Phillipsburg herald. [volume] (Phillipsburg, Kan.) 1882-1905, 1889-07-12


aWait-waitI" she painted hoarsely. Z
cannot speak now. Some other time.
He seemed impressed and vaguely trou-
bled by her manner.
IF It is anything that distresses you,
darling, try to forget it for the present,
he said, earnestly. The JOY of this first
day in our beautiful home should not be
marTed by single cloud.
That was hours ago, and now, as the
| afternoon waned, Dulcie found herself
alone for the first time She had time to
indulge In coherent thought
Presently, IS she sat mOtiOnless at the
open window, her daZed eyes looking
straight out, the room door opened and
/ shut, soft, gliding step crossed the floor.
Absorbed in bitter reverie, Dulcie heard
and saw nothing, until q low, hGarse voice,
the very sound Of which struck an awful
chill of terror to her heart, uttered two
words:
at Iast!"
Dulcie turned slowly Was it a ghost
she saw advancing slender, girIish
| figure, ali in white, with the pale, rigid
! face, passion-set teeth, and burning
/ eyes
4Toinette!"
Then the power of speech failed her
for moment. She sat staring at the in-
trudeF, paralyzed with horror, a cold
sweat breaking all over her. Not until
the supposed vision came nearer and
/ caught her wrist in a clasp of iron did
she rally from that terrible spell.
Viper! I've run you to earth!" came
the Kissing whisper, close to her ear.
Then she knew this was no spirit
evoked by a guilty conscience. The walls
swan round, her heart beat heavy and
thick with fear.
"Toinettei It is Toinette!" she cried.
Come back from the dead! The river
has given up its prey"
The intruder stood over her-a strange,
fearful look on her beautiful face.
"DOn't be a fooll" she breathed. 1T
/ was with no thought of suicide that I
/ leaped into the water; but 1 was careless
for once. That reckless plunge nearly
! cost me my life. But why tell you This?
/ The reckoning day has come. I'm here
to unmask, expose you'll"
The repressed vehemence Of her tone
was more expressive than the words them
| selves.
You've wronged me cruelty, Du1cie
/ Dane; stolen my promised husband away,
| she went on. Now I mean to get even
! with you for the shabby trick you played
/ on me. You stung my fondling hand,
/ like the viper you arel Was it for this I
! dragged you out of the slums-Opened to
you the doors of a luxurious home? I'm
tempted to kill you. I'd do it in minute.
4 but fate bitterer than death awaits you.
/ DUlcie started up quickly, as that cruel
/ hold upon her wrist relaxed.
/ Forgive mel" she painted. Forgive
me, Toinette. I-I-thOught you were
| dead"
/ You did? Intended you should. Even
/ if had persisted when I threw myself
into the river that did not leave you free
/ to wed my lover.
Forgive me" the poor girl pleaded
/ again. You don't know how sOrely I was
/ tempted. I love Philip, too. I loved him
/ long before you and ever met.
TOinette started.
you loved him! How is that possible?
! Had you known him befOre?"
Il saw him once in the city streets long
/ ago, Dulcie answered in a low tone,
/ dropping her eyes. HE passed by on the
other side without once glancing at me.
But since then he has been the hero Of
my girlish dreams"
AND I sent you straight to his armsi"
said TOinette, a world of bitter feelings
rising in her heart. Il could curse my
| self for snch fOIIy!"
It was fate! All, you don't know how
1 felt when looked into his face again
/ the face I had never forgotten and could
| with me whether my dreams ever became
a reality or not. Never was poor, weak
/ girl so terribly tempted.
! You yielded, it seems, said Toinette,
fercely. You kept your secret, and, as
! though you had not usUrped my rights
! SuIuC1onGly aIf6ady, p2lm6u yOufS9lI Oh
for me, and entrapped Philip into a wicked
! marriage!"
Don't think I gave in without a strug-
gle"
A fierce, hooking laugh rang through
the room, and ended in a hysterical sob.
Don't tell me! hate youi You have
ruined my life, and I'll have revenge.
! What will Philip say when he knows
that the wife of his bosom is an adven-
/ turess, an impOstor, a vile creature from
the city s1ums? And he will know it be-
| fore another hour"
Dulcie was leaning weakly against the
wall, but at these words she started for
| ward.
Don't tell him" she hoarsely pleaded.
Spare me, Toinette, for PHYS sake! Oh,
be merciful! take everything else, but
! leave me my husbands Lowell"
Even as she uttered this frenzied prayer,
! Duicie realized how impossible it was that
it could be granted. The person she per
sOnated had come back alive, and her
secret could not be kept.
She saw TOinette clench her hands, 6
fercer light glancing in her great burning
eyes. Then all at once, mans ringing
tread approached the door.
Her husbands!
[TO BE Continued