Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1891-03-20


Opening it at a certain page, he points
out to her the signature of George Rod
ney. the old baronet.
FGive it to mel" cries she. impulsive-
". her voice trembling. 1T is the miss
ing will You found it last night. 1t
belongs to Nicholas. You must-nay,n
softly, beseechingly, you ,cia give it to
me-"
do you know all you ask? By re-
linquishing this Ubiquitous deed l give
up all hope of ever gaining this place.
this old house that even to me seems
priceless. You demand much. Yet on
one condition it shall be yours"
And the condition." asks she, eager
IL. going closer to him. What is it she
would not do to restore happiness TO
those she has learned TO love so well?
"A simple one"
Name it,' eXclaims she, seeing he
still heSitates.
He laws his hand lightly on her arm,
yet his touch seems to burn through her
gown into her very flesh. He stoOps to-
wards her.
For one kiss this deed shall be yours,
to do what you like with it, j" he says.
Mona starts violently, and draws
back; shame and indignation cover her.
Her breath comes in little gaSpS.
"Are you a man, TO make Inc such
speech?" she says, passionately, fixing
her eyes upon him with whitening con-
tempt.
You have heard me-" retorts he,
coldlv. angered to the last degree by the
extreme horror and disgust she has
evinced at his proposal. He deliberate
ly replaces the precious paper IN his
pocket, and turns as if to go.
"Oh, stayl" she says, family, detain-
L 1, Il .t,,,..
lie turns TO her again.
She covers her eyes with her hands,
and tries yainly to decide on what is
best for her TO do In all the books she
has ever read the Y ing woman placed
in her position would not have heSitated
at all. AS if reared to the situation,
she would have thrown up her head
and. breathing defiance upon the tempt
er. would have murmured to the sympa-
thetic air. Honor above everything"
and so, full of dignity, would have
moved away from her discounted COM
paniOn. her nose high in the air. She
would think it righteous thing that all
the world should suffer than one tar
nish, however slight, should sully the
I brightness of her fame.
For the first time Mona learns she is
not like this Well-regulated woman.
She falls iamentably short of such e.-
cellence. She cannot bring herself to
think the world Of those she loves well
lost for any consideration whatever.
And after ali-thiS h0rrid cOnditiOn-lt
would be over in moment. And she
could run home with the coveted paper,
and battle her face in sweet cold water,
and then again she shudders. Could
she battle the remembrance of the insult
from her heart?
She presses her hands still closer
against her eyes. IS though to shut out
from her own mind the hatefulness of
such a thought. And then, with a
fresh effort, she brings herself back
once more to the question that lies be-
fore her.
Oh. if by this one act of self-sacrifice
she could restore the Towers with all
its beauty and richness to Nicholas,
and-aDd his u40tleT-hOW good thing
it would bel But will GeOtITey ever
forgive her? All, sure when SHE ex-
plains The matter to him, and tells him
how and why she did it, and how her
hnarf hlnd in the doing of il. he will pnt
MS arms IOunQ ner ana PARDON Lne Sill,
Nay, more, he I2ay see how tender is
the longing that cOmpels her to the deed,
She unCOYerS her eyes and chances for
bare instant at Rodney. Then once
more the heaVily-fringed lids close upon
the dark-blue eyes, as if to hide the an
guiSh in them, and in a SmOtherCd voice
she says. with clenched teeth and a face
like marble, Yes, you may kiss me, if
you will.
There is pause. In shrinking doubt
she awaits The moment that shall make
him take advantage Of her cords. But
that moment never comes. In vain she
waits, At length she lifts her eyes,
and he. tiinging the parchment at her
..,.tIa
"Therel take it. 1 can be generous
tool"
But" begins Mona, feebly, hardly
sure of her blessed release.
Keep your kiss" eXclaims he, saw
agely, "since it costs you such an effort
to give it, and keep the parchment, too.
It is yours because of my love for you"
Ashamed of his vehemence, he stoops
and, raising the viii from the ground,
presents it to her GourteouSly. Take
il; it is yours, he says. Mona closes
her fingers on it vigorously, and by
last effort of grace suppreSSes the sigh
of relief that rises from her heart.
Instinctively she lowers her hand, as
though to place the document in the
inside nOcllpt of her coat and in doing
SO comes against something InaE pIaIuIy
StartleS her.
Il quite forgot it, she says, coloring
with sudden fear, and then slowly, eau
tiously, she draws up to view the hated
pistol he had left in the library the night
before. She holds it out to him at arm
length, as though it is some noisome
reptile. rs doubtless, indeed, she con-
siderS it. Take IT, - she says, take il
quickly. | brought it to you meaning
10 return IT. Good gracious! fancy my
forgetting it! Why, it might have gone
Off and Killed me. and ] should have
been none the wiser"
We'll, think you would. for a mo
ment or two at least, returns he, smil-
ing grlmly, and dropping the dangerous
Nt(le toy with some careleSSneSS into
his own pocket.
''Oh, do take csrel' cries Mono, in an
agony; sit is lOGdrd. If you throw il
about ip that rough fashion, it will Ger
talniy go oil and do you some injury
blow me to atoms, perhaps, or into
some region unknown says he. reck- |
lessly. "A good thing. too Is life Sc
sweet possession that one need quail |
before the thought of resigning it?o
"1 on speak rs one might who has no |
aim in life, says Mona. looking at him |
with sincere pity. When Mona looks |
piteous she is at her best. Her eyes |
grow large, her sweet lips tremulOuS. |
her whole face pathetic. Her role suits |
III ! bOulltN llcaIJ nHglnS To neal |
WIN aaEE'f0jIS raplGiJy. ~ Is quite on |
the cards that man of his reckless, |
unframed, daredevil disposition Should |
fall madly in love with a woman sans |
pelH et sans rcproche,
AN aim!' ne SAYS. bitterly, Il think |
i have found an end TO my life where |
most fellows find beginning"
by and by you will think differ
emily" says Mona, believing he alludes |
to his surrender of the Towers. You
will get over this disappointment"
II shall, when death claims me- re-
plies he.
Nay, now" says Mona, sweetly, do
nOJ talk like that. 1t grieves me. When
you have formed purpose worth living
for, the whole world will undergo a
change for you. What is dark now will
seem light then; and death will be an |
enemy, thing TO battle with, to fight |
with desperately until ones latest
breath. In the meantime" nervOusly.
do be cautious about that hOrrid weap-
on; won't You, now?n
y on ask me no questions about last
night, he says, suddenly, land there is
something | must say to you. Get rid
OF that fellow Ridgway, the under
gardener. 1t was he opened the library
window for me. He is nntrustworthy.
~, - !