The Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1877-1885, 1881-08-13

"
kindness to me was prompted by pure
friendship. You do not blame me, do
you?" -+~ sAts
/ Leonard Carstone gazed an instant
regretfully into the sweet, though
troubled face of the speaker; then he
cahght her hand impulsively and wrung
ituntiI she could have cried with pain
$50 passionate was his earnest pres
sure
mo. Lucy, don't find any fault
with you. 1t was my own hopes that
deceived me. Now I think of it. you
have acted toward me like sister-not
like girl in love. God bless you, and
make you happy with the man you
have chosen to be your husband"
A sudden, startled look in Lucy,s
eyes caused him to relinquish her hand,
and turn to see what had caused the
change of expression.
A young man in gamekeeper's attire,
with q double-barreled gun under his
arm, opened the door, and pausing on
the threshold, now stood regarding
them with a look of mingled surprise
and anger.
els it you, Ralph?'' Leonard said.
II thought by Luey's face it was q less
welcome intruder Then he turned
to her. Goodbye, and remember
what laye just said. If you ever
want friend, just let me know and
I'll come to you through fire OF water"
Then he brushed past the newcomer,
in his disappointment and agitation
hardly giving him another glance.
Ralph Hunter made q motion as
though he would restrain him, but
seemed to take a second thought, and
stood watching him with a baleful
look in his black eyes. Then he caught
Lucy by the arm.
ANSWER me q question, and answer
truly, my girl, or you'll rue it." he
said, stcrnly. WAS that fellow max
ing love to your
Something in her lovers face made
Lucy hesitate before answering. She
knew of his vindictiye, passionate tenn
per, although to her, until now, he had
ever been rs gentle as n lamb. In
Decd il had been the main source of
his attraction to her-the idea that one
SO rough and unmanageable in other
hands Should be so docile in her own.
Her hesitation now was for Leonard
sake. She did not wish to have any
harm come to the fair-faced youth
whose only offence consisted in having
placed his affections upon one who was
already betrotned to another.
But her momcntary delay in answer
, ing was sufficient to ipfamc Ralph's
anger to an -ungovernable point. He
had seen Leonard holding her hand,
and had imagined his eager words TO
be the outpourings of passion, instead
Of n recommendation of his hopes
His face paied TO the very lips.
81 see how it ism he Kissed through
l,alf II...f i.aiN
checked lad has come with his dandi-
fed ways and won away my treasure!
I'll have my revenge upon you botan'
As he spoke lie rushed madly out of
the door. intending, it was evident to
follow Leonard and shoot him.
But Lucy was too quick for him. AL
though too frightened to speak, she
caught him by the arm and arrested
his frantic pursuit, trying to force the
words that would explain all satisfac-
torily from her lips. But they refused
TO obey her bidding. 1t was rs though
they had been paralyzed.
ssThen, if You will interfere between
me and my just anger, take the conse-
qnenccsl If you do not love me You
shall not make anyone else happy, as I
/ am living. manr'
A shot rang out through the room.
and poor innocent Lucy was its targetl
Without n moan she sank down, all the
color fading out from her pretty face,
T amt leaving it as white as the snow
that covered the wintry landscape that
held the earth in its icy mantle.
When the infuriated man saw what
he had done, he stood for en- instant
I looking down at his victim. Then he
turned the muzzle of his gun toward
his eWn heart, and without q word,
emptied the remaining barrel into it.
The sound of the first shot had
reached Leonard's ears, and while
pausing instinctively to discover from
what direction it came, he heard the
other. Could it be from the cottage
He fastened back, and this was the
terrible sight that confronted him-ex-
tended upon the floor lay the two. co
all appearance, lifeless bodies of those
whom he had but just left in the prime
of health and strength.
The cottage was a lonely one, situat-
ed at quite a distance from any other
dwelling But the young man know
that Lacy's father and brother were
usually at work in the field close by,
and before hong they came fastening
home with a mingling of surprise and
alarm upon their faces; for the double
| report had reached their ears also.
Leonard met them at the door, and
told them what had happened in few
brief words.
| Ralph's gun had done its work well
upon himself He was shot through
the heart, and death had followed al
most, instantaneeusly, But life was
not extinct in Lucy, although it was
long before she came out of the state OF
unconsciousness which was so like
death as to deceive all but the more ex-
:, perienced doctor.
: She had received but a slight flesh
wound But the vital forces were at
such low ebb that it was still ques-
/, ton as TO whether life or death would
prove the victor. aa,s@a
!, After a few days, however, the scales
gradually turned toward recovery. But
!; she cotsld not bear the sound of foot
step near her, excepting that of her
5 gentle nurse. a- - .,
AT last she grew strong enough TO
I say o few words at time, Then she
: sent q message to Leon ard.
..Tell him, she said, slowly, and
with difficulty. her voice now and then
: failing from weakness, so that the IN
$ tent ear of the listener had to supply
some of the words from her own imag-
ination-t.tell him to 20 away SO Tar
from here that will never expect TO
see hifn on this earth again. He is NOT
to blame, but every time ! think of him
n