Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1889-07-06
enough the answer she should give to his

enough the answer she should give to his
question when it came.
At present, however, the discovery of her
own feelings caused alarm rather than
pleasure. There had been no signs of tear
in her face when her cousin ragged and
threatened, but she did not believe that the
threats were empty ones; he had often
frightened her when she was a child by
furious bursts of passion, and although it
was many years now since she had seen him
thus, she felt sure that he would do as he
had threatened, and that he was likely
enough to take any step that might occur
to him in his passion, to carry out his threat.
Although she had put bold front on it,
Margaret felt at heart that his reproach was
not altogether unjustifed. There had been
boy and girl understanding between
them, and although it had not been FORM
ally ratified of late years, its existence was
tacitly recognized in both families, and
until few months before she herself had con-
sidered that in the natural course Of events
she should some day be Ronald Mervyn's
wife.
Had he reproached her gently, she would
have frankly admitted this, and would have
asked him to forgive her for changing her
mind, now that years had wrought a change
in her feelings, but the harshness and sud
denness Of his attack had reused her pride,
and driven her to take up the ground that
there was no formal engagement between
them, and that as he had not renewed the
subject for years, she was at perfect liberty
to consider herself free. She had spoken
but the truth in saying that their near re-
lationship was In her eyes bar to their
marriage. OF late years she had thought
much more than she had when q girl over
the history Of the family and the Curse of
the Carnes, and although she had tried her
best TO prevent herself from brooding over
the idea, she could not disguise from her
self that her brother was at times strange
and unlike other men, and her recollecuons
of Ronald's outbursts Of temper, as boy,
induced the suspicion that he, too, had not
altogether escaped the fatal taint. Still.
had not Charlie Gulston come across her
path, it was probable that she would have
drifted op as before, and would. when the
time came, have accepted Ronald Mervyn as
her husband.
The next morning, when Ruth Powlett
went as usual to call her mistress, she
started with surprise as she opened the
door, for the blind was already up and the
window open. Closing the door behind her,
she went in and placed the Jug of hot water
she carried BY the washstand, and then turned
round TO arouse her mistress. As she did
SO low cry burst from her lips, and she
grasped chair for support. The white
linen was stained with blood, and Margaret
lay there, white and still, with her eyes
wide open and fixed in death. The clothes
were drawn a short way down in order that
the murderer might strike at her heart.
Scarce had she taken this in. when Ruth
felt the room swim round, her feet failed
her, and she fell insensible on the ground,
In q few minutes the cold air streaming
in through the open window aroused her.
Feebly she recovered her feet, and support
ing herself against the wall, staggered to-
ward the door. As she did 20 her eye fell !