Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1883-08-17

ana 1ound a grave marked Rose, wife
! of Power Oliph3nt, and after that the
|. rest was easy. ] discovererftbst he had
been in Kingston before leaving the
West Indies. / went there and had nv
reward in unearthing an old register in
which second marriage was recorded
between Power Oliphant and Rose
Mignon France.
'All this does not concern you so
nearly as the rest which l have to tell"
that . rest being the story of her own
| identity, which thersaderalreadt knows.
There was nothing in the whole history
which Harmon Quest had not ferreted
| out. enough-Heaven knows,-to crush
the girl who listened with stlled breath
and dumb sense Of anguish that for
the time ,overcame keener pain. She
I cDUld not realize yet the maghitude Of
the disaster which had befalien4fer. 1t
was all over at last. She was free to 90
with the last words of the lawyer ring
ibS in her ears: .t,-.'V
i" As speedily as pcssibIS I shah take
the steps necessary to put you in poses
sion of your fathers legacy. 1t will be
step down in the world from your late
position As Power0liphant's he:ress, but
in the event of there being no win, as
I'm inclined to think is the case, IT'S a
provision which you can't afford to de-
spisc. .'-'-' '-A-@
.'Oh, one thing mere. Imay rs well
tell you that Your fame. Mr.. Earring
ton, has dropped to the racket, and
knows atabout this, barring the mere
fact of your mother being guilty of that
f! Inur,lcr, and from such symptoms ne
I've noticed, am inclined TO think he
will 60 back on his bargain. | may be
mistaken, but if he does desert you, its
rs wen 20 be prepared. ~ -- 'A
That was his parting blow.
Dana left him, and on the way to her
room met Madame Harrington.
II have been looking for you, = said
the httW- My dear, have sent for
1aunt. OF c6urSa. no matter how press
ing the reasons, we4Niil not leave YOU
now. -.MRyTL 'yQ in with you. Dana?
They VIII be coming 10 yOu for instruc-
lions gnlcSs unless Mrs. Oliphaht soon
returns 30 ~
The StrangcncSS Of Mrs. ELEPHANTS
absence was exciting comment through
out the house, but Dana was not called
upon. Mr.. Quest appeared and took
the rCsns of government He consulted
with AhcNia, and issued alt necessary
ORDERS Lex went alUut with swul en-
eyes. aud she'd floods ~, Tears, but her
native good sense asserted Itself; she
was anXioust1 be of Use and TO spare
Dana needless pain. The long hours
of thai hong day wore On.-and Dana was
shut up'in her own room alone. She
had refused all compSnionShip. had
shut out Madame FarFngton and Lex,
had only opcned the doorOnce. and that
was wien 4 maid hal raped and
spoken.
lit 5 q letter, please; Miss Dana. and
Miss BraNton-says YOU better open it.
She SAYS its from Mr. harrington. please,
Miss Dana
Ut WIS addressed to Nr. Oliphant, and
was very brief. Some shadow of pity
hal stolen into Launt's heart before he
sat down TO write. and il stated simply
that circumstances which had recently
come to his knowledge made it. impoS-
sible for him TO keep hiS engagement OF
marriage with Dana.
Heaven Knows he wrote. "this is
harder for me than it can be for her, il
she thinks-as she must-that [ am in
ilucnccd hy weak or unworthy motives.
Even to You. Mr. Oliphant. | shall not
attempt To explain. Your wife may, il
she will. Let her tell YOU why the
daughter of MiSnon Almont may not
marry. Of all men upon carth--mer'
An hour after that letter had been
dropped into the mail. his grandmother
telegram had reached Launt.
"Mr. Oliphant is dead--his wife is
missing. Come Mt once"
8 'He'obeyed. !, Before such dread It'd
ings rs this even his resentment fell
away. The cottage was. very Still when
he reached it. In one shadowy cham
Der nj! that was mortal of Power Oil
plant lay, with peaceful smile on the
marble lips. The servants, in decorous
black, went softly in and out, and still
the mysterious absence of the one who.
above'an others, should have been there,
4 was unaccOunted fC- I.aunt listened,
almost without speaking, while his
grandmother told what there was to
tell. , ers
Il must see, Dana" he said, then.
''Scnd her To me. to the library. How
docs She bear it?''
No one knows" Madame Earring.
toI responded, in an aggricved tone.
"No one has seen her since she shut
herself up hours ago, but perhaps she
will see you" -.. -
She did. She came gliding in sooner
th2n,he had expected, with somber gar
ments trailing about her. her wan white
face and desolate eyes appealing TO him
in this great trouble. rs they never had
in her happiest hours. For one mo-
inent he forgot everything except his
love for her. /. L. -...o. -
My darling! My own, Ny poor,
love-" broke over his lips.
h She recCncd as if he had Struck Der
blow.
-"DoA't!2 she said. 81 can't bear II
now. Lcok here; have your letter TO
papa saying that all is over between us.
lwaht YOU to tell me Just what IL means
just what led you, Launt, to give me
up?' . r =
She waited for him to speak, but no
answer fcAmct
Z rShall j fcll YOU. then. that I know
the reason, that I have heard INV own
history for the first time to-day? II is
enough, perhaps, To turn most men, hut
| ctdlf not beiieTc LaIGt Without this
Letter |, could not bsiieva even that
won tturn you. lift were psit now. if
! Ecte-hyUuf phee and! yen we're in
mine. what 10 you think l would say?''
a groan. which he could not reprcss.
w5sCYNng from Lauht's tortured soul.
lio~ mean-how mean and deSpicabls
he mnst appear in her sight.
- would say, y she want on. "sIu
trouble, in SORROW. even in dark dis
grace, YOU are ,dearer tn me than all the
rest of the world would have be-
loved yOu would say 10 te NE but for
your own written words. / hardly he
lieyed them until L saw you; now am
convinced"
Heaven knows, DANA he was
beginning, but she silenced him with q
look -f-.-tl'ft
Il would have said that had our eases
becd reversed. but l have comerto tell
you. If you had not already dccreetl that