The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1886-08-05

she was and halted.
$50 YOU are going away?" Beatrice heard
young Thornes friend ask:
"Yes, within an hour. You must try and
pass the time till / return. You will find
Miss Langley most charming companion
for walk or drive, Forbes"
Wilfreds companion shrugged his Shout
ders.
IL have no especial liking for dark
women, Wilfred. Besides, l half suspect
you have n claim on her affections"
"I?"
The listening weman's heart stood still
at the utter amaZemant betrayed in Wilfred
Thorne's tone.
"Yes, mon ami. You have certainly
been very attentive to the lady, and if |
mistake not she is very much in love with
you"
Wilfred's face was maze of genuine
concern.
"You must be mistaken. A" he said. "Hon-
estly, Forbes, although l have often felt
that her witchery was temporarily leading
me from my sworn allegiance, l never re-
garded her more warmly than a very pleas
ing companion"
Beatrice grew cold and sick at heart.
Your sworn allegiance?" repeated
Forbes.
Exactly"
"To whom"
"To my affianced bride, Ethel Lansing.
| supposed you knew"
His affianced bride! Oh, heaven! this
blow will kill me-"
The two men had passed on. With a
low moan of anguish Beatrice Langley
sank 10 the dewy grass, pale ana lifeless.
In the one long hour of agony that fol-
lowed, the siren feared naught of the retrib-
utive justice of fate.
She only knew that a fierce, passionate
love for Wilfred Thoine, wild, bitter
hatred for the woman who stood between
herself and her happiness, filled her heart.
First had come despair, then resentment,
and, finally, the jealous, vengeful resolution
of an evil, dauntless nature.
"He shall not wed this girl; he shall be
mine; | swear it," she Missed, determined
ly; and every resource of intrigue and
scheming she possessed came to her aid as
she finally arose and returned to the house.
Wilfred Thorne was gone, and the willy
siren at once set about learning all she
could concerning him, and the woman he
loved Ethel Lansing.
She drew the story from Mrs. Thorne's
lips. Ethel was the daughter of an old
family friend, and had been engaged to
Wilfred for nearly two years.
Her father had died abroad, and she was
returning to America, and would be at the
villa the ensuing evening.
They had received a telegram that day.
TO the effect that Miss Lansing had arrived
in New York, and would be at Sea Beach,
near the villa, on a coast steamer, the en-
suing evening.
Wilfred had gone to the city. forty miles
down the coast, to inform Ethel's aunt of
her expected arrival, and to have her come
to the villa the next day.
He would probably return in the morn
ing, Beatrice was told.
But morning came and the afternoon
dawned, and there was no tidings of young
Thorne.
The wretched Beatrice, tormented with
jealousy and despair, haunted the beach all
that day.
She learned that the steamer Hatteras
would arrive about dark She wandered
for the first time down the coast to Sea
Beach lighthouse. She learned of its
shifting light, heard of the storm that was
gathering on the waters, and then
That evening. just at dusk, inclosed in a
waterproof, raining as 1t was, Beatrice
Langley sole from the villa.
The thought of Ethel Lansing at the
villa, the bride of the man she loved, was
uncomfortable.
A wicked, awful plan had come to the
sirens mind.
The wind was hurricane, the waves
were mountains high as she passed group
of fishermen on the beach.
1T will be a wild night on the waters"
one of them was saying. THE 'coasting
steamer will need to watch the lighthouse
beacon to make a safe landing tonight"
Even as he spoke the brilliant glare of
the revolving light in the lighthouse flashed
out over the stormy ocean.
Beatrice Langley fastened down the
beach like phantom of the night.
Ten minutes later she reached the steps
of the lighthouse tower. She clambered
over their slippery surface, crept up the
long winding staircase, and crouched
breathless and trembling behind half
open door that led into the light room of
the turret.
Within the apartment was the lighthouse
keeper, whom she had never seen before.
His back was to her, for he stood ut an
open window, breasting the rain and tenn
pest. and peering searchingly out at the
seething sea of waters.
"The steamer is in sight, she heard him
say. "The Hatteras will have to anchor at
the beach to- night
The steamer, the Hatteras, with that
woman, my rival, on board Kissed the
siren darkly. ut shall never reach shore.
She shall not come between my love and
me-"
She shank back as the lighthouse keeper
closed the window. She heard him NUT
ter something about securing boat below,
and he descended the stairs without observ-
ing her.
A bottle, half filled with liquor, and a
glass stood on the table. The scheming
siren darted into the room as soon as it was
vacated.
She had brought phial of some deadly
drug from the sick-room at the villa, and
this she uncorked, and poured its con-
tents into the bottle on the table.
Then she resumed her place of espion-
age. and awaited developments.
They came swiftly, tragically.
The keeper returned. She watched him
as he poured out drink from the bottle.
For the first time, as he drained it, she
caught sight of his face.
"Merciful heavens! The dead alive! My
husband, Ernest Waldron"
After two years she saw him again, older,
paler, wreck, yet it was he; she knewthat
of n certainty.
For a moment the discovery seemed to
battle her every plan. Then, as she OBJ
served his step grow unsteady the delirium