The Panola weekly star. (Sardis, Miss.) 1882-18??, 1883-11-10
HER LIES SECRET.
ny JENNIE DAVfq DUIlTON,
.tut,9r ~ "gifangeiv Wsd,'' "Th fhornhrrr
Avsisry,' " The Adlisst AafriHge kr,r
Has," fsfn's Secret" "a Aier-
II. a. a. a. a.

ny JENNIE DAVIS BURTON.
iufAor ~ "stfaneeiv We'd" IN fhornhnFs
Mystery The Hdiiesi Raffiage fnr
Was." " tsca's Sedef,"" ~ Asr
sns.a rAlA'. q"
CHATTER xx.-coNrtxurp.
"Qucst told you. but Quest I'D not
know the wrcichcd story III my Rirlhood,
did not know the prosecutions with
which Varick followed me. until | was
driven 10 that horrible deed. | went
out with the set purpose " killing him,
or myself, or both ~ ~, that night. I.
seemed To me that | was Justified In do.
Ing NJ sooner on later | knew that blood
would be shed. II WIS either 10 kill
him then, or 10 have him and Rodney
meet, and n slay tho other. on the
consequences. further than b. 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 J came back 10 myself ut last my
father was with me. lie gave mo Ia
understand that Rodney Ind left me. |
took no Interest IN anything beyond that.
and II was easy for them to keep me In
ignorance Of the truth. You were born,
and when ] began to gain strength, they
brokc y ~ me and gave mo the letter
he had lett
OF her horror and agony she spoke,
~ a person telling the story Of another.
There WIS murder branded incfaconbly
upon her soul, but II was the murder Of
The husband who had given himself up,
u willing sacrifice, for her sake. rather
than OF The man whose blood she had
spilled. She had accepted unquestion-
ably the n pcnanco he had asked Of
her when she gave up her child. She
had laid out for herself u life Of atone
mcnt by good works, aud when tho
yellow fever broke out In Havana she
was one Of tho first TO volunteer rs n
nurse. All she hoped for was 10 lose
the power Of suffering In an early death,
but Death passed her by, 81 near, In.
deed. that she felt his cold breath. but
she was spared and struggled unwill-
ingly back TO life.
But u was n new life she came back
TO. All natural feeling had not died out
~ her heart. Love came back 10 II.
iirst for her child, then for the man who
thought he know the darker part of her
history. yet who knew nothing Of the
Tact that II was her hand which sped
the fatal ball; that secret, intrusted Ia
Rose SangcrfOrd. had EVER been held
inyiolatn by hcr; Of that. and Of much
IN her earlier life. he suspected nothing.
She knew she was doing wrong In
listening to him nj all; she tried TO do
right, yet we know little Of the mental
struggle through which she passed. sho
did yield, and tho great, oycrmnstcring
passion Of her life grow up for tho hus.
band whose loved and loving wife she
had been for 40 many quiet years.
Quiet, but hardly happy. Love could
sat stu the throer Of conscience entire.
y q q exposure che scarcely had.
ocle,lhg not sscrct locked mp In her
own breast. She .nly learned better
when she questioned IL, regarding her
knowledge Of MIR. Quest, siay or two
subsequent 10 that scene In the ia,rary
Lex. IN utter frankncss, BETRAYED ~.
admission he had made her.
'He said that he had very nearly
committed q bank robbery once. bui
was saved from Il and almost frightened
10 death BY having a murder done rirht
under his eyes. That he had got away.
but expected TO convict the murderer
yet, or words 10 that cffcct.n
From that hour Mrs. Oliphant know
thS doom which hung over her hond
quest know her and meant TO bc,rny
hef. lie discovered the srenct al
Dana's pareniagr, but greater than
That was tho secret Of her guilt and
crime. ~
Those last few days at the cottage
SEEMED TO her now Ike q horrible. dIs.
tempered drcam. Every hour she OK.
peeled the blow 10 fall, aud through All
,he long agony Of suspense which worn
upon every nerve. one idea prevailed
which kept her from absolute madness
u was this. That sha would ay when
me actual Time came, she never could
iook Into the face Of husband or child
again after The truth was told them.
And Il Killed him. she broke out
wildly there. Heaven knows. 4 had
fearcd that | have been fatal 10 every
one who ever loved mo; n curse 10 him
you" "
"Mamms mamma. cried nan.
inesprcsaibl, grieycd Thank Heaven
nh not 20 bad A. that. Thank Heaven
mat death eaine TO him before he was
ioih a. ho would have been In a few
hours more. Quest had not seen him.
had not spoken with him after he par,.
81 ffvm You. There was nothing IN
disturb his love for You. his tmsi In
you Il Is the one thing for which / have
always been glad"
That assurance brought morn pcarc
tina the tortured spirit had vet known.
nut you,' sho said, wisinllv.
Dana. how can you forgive me for
youP'
have not blamed you. mamma"
Dana repeated. steadily. at was NO,
your fanlt that I.aunt left me-that he
failed me when trial came
'fou do not know aii-oh. Won do
not know ALI" broke from The m,,h.r
- "4M
In almost a wall. "when ,ou de-. NON
may turn from me and despise me, loo
How can you believe that such fatality
would follow me without v%olitlon on INV
part Not even that secret Of guilt and
shame would have taken him from You
u had not been for the fact thai ,ou
were mgdaughter. that | was thu woman
Tor whom his father met a mieide.s
dcafh.a ~
Then. for NE flrss time. Dana hearl
? story II that other Launt PAIRING
ION, learned what cause his son had for
leaving her, and strange 10 say. The
Mt rel comfort he hal known earn.
n then. Lsuns's Iowa for her had
9 l.lled xhey were lost 10 each other
~<l<sr1zye11y Ut she knew now ma, hs
I k,siS.L1ex up through wssl
r1no - thsa hrr tarl hi' suffering
..s6 Into an uhslk-
>l[ksd 10 that