The Magnolia gazette., 1883-11-01

The RUN and sorrow nave Drought upon
your"
II have not blamed you. mamma"
Dana repeated, steadily. 1T was not
your fault that Launt left me--that he
failed me when trial came"
You do not know all-oh, You do
not know ALT" broke from the mother
in almost a wall When YOU do, you
may turn from me and despise me, too.
How can You believe that such fatality
would follow me without volition on my
part? Not even that secret Of guilt and
shame would have taken him from you
if it had not been for the fact that You
were my daughter, that Twas the woman
for whom his father met suicide
death"
Then, for the first time, Dana heard
the story of that other Launt Earring
ton; learned what cause his son had for
leaving her; and strange to say, the
first real comfort She bad known came
to her then. Launt's love for her had
not failed. They were lost TO each other
irretrievably, but she knew now that he
had not given her up through weak
pride and selhshness, that his suffering
was no less than her own.
Mrs Oliphant was worn ont with talk
ing SO long. She fell into an uneasy
doe at last, and Dana marked in that
sleep. as she had not marked before,
how ghastly and drawn and aged the
once siren-fair face had become. She
had sinned and she had suffered, and if
much suffering ever atones for sin, sure
II there was hope for her.
There was tap AZ the door, and Dana
opened it to admit Gordon Marquis to
the outer room. He had come to ask
after Mrs. 0liphant. 10 see what she
needed. TO urge that Dana should not
conline herself too closely by the sick
bed. Mrs. Mooney would relieve her.
He would have provided a nurse before
this but for the invalid shrinking hor-
ror Of discovery.
~ shall not leave her" Dana de-
clared. She viii need no nurse but
me. What does the doctor say? Does
he give no hope9'
VERY little, II she gained strength
she might rally for time; but she does
not gain strength. There may be some
incentive now that she has YOU with
her; before this. she has hardly wished
70 grow better
They talked in low tones during his
stay. He was going without looking in
upon the invalid. who still slept, when
a light step sounded in the corridor, a
soft knock fell upon the door.
'.The doctor, said Gordon. "He is
early to-day"
But il was not the physician to whom
he opened. Harmon Quest stood there,
bland and smiling. stolid-looking in
diyidual in police officers uniform at
his back
"Your servant. Mr.. Marquis, I" salut-
ed Mr.. Quest. Miss France, l am
nearly as glad to see you as l was three
months ago when run you TO earth |
was convinced then if | lay low long
enough 1 d get wind Of Mrs. Oliphant,
/ and the event proves was right She's
il there, suppose? Pacton, do your
duty
4 Dana threw herself before the closed
inner door.
"What Is itg' She asked. "Why
have you come here? What do YOU
want with my mother?'
"Simply TO serve a warrant for a
/ small matter Of murder, since | don't
find it excuses the real perpetrator,
though an innocent person was hanged
I in her place
"But she is very i'll; any excitement
may prove fatal
"All the better, then, / should say,
/ for her. Pacton,'
Thus admonished, Pacton stepped for
4 ward and demanded admittance. See
ing the uselessness Of resistance, Dana
I stepped aside They entered the inner
room. II was partially darkened. but
( through the semi-darkness they could
see the white face and wide, startled
I eyes looking up at them from the pill
lows.
Sorry said Pactor, "to disturb a
sick lady, but duty's duty, and il can't
be got over. Iarrest you, Rose Mignon
4 Oliphant. for the murder Of John
Varick aims Tendyke, on the 18th dav
Of January, 1856. You are my
I prisoner. madame
He laid his hand lightly upon her
arm. What was it made him start,
stoop over, and then fecoil, with an ex-
clamation Of horror.
A thin stream Of blood trickled from
the corner Of her mouth. but her heart
had already ceased to beat. Death had
been before him with a more effective
summons.