The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1883-08-24
CHAPTER XX.-CoNTlNUEp.

eiless Foe" etc., etc.
CHAPTER XX-CoNTlNUED.
"Quest told you. but Quest did not
know the wretched story of my girlhood,
did not know the prosecutions with
which Varick followed me. until 1 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 my
husband, never thought. When saw
him before 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. l
took no interest in anything beyond that,
and it was easy for them to keep me in
ignorance of the truth. You were born,
and when / began to gain strength. they
broke it 10 me and gave me the letter
he had left"
as person telling the story of another
There was murder branded ineffaceably
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 unquestion-
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 by good works, and when the
yellow fever broke out in Havana she
was one of the first to volunteer as
nurse. All 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-
ingly back to life.
But il was new life she came back
to. All natural feeling had not died out
of 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 il was her hand which sped
the fatal ball: that secret, intrusted to
Rose Sangcrford, 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
right, yet we know little of the mental
struggle through which she passed. She
did yield. 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 10 that scene in the library.
Lex. in utter frankneSS. betrayed the
admission he mad made her.
He said that he had very nearly
committed a bank robbery once. but
was saved from it and almost frightened
TO death by having murder done right
under his eyes. 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.
Quest knew her and meant TO betray
her. He discovered the secret of
Dana's parentage, but greater than
that was the secret of her guilt and
crime
Those last few DAYS at the cottage
seemed TO her now like horrible, dis
tempered dream. Every hour she en-
pected the blow to fall, and through all
the long agony of suspense which wore
upon every nerve, one idea prevailed
which kept her from absolute madness.
1t was this: That she would fly when
the actual time came; she never could
look into the face of husband or child
again after the truth was told them.
And it killed him. she broke out
wildly there. Heaven knows. | had
feared that. / have been fatal to every
one who ever loved me: a curse to him
as was TO your father, as l am to
you"
Mamma, mamma" cried Dana,
ineXpresSibly grieved. Thank Heaven
il is not so bad as that. Thank Heaven
that death came to him before he was
told as he would have been in few
hours more. Quest had not seen him,
had not spoken with him after he part
ed from YOU. There was nothing to
disturb his love for you. his trust in
you; it is the one thing for which have
always been glad
That assurance brought more peace
than the tortured spirit had Yet known.
But you,n she said, wistfully.
Dana, how can you forgive me for
the ruin and sorrow have brought upon
you?''
Il have not blamed you, mamma"
Dana repeated, steadily. at 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 all!'' broke from the mother
in almost 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