The Red Cloud chief., 1878-01-31
WHATITM MEANT.

full stream OF the crimson light where
II fell from a wide aperture i'm the west
ern wall. Outside a decaying platform
overhangrng the river, dark. rapid and
deep, IN n quiet eddy Of which n
cork danced and floated idly on the
waves.
One of these confronting faces was
stamped with horror and grief unspeak-
able; the other sneering, demoniacal,
cxulting, murderous.
"Your own last freak has sealed yorIr
doom. / tell You now that ] have al
ways hated you with all INV heart. Do
you need To ask why? Because YOU
had 1T IN your power To shower upon
me bcnefits-because Won were plan
ing To balk me Of all j have schcmed
for years TO possess, and because the
whim which induced you to make your
Will IN Alma Erruth's favor has left the
way clear for me To get both the girl /
love and the fortune / have envicd YOU,
when the slight impedimcnt Of your life
is removed from the way. She is in
love with you now, and she has no
great liking for me, but women have
been in worse humors wooed; this wo-
man shall find herself easily won"
Thus Felix Rath, pouring forth the
bitterness which had festcrcd in hisEevil
heart. revealed all his hidcous moral
deformity 10 Elmer Noble, who had
held him as his dearest friend. The
stupor of horror which had bound the
latter so far, broke.
Heaven preserve her from such a
fate Heaven will defeat YOUR villain
Gus plans; it will never be permitted
you to do this terrible crime"
'.Will it not:?" We shall soon See
how far Heaven will interfere"
Quick as a flash his arm went up, and
the heavy cane he carried descended
with a dull thud upon the others head.
gering backward through the aperture
and out upon the lettering platform.
The rotten timbers swayed, creaking
dismally and then gave way. There was
a confused scene for a moment on the
black water stirred and agitated by the
debris, from the midst of which a white
death-like face cleaned forth and then
was struck down by a falling beam.
Rath, peering down TO make sure his
victim had not escaped him, saw it all.
elf he had the strength Of Sampson,
he could not get out with all tiatweight
pinning him down, he muttered. As he
turned away. He is gone and my way
is clear
And below, the cork bobbed up and
down, and disappeared. and after an in
terval came To the surface again, as the
finny prize fought his battle with hook
and glittering bate, and made his es-
cape for the lack Of al anglers skillful
hand.
..Our poor friend is dead. Alma. To
think otherwise is only to hope against
hope. You know as well rs | how the
dread of some impending evil hung ov-
er him; you know it drove him to what
is a strange step for so young a man TO
take-the making of his will. and Set
Ting of all his worldly affairs. You
know also, what l am forced TO believe,
that in one of his d~isponding moods he
DESTROYED himself. What else could his
solemn charge to me have meant?'
You have told me what that was.
Mr.. Rath. ..lf ANYTHING happens. see
that Alma future is assured "a l have
provided for il. Felix. Tell her not To
grieve too much, and may Heaven
bless her when she makes another and
better choice. As | would wish her to do
soon" Those were his very words
..His very words" asscnted Rath.
1T WAS the misfortune Of his gloomy
nature 10 be ALWAYS assailed by doubts.
1t would be useless to follow the course
of reasoning which may have driven
him to his unhappy fate. As his execu-
tor / am bound To carry out the condl-
tions of his will, at the same time obey
his latest charge. And Alma. Alma.
listen 10 my love. hopeless while he
lived. Your grief is my grief. too, my
love; and all my life will be too short
20 show YOU the depth of my devotion.
He rose from his chair and came to-
wards her as he uttered that passionate
appeal. but with a sudden uplifted
hand, Alma waved him back. She too
arose.
For the first time. he observed the
glitter of excitement, strongly rcpressed
which was in her eyes. its glow stain
ING Der checks TO brilliant carmine. and
! hint of il breaking her low. smooth
M
This is not the first time q have
spoken of Your love. premature As You
doubtless know such a declaration To
be. Instead of blessing my choice.
should il fall upon You, do You think
Elmer would have cause To pray. if he
knew of this. Heaven preserve her from
aEuch a fatc9a'"
These words struck Rath like a gal
yanic shock. and before he could recov-
er himself % reply, she went OH pas
~sionately-
..Once and for all YOU shall have
YOUR answer. Felix Rath. You shall
learn all that your perfidy has availed
you"
She turned her face. radiant now
with a look he could not understand.
and called softly
ELMER. love-
As if her voice had power to pierce
beyond the grave, Elmer Noble stood
before them.
Was it Elmer What did this mean?
Rath drew his breath hard, ice-cold
drops started out upon his forehead a
he started in terror and doubt that re-
solved itself into certainty as the other
spoke.
..Do YOU need any further answe
Felix? Need / say that while l live, l
will relieve YOU of all further trouble
regarding either my future bride or the
disposal of my wealth.? Be assured"
/ Kath, with a cry of rage and disap-
pointment, started forward.
.'Who are you? Not Elmer Noble:
that / know. Alma. you cannot be de-