Iuka reporter. (Iuka, Miss.) 1888-1894, 1890-10-23
CHAPTER XVI,
TAKING THE BULL By THE HORNS.


Perhaps they thought that little Ora
Gle would burst into tears or swoon.
Not she! The fair fame of her mother
had been foully assailed, and she alone
felt the obligation of defending it.
She rose to her feet, every nerve as
firm as steel, her lips white and com
pressed into rigid line, her bright
eyes dark with the menace of wounded
pride.
What you say is false-and you know
it J" she said, firmly; false as any word
uttered by fiend incarnatel You are
q bold, bad woman! 1 read it in Won,
eyes, and ! warn these gentlemen ia
doubt every word that you say. EXCEPT
that you are the wife of Max Boyden
Ii such is the case, all can say is that
you are we'll matchedl"
The woman had been recoiling be
fore the lash of her righteous scorp
with much of the sinuous action of
serpent about to strike. As the girl
ceased speaking she drew herself up
and her eyes fairly lanced the fires Of
hate.
You insufferable upstart !" she Kissed,
you deserved to be whipped from end
to end of the town for your insolencela
Not by you, madam"
You are brazen- faced adventuress!
And you are no ladyl"
If she had stabbed the woman with
dagger, Oracle could not have wound.
eel the creature more vitality.
In her ungoyernable wrath, she
turned her back upon the girl and adj
dressed Mr. Edgar steadily, though she
was livid to the lips with rage.
Il shall enter upon the rights of nv
uncle's property" she said until his
will is produced. Then ] shall contest
It. And l warn you to keep all i'm
posters out of my way, for am meroi-
ess!"
With these words she swept out of
the room and the outer door changed
behind her. Once more seated in her
cab, she glanced back at the unpreten-
tious house which shielded her rival.
md clenched her hands until the deli
cate kid that covered them burst with
the vicious pressure.
Curse her!" she painted; "she has
lnsulted me, wounded me to the quick.
but she shall pay dearly for it She
may have her property if she can wrest
it from me, but I aoiU haze her han.
pi7leSsw
In pursuance of the threat. she sent
note to Rupert Arnim that evening.
and as he read it, the blood surged to
his brain and blinded him with guilty
Joy.
The brief missive ran as follows:
I go by the Fall River boat tomorrow
evening. MY destination is Boston You |
may accompany me II you choose, OF follow
me at your own discretion. SATANELIA."
Do you ask what his determination
was?
Can you ask when yoa know how be-
wltched ne was, how insane he had be.
come beneath her fatal spell? He &C.
companied her, and the lonely mother
slept that night unprotected in the
humble home in Harlem.
Meanwhile little Oracle had consulted
with Lawyer Edgar, and had come "a
the conclusion that the first and fore.
most step for her to take was to start
IN search of her missing mother. So
much seemed to depend upon her being
found that the lawyer reluctantly as,
'ented to beginning the quest.
But where to begin? How find a
woman who had vanished utterly, leav-
ng no trace, no clue behind her?
Il shall go to Boston and to the old
ZONE first" Oracle said; "the place
las been closed since we went to Eu-
ope, but knowing what do, perhaps
ONE OF the neighbors can assist me-
rs the place in the city," inquired
II. Edgar.
No, it is in lonely suburb, but /
now It well, for it hasibeen my home
yer since can remember
Then you lived in Me house with
u. $500. your father?N