Iron County register., 1883-09-06
HER LIFE'S SECRET.
By JENNIE DAVIS BURTON,
Author of ".Strungety We'd The 1hOrnhurst
Agsterg,' The Xddicst Marriage Err
Wos," " Cecits Secret - Aer-
Ciless Foe ETC., etc.
BY :TENNTE T
CHAPTER XX.-CoSrINr-rD.

CAeSS roe, etc., etc.
CHAPTER XX.-CoSTINrED.
"G;uest told You. but Quest did not
know the wretched story of my girhood.
did not know the prosecutions with
which Farick followed me. until l was
driven to that horrible deed. | went
out with the set purpose OF killing him,
or myself, or both of us, that night. 1t
seemed To me that | was justified in do
ing it; sooner or later / knew that blood
would be shed. 1t was either to kill
him then, or to have him and Rodney
meet, and one slay the other. Of the
consequences. further than to save nv
husband, never thought. When saw
him Eefore me, knew that he had wit
messed that deed, ] tainted, and after
that knew nothing for long weeks.
When | came back to myself at last my
father was with me. He gave me to
understand that Rodney had left me. |
took no interest in anything beyond that,
and it was easy for them to keep me in
ignorance of the truth. Youwere born,
and when began to gain strength, they
broke it to me and gave me the letter
he had left"
OF her horror and agony she spoke,
rs 4 person telling the story of another.
There was murder branded intellectually
upon her soul. but it was the murder of
The. husband who had given himself up,
a willing sacrifice, for her sake, rather
than of the man whose blood she had
spilled. She had accepted Enquestion-
ably the one penance he had asked of
her when she gave up her child. She
had laid out for herself life of atone
ment ky good works, and when the
yellow fever broke out in Havana she
was one of the first to volunteer rs
nurse. Ali she hoped for was to lose
the power Of suffering in an early death,
but Death passed her by, so near, in
deed. that she felt his cold breath, but
she was spared and Struggled unwill-
singly back to life
j But il was 8 new life she came back
to- All natural feeling had not died out
OE her heart. Lcve came back to it.
first for her child. then for the man who
thought he knew the darker part of her
history, yet who knew nothing of the
fact that it was her hand which sped
the fatal ball; that secret, intrusted to
Rose Sangerford, had ever been held
inviolate by her; of that, and Of much
in her earlier life. he suspected nothing.
She knew she was doing wrong in
listening to him at all; she tried to do
rirht. vet we know little of the mental
struggle through which she passed. She
did Weld and the great, overmastering
passion of her life grew up for the huS-
band whose loved and loving wife she
had been for so many quiet years.
Quiet. but hardly happy. Love could
not still the thrOeS of conscience entire
ly. Fear of exposure she scarcely had,
believing her secret locked up in her
own breast She only learned better
when she questioned Lex regarding her
knowledge of Mr.. Quest. a day or two
subsequent to that scene in the library.
Lex, i'm utter frankness. betrayed the
admission ne had made her.
..He said. that he had very nearly
committed q bank robbery once, but
was saved from it and almost frightened
to death by having murder done right
under his ewes. That he had got away,
but expected to convict the murderer
vet. or words to that effect.
From that hour Mrs. Oliphant knew
the, doom which hung over her head.
Ouest knew her and meant to betrav
ber He discovered the secret of
Dana's parentage, but greater than
that was the secret of her guilt and
Those last few days at the cottage
seemed to her now like 4 horrible. dis
tempehd dream. Every hour she ex-
nected The blow to fall, and through all
The long agony of suspense which wore
unop every nerve, one idea prevailed
which kept her from absolute madness. |
II was this:- That she would fly when |
NJ actual time came; she never could !
iook into the face of husband or child !
arain after the truth told them.
:. And It killed him." she broke out |
,riIdlv there. Heaven knows, L had |
f,.red that. have been fatal to every |
one who ever loved me; curse to HIM |
as was to Your fatheE, as L am to |
@ ). Mamma mammal cried Dana.
ineypressibly grieved. Thank Heaven
- :. not so bad as that. Thank Heaven |
,h.t death came to him before he was !
tnl,i as ne would have been in few
nnnrs more. Quest had not seen him, I
had not spoken with him after he part
nd from YOU. There was nothing to |
.,;stnrb his love for you. his trust IN |
,-o,,. II is the one thing for which L have |
Always been. glad
That assurance brought more peace |