paris She had been out but twice, once to the charitable fete, when she sang and ht

Sanselme asked if Jane's mind could be affected Could insanity come on thus suddenly? There was a secret in Jane's life, and he hirief

Sanselme went up and down the Champs Elysees for an hour Suddenly he reht of this before? He hastened to the river side, but saw nothing to confirm his suspicions

We will now disclose the secret tie between this man and Jane Zeld

Fifteen years before, the convict Sansele at Beausset, a village between Toulon and Marseilles

A son had killed his e sum of money Bad as was Sanselme, he shuddered at this terrible crime He had aided in Benedetto's escape with the hope of receiving part of the money, but he repulsed the blood-stained hand that offered it

”Be off with you or I will kill you!” he cried, and Benedetto fled Our readers will remember hoas finally thrown up by the sea on the island of Monte-Cristo

Sanselme remained alone with the corpse The sun rose, and finally a ray crept over the face of the dead woman Sanselme started Perhaps she is not dead after all He stooped and lifted her from the floor Should he call for assistance? To do so was to deliver himself up as an escaped convict And this was not all He would be suspected of the alleys but to the scaffold

”It would be useless for e enough to induce him to run the risk, and he would probably have called for assistance had he not at thathoh of relief Noould have the aid he required He would wait until the priest cah this door that Benedetto had fled Sanselme heard the priest utter an exclamation of surprise, and then he went to his servant's door, and knowing her deafness knocked and called loudly to her to awake This was Sanselht a branch from the tree by which Benedetto had clambered to the upper rooround He ran around the house instantly He was saved He hastily decided that Benedetto had taken the shortest road to the sea, and that he hiet out of France by the eastern frontier

We will not dwell on all he endured But a ed in appearance, entered Switzerland, going thence to Gerent and active, he had no difficulty in obtaining employment And Benedetto's crime seemed to have had a marvelous effect upon him He see his acquaintance with foreign languages, Maslenes--he had taken this name--lived quietly in Munich Not the smallest indiscretion on his part attracted the attention of the police He was almost happy with these children about him, his pupils; but he was alone in his so-called ho came over him to see France once reat iht be recognized, or soht reveal his past

Nevertheless, he went Ten years had elapsed since he crossed the frontier He went first to Lyons, not daring to atte that there he would incur less risk of being recognized He had saved soain He had not been six ood Monsieur Maslenes, and was liked by every one He led the ined, and no one would have suspected that this stout, placid-looking person could be an escaped convict He fully intended to live and die thus in obscurity, and really enjoyed the torpor of this existence In the evening he took long walks, and froht Alone in the darkness, he often felt intense re co all day--Sanselme stayed out later than usual The cold was sharp and there was no ry discussion across the street Coarse voices and then a woer, he had made it a rule never to interfere in quarrels He feared any complication which should compromise him But as he hurried on, he heard a wild cry for help

”Oh! leave ot all his prudence and ran in the direction of the cries

He found a wo to tear froirl was struggling, but oddly enough she did not utter a sound