The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1890-07-27

it was difficult to see how the family could
have continued to exist. She gave it almost
all to her father now, only keeping back a
very small sum for her necessary clothing
and such sundries as stamps and writing pa
per. Even then, Elizabeth grunbled bitterly
at her extravagance in continuing to buy a
daily paper, asking what business she had to
spend sixpence week on such needless luz
ury. But Beatrice could not make up her
mind to dock tho paper with its occasional
mention of Godfrey.
Again, Owen Davies was perpetual anx-
iety to her. His infatuation for herself was
becoming notorious; everybody saw it except
her father. Mr.. Granger's mind was SO occr-
pied with questions connected with 1.-THE that
fortunately for Beatrice little else could find
an entry. Owen logged her about; he would
wait whole hours outside the school or by tho
vicarage gate merely to speak q few words to
her Sometimes, when at length she appeared,
he seemed to be struck dumb, ne could sa v
nothing, but would gaze at her with his dull
c<es in fashion that filled her with vague
alarm. He never ventured, indeed, to speak
to her of love, but he looked it, which was
almost as bad. Another thing was that he
had grown jealous. The seed which Eliza
beth had planted in his mind had brought
forth abundantly, though, OF course Beatrice
did not know that this was her sisters doing.
On the very morning that Godfrey went
away Mr.. Davies had met her as she was
walking back from the station and asked her
If Mr. Bingham had gone. When she replied
that this was SO she had distinctly heard him
murmur: 'Thank God! Thank Godr' Sub
sequently she discovered also that he bribed
the old postman to keep count of the letters
which she sent and received from Godfrey.
These things filed Beatrice with alarm, but
there was worse behind Mr. Davies began
to send her presents-first, such things as
prize pigeons and fowls, then jewelry. The
pigeons and fowls she could not well return
without exciting remark, but the jewelry she
sent back by one Of the school children. First
came bracelet, then locket with his photo
graph inside, and lastly, case that when
she opened it, which her curiosity led her to
! do nearly blinded her with light. 1t was o.
diamond necklace, and she had never even
seen such diamonds before; but from their
size and luster she knew that each store must
be worth hundreds of pounds. Beatrice put
it in her pocket ard carried it until she met
him, which she did in the course OF that after
noon.
Mr.. Davies,n she said, before he could
speak, and handing him the package, ''this
has been sent to me by mistake VIII you
kindly take it backf'
He took it, abashed
"Mr. Davies" she said, looking him full in
| the eyes, II hope that there will be no more
such mistakes. Please understand that can
not accept presents from your
If DIR. Bingham had sent it you would
have accepted it, he muttered sulkily.
Beatrice turned and flashed such look on
him that he fell back and left her. But it
YVES true, and she knew that it was true.
If Godfrey had gived her sixpence with
hole in it she would have valued it moro
than all the diamonds on earth Oh! what a
position was hers. And it was wrong, too
She had no right to love the husband of an
other woman. But, right or wrong, the fact
remained, she did love him
And the worst of it was that sooner or
later, oil this about Mr. Davies, as she we'll
knew, must come to the ears of her father.
and then what would happenl One thing was
certain. In his present poverty stricken con.
ditlon he would move heaven and earth t.,
bring about her marriage to this rich ma.
Her father never had been very scrupulous
where money was concerned, and the pinch of
want was not likely to make him more SO.
Nor, we may be sure, did all this ESCAPE tina
jealous eyes Of Elizabeth. Things looked
black for her, but she did not intend to throw
up the cards on that account. Only it WIS
time to lead trurnps. In other words, Beatrice
must be fatally compromised in the eyes of
Owen Davies, if by any means this could be
brought about So far, things had gone well
for her schemes. Beatrice and Godfrey loved
each other; of that Elizabeth was certain.
But the existence Of this secret, underhand
affection would avail her naught unless it
could be construed into acts Everybody is
Tree to indulge In secret predictions, but if
once they give them way, if once womans
CHARACTER is compromised, then the world |
avalls itself of its opportunities and destroys
her. What man, thought Elizabeth, would |
marry compromised woman? If Beatrice |
could be compromised Owen Davies would |
not take her to wife-therefore this must be |
brought about
1t sounds wicked and unnatural t'Impos- |
slble that sister should so treat sister, the |
reader of this history may say, thinking of her
own, and of her affectionate and respectable /
But it is not impossible. If /
you, who doubt viii study the law reports,
aud no worse occupation can be wished to you,
you will find that such things are possible. |
human nature can rise to strange heights and /
1t can also fall to depths beyond your fathom-
ing. Because a thing is without parallel in
your own small experience it in no way fol-
lows that it cannot be-
Elizabeth was very remorseless person:
she was more-she was q woman actuated by
passion and by greed, the two strongest mo-
tiveS known to the human heart But with
her remorselessness she united considerable
degree of intelligence, OF rather of intellect.
Had she been q savage she might have re-
moved her sister from her path by q mora
expeditions way; being what she was, she
merely strove to effect the same end by
method not punishable by LAWN short, by
her reputation. Would she be re-
sponsible ii her sister went wrong, and was
thus utterly discredited in the eyes of this
man who wished to marry her and whom
Elizabeth wished to marry7 OF course not;
that was Beatrice's affair But she could /
give her every chance of falling into tempta-
lion, and this it was her fixed design to do.
Circumstances soon gave her an opportu-
lity. The need of money became very Press
ng at the vicarage They had literally no
onger the wherewithal TO live. The 1.-THE
payers absolutely refused TO fulfill their obi
cations. As it happened, Jones, the ran who
lad murdered the auctloneer, wus never
brought to trial. He died shortly after his
lrrest in fit of delirium tremens and ner- \
7ous prostration, brought on by the sudden
cessation of u supply of stimulants, and an
example was lost that, had he been duly
lung, might have been made of the results of
lofying the law. Mr.. Granger was now too h
'oor TO institute any further proceedings.