39 
1870.j AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST. 
well as she moved away with her teacher, who had not hon¬ 
ored me with a glance. 
An hour later I stood behind a marble pillar near the en¬ 
trance, thinking whether to go to my rooms, or remain 
awhile longer at the ball. Two men came and stood near 
me without observing me. Their first words chained me to 
the spot. The voice of the first speaker was that of a native 
Frenchman; the other was purely English. 
“ Gretchen for me, and you may have the young American, 
my lord.” 
•' Exactly. But how will you get them into our power ?” 
asked the English voice. 
“ Gretchen is in the secret! We have met before. But 
the young American girl must be decoyed. Gretchen will 
attend to that. All we have to do is to go first to my private 
room. Gretchen will come in presently with the American. 
We will have a little supper ready, and you must give the 
little beauty drugged wine. Gretchen and I will then go 
our way, and you will have the field clear to enjoy your 
triumph. Ah, my lord, Paris is one grand city for intrigue 
in love affairs.” 
The men moved away, and I stood irresolute. The spirit 
of old ’76 was stirring within me, and that would never 
allow an Englishman to triumph over an American, even 
were there nothing in my heart that would protect a weak, 
innocent girl from the snare of a villain. 
I felt that tile first thing to be done was to ascertain the 
locality of the room where Gretchen was to betray her 
charge into unscrupulous hands. 
Fortune favored me, for coming slowly down the hall, I 
saw the slender, graceful form of Geraldine, accompanied 
by her teacher. 
The two men paused opposite her, and one of them said 
“Xo. 72.” Gretchen waved her fan, and passed on. I went 
to No. 72, and found the door unlocked. 
On going in I saw a dainty supper laid for four, with wine 
and champagne. 
Quickly hiding behind the rich, heavy window drapery, I 
was not a moment too soon, for closely following me came 
the Frenchman and the English lord. 
They cast aside their masks, and I saw that both were 
young and handsome. They had been in the room but a 
moment when Gretchen entered with the young American 
girl. 
‘‘Throw aside your mask now, Geraldine,” said the teach¬ 
er, taking off her own mask, and turning the most beautiful 
of blonde faces towards me. 
The handsome Frenchman arose, and bowing low before 
the fair Gretchen, lifted her hand to his lips, and drew her to 
a seat upon his knee. 
“ Ilemove your mask, Geraldine,” said the young English 
lord, approaching the trembling girl, who stood in the cen¬ 
tre of the room, with her hands clasped upon her heaving 
bosom. 
“Gretchen!” she cried,”" take me. home, I'm afraid of 
these men!” 
Tile Frenchman laughed as he kissed the white, bare shoul¬ 
ders of Gretchen, and the Englishman took a step forward, 
to throw an arm about tire waist of the frightened girl, who 
stood still, unable to move or cry out. 
His hand was upon Geraldine’s mask, and in a moment it 
was upon a chair near by, while the beautiful, innocent face 
of the child lay white and upturned against the breast of 
her persecutor. 
“ She lias fainted,” said Gretchen, coolly. “We will leave 
her to your tender care, my lord,” added the Frenchman ; 
and he aiid Gretchen left the room together, leaving poor 
little Geraldine in the arms of her captor, who bent his 
sensual lips to touch her own pure ones, just as I sprang 
from my place of concealment, and pressed the cold muzzle 
of a revolver to his temple, whispering: 
“ Release this child, or I will blow your brains out, on the 
instant!” 
Like the coward he was, the man let go his clasp about 
Geraldine’s waist, and she rested against my heart. 
“What will you do next?” asked the Englisman. 
“ Blow your brains out, fellow, if you are not obedient,” 
I replied. 
“ I usually go armed myself, but am unfortunately defence¬ 
less to-night, or you would not have found your game so 
easily won. It’s rather small business, anyhow, to take a 
beauty right out of a fellow's arms, after he has so far won 
her,” muttered the Englishman. 
Geraldine was slowly reviving, and in a few moments, she 
whispered: 
“Oh, kind sir, please take me home! Once within my 
mother’s protection, I will never, never wish to go away 
from her again.” 
“ Calm yourself, my poor girl,” I said. “I will take you 
safely to your mother’s arms, I pledge my honor as an 
American !” 
“ Are you the gentleman with whom I talked this even¬ 
ing?” she asked. . 
“ I am. You will trust me ?’’ 
“I will. Let us go now, please,” she replied, clinging to 
my arm. 
I took her mask from her chair beside us, and fastened it 
with my own hands. Then wc went out together, leaving 
the Englishman sitting at the table as unconcerned as 
though nothing had happened. As we passed down the ball¬ 
room, my companion whispered: 
“Take me to the American notel, upon the opposite side 
of this block, if you please.” 
I promised to do so, and sent a man for a carriage, which 
was at the entrance in a few minutes. 
The ride to her hotel was rather embarrassing for both. 
Geraldine tried to thank me for the service I had done her, 
but her voice choked with tears, and I was too apprehensive 
of another scene, to reply gracefully, although I managed 
to stammer something in reply. 
“ What shall I tell my mother?” asked Geraldine, as the 
carriage stopped before her hotel. 
The continuation of GERALDINE; A LOVE STORY, 
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