The Cincinnati daily star. [volume] ([Cincinnati, Ohio]) 1875-1880, 1879-06-30
TWO WOMEN! !
A STORY OF ADVENTURE,
LOVE AND DARING.
ERSKINE BOYD,
AUTHOR or
TEE sTOLEN CHILD" DRIVEN FROM
HVAE," "PARISIAN DEIEG.
TIVE" &C., &C,
CRsKINE BOYD,
CHAPTER XVII.
ANOTHER STEP.

Sivcry had been gone some moments.
Margaret remained silent; Webber, silent
also, watched her curiously. Ii was as
though he were endeav0ring to read heI
very heart; and that, as he pursued this
work, his strong life and soul we're torn
within him. At last this silent agony prob
ably became too terrible: for, suddenly,
he came forward. passing his hand over
lis forehead and he said, roughly, "WellF'
She started, looked at him. and then
said, in a repellent voice, 81 beg your par
don; did not know you were in the
rOom."
81 thought so,n he replied, with bitter
ness he could not conceal. Here l am no
longer worth copper; for you want my
help no more, since | see you can carry on
The plot without it. At worst" he SAID.
something of importance has resulted
from this long interview with himi"
Nothing" she replied.
"Then we must begin again."
"No, no, mol" she replied, eagerly.
Astoundpd by this reply, he was ques-
tioning her with a searching look, when,
suddenly, she abandoned her position,
came towards him. and said, "Doyou know
that what we have been doing is villains
ousi'
How soF' he asked.
"Because be loves and suffers"
"IIa! is that Sc? lie loves you, and has
told you so."
"Yes."
"And you believe him?"
81 DO believe him."
well, where is the difficulty"
"I have no right, she rcplied,-"1 have
no right to let him suher as he is suher-
ing"
lie looked at Margaret, tixedly, and said,
in a low, hard Voice, do you really be-
fcye you have no right to cause suffering
to the man who killed Graham ForbesW
"Dnt if he did not X HIM"
"Ou! then you have DOUBTS now"
al doubt" she replied, as her head fell,
cnd her face Redeemed with shame for her
weakness. "When lie is not here before
Lle," she continued, 1T seems to me that
il9 is gully; and then the one desire Of
mv life is to revenge myself upon him.
"ut when he is near me, believe no more
III his GGiit-l doubt"
"Tlerc must be an end to all doubling.
This life must rot continue"
"No," size replied; the life we are endur-
ing is living death"
"He must" cried Weber, "give us, once
and for all, an utter proof of his innocence,
and then my task will be ended But he
canuot do that / am certain that lie will
yet betray himself"
at is not enough to say" returned Mar
caret, that he must betray himself
What means have we of making him &C
| tl!sY"
81 bring a means he replied, drawing
from his pocket long, narrow, fat OBJ
jet, wrapped in paper.
And as she stared at HIM in astonish
ment. he asked roughly, and without any
Of that preparation which would only
| have been commonly meTciful in such
case, DO you know with what kind o
weapon the assassin took the life OF Gra
ham ForbesS"
"A knlfe-or dagger"
"a knife, and one YOU may have seen
for it belonged to Graham. If you did no
findit amongst his property, it was sim
ply because it was in possession Of III
police"
And what of this kpifeY" shs asked, be
coming pale, and casting her eyes upo
the something Webber still held in hi
hand.
1.-The magistrate that you saw gave a
order for the weapon in question to b
handed over to me; here it is"
"She drew back, and asked, "Wha
would you do with itf"
Put it into his very hands, and the
perhaps. he will betray himself. ! thin
YOU will do well not to be present when
try the experiment"
"On the contrary, should not do we
were absent. 1t is my duty to be nes
when you make this trial"
81 am going to make the trial this yer
evening"
"This eyening-so be it. But," contit
ued Margaret, chow will you be able
explain your having possession OF til
weapon7 To show it is to betray us
well as him."
"No, it is not so. What matters it tht
ho does know who we are, if once he h;
betrayed himselfF Have you not said IL
life we are leading must come to an en'
Has il not been agreed t bat this trial sha
be the last, and that if he comes out of
triumphantly, he is to be watched
longerf Do you wish not to lose sight
hint Do you seek to make hun yo'
friend"
"No, assuredly," she replied.
"On the contrary, if this trial convinc
YOU of his guilt, why should you ca
whether he learns who you are or rotE
for swear to you he lis then as good
dead" =.
The expression with which the poll
detective uttered those few last wor
could not be described. At one aud ii
same time bis voice betrayed hate, sgon
and anger. -,
Margaret was terrified. and now, for Il
first time, she thought of looking at We
Der, the police detective.
Wat did she learnt Whatever it m'
have been, she made no reference to al
discovery. She said. simply, "You "
,Au for me in the evening. Good NOR
ing" ..,fo,nds