Phillipsburg herald. [volume] (Phillipsburg, Kan.) 1882-1905, 1889-11-29

quest, and led the way to the room at once.
Arthur closed the door and mOtiOned to
her to take a seat on the sofa. She did so.
and he sat down by her side little puz-
zIed how best to begin MS task. the Eight
fell full on her face. he could SEQ every
change IN It's expression which was exact
IL what he desired.
Miss Lois Arthur began. Il have not
told you, 1 think, that the best friend I have
on earth is Cyril HartWelL
Every particle Of color fOrsoOk her face a
nervous trembling seized her, and she put
out her hand implOrlngIy toward him.
DO not speak OF him.. she said In low
! shaken voice. II cannot-besE it; and
! and it iE. useless. What I said three years
/ ago must say now.
But 1 have something to tell yOu-SOme-
/ thing you must hear said Arthur.
1T can make no difference tn-in any
thing, she said, still in the same low, hesl-
/ ta5ing voice.
4 must insist. however. that you listen
/ to what have to tell you Miss DEay6on.
/ I assure you that you will not regret having
/ done so. did not know until just before
came down here what it was that had so
! saddened Cyril HartWeHs life. / have
known him only a little more than two
! years, and he is not one to carry mis- heart
| on his sleeve. But he told me the story OF
/ his acquaintance with you the night before
/ left town; but he could not tell me why 1t
/ was that you refused to marry him the
very day before the one set for the we'd
ding"
Il have never told any one that. never
/ shall. It is useless to ask me to do so.
/ would die sooner.
! @WiI YOU not let me tell him?" asked
/ Arthur. will you not let me explain to
! him that it was through the Vaccinations
/ Of an artful woman that he was robbed OF
| his bride, and that you were cruelty
! cheated? Miss Lois. did you not know
/ enough Of the character OF Rose Ellis to
/ make you doubt
Lois started up. her eyes glittering. a
! deathly pallOr on her lovely face.
Rose! Was it Rose?" she cried. q
| never knew that never even suspected it.
| Mr.. Hazard. how did you discover this?
For heavens sake. tell me! Do not keep
me in suspensel"
She sank back. trembling. on the sofa,
her delicate hands clasped in piteOus ap-
/ peal.
For a moment Arthur was silent. He
/ scarcely knew how to proceed.
| Did you never suspect, then, that your
/ cousin Henry was attached to this girl, and
| that it was through his influence that you
were made so wretched?" he asked at
length.
| slowly. Why, Henry"
She paused, blushtng painfully.
Henry has repeatedly assured you of his
attachment to yourself, you would say"
| suggested Arthur.
Yes. He has long desired to marry ne.
| even before my engagement tO-to-Maior
| HartWelL
/ And yet, three years ago, he promised to
! marry Rose Ellis. She has returned home
! now, determined to make him fulfill that
! promise. He has put her of from time to
! time with the excuse that he was poor and
| has told her that at your death he would
! inherit your money, and could then marry
her. He tells her that you cannot live long,
but thai if he married her now you would
not leave him penny, and that she must
! therefore have patience,
Lois pale cheeks had flushed. There
was an angry sparkle in the soft, dark eyes
| raised to Arthur's face.
How. have you learned all this Mr..
HRzard2" she asked.
viii you not tell me first how Rose
| Ellis managed to deceive your"
IF I only dared!" murmured the poor
girl, signing. Il have kept silent so long
For your own sake-for Cyrn'sl"
She did not speak for a moment Her
face was hidden in her hands, and a nerY-
/ Gus tremor shook her from head to foot.
1T must have been from some powerful
motive that you have kept silent 50 long
said Arthur, looking at her pityingly.
1t was for his sake. for his alone" she
burst out, almost wildly. Il did not
think Of myself at all But Oh, / could
not have his blood upon my hands, Mr.
| Hazard. you will think me foolish, even
worse than that. I fear; but was always a
| coward and easily frightened. The evening
| before was to be married, 1 went with old
/ Mrs. Kinds to see a sick child, to whom I
| was much attached. 1t was dusk before
started for home, and took a path through
the wood, which was shorter than going
| around by the road. All at once q heavy
| cloak was thrown over my head, and was
forced to my knees. Then the cloak was
torn aside, and looking up saw q woman
standing over me. Her face was concealed
| by a hideOus black mask, and I did not
recognize her voice. She told me that she
| loved Cyril and had sworn to XIII him
sooner than see any other woman than her
! self become his wife. She said that If /
dared marry him she would shoot him
/ through the heart within an hour after the
ceremony. She sWOre this, calling on
! heaven to witness her VOW, and so solemn
was her manner that did not doubt for an
instant That she would carry out her threat
| If fulfilled my engagement to Cyril / had
/ heard frequently of just such desperate
| deeds committed by jealous and re-
/
/ promised her that 1 would give Cyril up,
and would refuse any explanation OF the
| act She told me that if 1 married him his
! blood would be upon my head. This was
my reason for breaking my engagement.
! andI dared not see Cyril for fear he would
wiring my secret from me, and then per
| suade me there was no danger. and insist
on running the risk. My love for Cyril gave
me courage to shield him from danger at no
matter what cost to myself If / married
him it was at the risk OF his life. could
! not thus put it in jeopardy"
! How cruelty you have suheredG' said
Arthur. And then he told her Of the con
| EorsatlOn he had overheard the night
before.
Your cousins motive in preventing your
marriage is very plain he said in con-
clusion. ~He hoped to win you for him
self, while he led Rose to believe that it
was simply that he might come into pos
session Of your money in case you died IN
married.
Il would not have believed Henry so base.
so cruel!" said Lois
her a few plain questions?" suggested Ar
thur
DO Just what you think right, said Lois;
Il do not fear her now.
A servant was dispatched to the cottage
at once, and soon returned accompanied
by Rose, who had not imagined for a mo-
ment the real reason why her presence was
desired.
She had thought Mrs. Andrews wanted
to send some special message TO her grand
mother which could not be 1ntrusted to a
servant, and when she was ushersd into
the library and saw the Squire, Mrs. An
dreWs, Lois and Arthur Hazard in council
she was thoroughly frightened for once in
her bold. reckless life.
At frst she denied hatly having played