The Forest Republican. [volume] (Tionesta, Pa.) 1869-1952, 1890-10-15


Miss Vassar's ball faced the late rising
moon. The day had been cool and the
night had warning of winter.
There were sounds of closing doors, OF
moving footsteps, about the great house
for half hour or more. On the landing
of the first floor Helen said good night
to her guest and the women separated
and went to their rooms. The last light
was extinguished after time and every
thing sank into silence.
The creaking of a door woke no echo
in the wide hall. A window at the end
of it admitted moonlight cloisteral in its
whiteness. 1t just touched softly step
ping figure dressed in black. In black,
of course. How could one tell what
trick stray moonbeam falling on white
might play2
Miss Vassar slept behind locked doors.
But between her bedroom and the hall
was a small boudoir. There was moon
light enough here also. Enough, at least, e,
to see ones way to the curious cabinet of
inlaid japanese woods that stood in one
corner. A fragile thing in appearance,
but not fragile in reality, unless you hap
pened to know the mechanism of its Sec
ret drawers.
When you did, what moro easy than
to touch spring and assist the hinge
that noiselessly turned, exposing the in
distinct contour of the we'll. known Golfer
behind2 The box was light of weight,
despite the value it represented. But
those swift, dexterous fingers had no
thought of carrying it. Already they
had pressed the secret spring lock that
opened it and lifted the padded tray. Just
then the moon passed urder a cloud.
But there was no possibility of mistake in
the touch Of those cold chained stones,
slipping, like a snake, against the palm.
This was the wonderful Vassar necklace,
enriched, in three successive generations,
by gems scarce anywhere to be matched.
The tray was replaced, the Golfer put
back, the hinge turned. The japanese
cabinet stood in its corner as if no alien
touch had violated it. The dark figure,
in the light of the reappearing moon,
glided from the room as noiselessly as it
had glided in.
"That wretched woman has been SEN
fenced to ten years in the penitentiary."
For days Miss Vassar had been op-
pressed as with a weight. Even the
preparations for her approaching mar
riage seemed scarcely to arouse her. She
had taken a liking to the neat little
French maid so short time in her SER
vice before she had been arrested for the
theft of the Vassar necklace. Even now,
with every proof of her guilt, she could
not, apparently, convict her in her own
mind or appease her regrets.
81 think you are morbid" said Leslie
Radetsky, quietly. "What is to prevent
people from getting their deserts in this
world2"
GLOW cruel you look when you say
that" exclaimed Miss Vassar with note
of pain in her voice.
"Well, some one who knew something
of phraseology, physiognomy-all the
rest of it-told me once that was cruel.
Cruel, unscrupulous," added the girl
with a smile. "Unscrupulous when l
had an end to gain"
Don't say those things" exclaimed
her friend, as before. "You are always
saying them latterly. Why"
"Ah, why, whyl" cried the girl with
a shrug OF her beautiful shoulders.
Was she really changed2 she asked
herself little later as she went down in
the wide grounds. She had slipped on a
thick Jacket and walked with rapid
step over the frozen snow. The winter
day was breathless and clear. The icy
! 81 hoo1 II
hands. Oh, this feverishness that would
not 90 out of her veins! But, outward
ly, was she not perfectly calm? She had
grown hard. OF course. Hard, bitter,
reckless; all the rest of it. She gave a
low laugh in the silence of the empty,
leafess alleys How could one help that
1t was either to do that or-to go mad,
perhaps
She stopped abruptly with light
trembling of the limbs. She had heard
an approaching step. 1t was Louis.
He had left his trap at the gate and
was walking up through the grounds to
the house.
81 thought should meet you here, "
he said His voice shook and his pallor
struck through all her bewilderment
with a sort of terror. "Do you know
that that woman has been sentenced to
ten years-ten years-imprisonment2"
"Yes, l know"
"God in heaven, and you say that so
quietly2 What are you made of" His
eyes hung upon her with species of re-
voting curiosity.
II am made of stuff that can face the
consequences of its actions" she said in
a low voice. "That does not shrink
and shrivel like a poor coward like you.
"If have lost my soul, tits because
of you!" cried the man as one dis
traught.
"Did make you forge a check to save
yourself from bankruptcy Did l make
you, when the crime was on the eve OF
discovery, throw yourself on my mercy
and ask me to help Youl How was l to
helpl Was not as poor as youi l did
what l could. committed a crime in
my turn to save you. To allow you,
scott free, to marry rich woman who
loved you. To allow you to cast anchor
in a safe harbor for the rest of your
days"
'And the crime you committed con-
demns me as it does you," he cried with
a shaking voice. "The first weakening