Six thousand
of that eight were still left, and it was concern for this six thousand
which had brought Dolores to the Manor this night when Jean Jacques
snored so loudly. The events of the day at "The Red Eagle" had brought
things to a crisis in the affairs of Carmen's father. It was a foolish
business that at the tavern--so, at any rate, he thought, when it was all
over, and he was awake to the fact that he must fly or go to jail. From
the time he had, with a bottle of gin, laid Valescure low, Spain was the
word which went ringing through his head, and the way to Spain was by the
Six Thousand Dollar Route, the New World terminal of which was the
cupboard in the wall at the Manor Cartier.
Little cared Sebastian Dolores that the theft of the money would mean the
end of all things for Jean Jacques Barbille-for his own daughter's
husband. He was thinking of himself, as he had always done.
He worked for two whole hours before he succeeded in quietly forcing open
the iron door in the wall; but it was done at last. Curiously enough,
Jean Jacques' snoring stopped on the instant that Sebastian Dolores'
fingers clutched the money; but it began cheerfully again when the door
in the wall closed once more.
Five minutes after Dolores had thrust the six thousand dollars into his
pocket, his horse was galloping away over the hills towards the River St.
Pages:
248
249
250
251
252
253
254
255
256
257
258
259
260
261
262
263
264
265
266
267
268
269
270
271
272