Waterbury evening Democrat., 1891-05-08
CHAPTER XIV.

CHAPTER XIV.
 A hundred sharp feelings were twin ing and turning about in John Ear ling's breast as he walked out into the street from the sevenfold darkness that had enveloped Ivyl Snaer For the moment he seemed bewildered by the flood of thought and emotion that crushed in upon him. The burden of these revelations suddenly imposed upon him seemed to numb his very senses. He was going blindly toward Celeste; blindly in that he did not con- sider why, or note the forces that inn pelled him. The throbbing heart of his inclination was an impulse, that fairly erred out in its agony, to tell her that the black information that had fallen upon him had not changed him, save to make her dearer. She had been sinned against, he thought, struck with darkness, drove through hate and love and murder most piteously near to him. A kind of anguish filled him for her, loves delicious fever with pity burning in it. He felt, but did not heed, in presence of this larger feeling: his own transcendent wrongs. An! even now, without knowing it, she had begun to purge those wrongs away through love, to blot out the black foundation which her kinsman had laid in blood with, to him, a sweet and binding atmosphere of light.
 Suddenly he stopped; God in Heav- en! what was he thinking ofP Was he mad? Why was he rushing, as if gone daft with pity, to load this heart-breaking thing upon the shoulders of this blame- less creature? Why not carry the hor- TOT himself? even if need be caught for ever so close to his breast and held so hard, should she ever lay her silken head trustingly there. O bitter heav- | enly hour! she should not hear it breathe! Nay, he would hold it from him until, from want of sorrow to feed upon, it fell into ashes and forgetful- l ness! She should not bear it!. "Ohr' he cried there in the lonely street stretching hls hands up toward the ! stars, "keep her from it, God! She is I good, she is gentle, she is blameless! 1 Let not this burden fall upon her! Let | me bear it! let me bear it!"
 John Earling felt clearer for that wrung out of the very fabric of his spirit. He turned back; why, if this secret l were opened to her might not its ap- ] palling contents carry her from him? ? l Would she ever wish to look him in the face again, knowing that her kinsman { had been murderer, and had done him and his this gall-like and mex pressible wrongP Nay. how could ht then ever look into her eyes again, knowing that his very presence must bring her sorrow and shameP 70, Godn' he cried again, "keep it from her! Let her innocent life remain un clouded! Leave her spirit, which is clear and tranquil, still un. troubled! Let me bear it, lei me bear it!' He did not think of the land which had been left to her, which l in truth was his, and which had been so bitterly torn away from him. He only saw the pain this fell knowledge would bring to her, and the seeming dan ger to their love; love which, like life O o'ermounted all known values. He would go away. if need be, that this dark fact might never reach her heart he would remain apart and suffer, if il be a pain and shame to her. An! he did not know the power of perfect love; love that draws like turning worlds! He did not know a woman'E soul, a slender woman's strength!
 In a moment he came to head duarters again. The windows were open letting in the lukewarm air, ant he paused irresolute. Inside he saw uniformed members of the night force smoking and walking about, and th' chief. phthisicky physician, and th' picturesque private. entering from al inner room. They went in behind ; railing to a desk, the private all thu while being very lavish with his con
 glomerate, and the chief took up thu dead mans sachel and opened it upor the desk. There were some articles O
 faded clothing. somo packages 0
 medicine and minerals and small dagger in it. The private looked a
 the dagger as if he very much feared
 it might jump up and stab him. In
 side pocket they found some papers
 among them, tied together with twist
 of gray hair, as if plucked from th
 head in widest fantasy, was the dee'
 John Earrings father gave to Ivy
 Snaer in the long ago, and a will be
 queathing the property to Celeste
 The chief read them in silence, but tn,