The weekly register. [volume] (Point Pleasant, Va. [W. Va.]) 1862-1909, 1891-07-08

J. The ticking of the clock was loud
as cathedral bell.
, "You say nothing, Van Ord
. Well, ] am glad you take it SC
=, quietly And yet what could you
say? You should not have left q
i girl whom you loved and who had
promised to marry you with friends
in Europe, while you, presumably,
came back to earn the right to
marry, and after being abroad long
enough to take your ward from her
governesses, to show her something
of life, to fall in love with her, came
back to complete the experiments
on your great discovery. The lover
should have como here first. The
man of science after. You trusted
to the appearance that your best
friend and the girl you were en-
gagged to marry had not found
aught but strong dislike for each
other. You should not have so
trusted. You should not have
trusted at all. 1 brought Hulda
home and you will find me at my
old quarters.
Still only the ticking of the clock.
A moment more Champion waited,
hat in hand. Then he turned and
went out, and the door closed
behind him.
There had been a heavy fall of
snow the night before and all that
morning. The deadened thud of
snow-shovels punctuated, now and
then, the thick, shadowed stiffness
of the city. The sky hung low.
When the door opened Hulda
turned her head. She had been
waiting for hours for Grampion's
step. The exclamation that had
been ready to fall from her lips was
there. 1 was not Champion.
There was a fraction of moment
for which she did not recognize Van
Ord. She was woman of strong
nerve. In her blood was the hardi-
hood of the class from which she
had sprung-a class living nearer
the soil than the Van Ords and the
Champions who had made her what
she now was. But her breath was
chilled as she caught the look of
Van ord's face. What could he do
to her? she thought swiftly. Moth
ingl Yet she shrank back o little,
tangling her feet in the lengths of
her silken train.
"You were waiting for your hus-
band2" 1t was the first time Van
Ord had spoken since the night be-
fore. "You need not wait for him.
He camc to me-you know that2-
and told me your double treachery.
l do not care for yours. That is, /
could not harm you nor blame you.
Inherited tendencies are not with
stood. To be light-of-love is in
your veins. You betrayed me, you
would have betrayed him and you
will betray other men. AS for him,
he was my friend. He was loyal
till you corrupted him. He chang
ed to me when tempted by you.
He was the deepest affection of my
life. / thought loved you; per-
haps l was mistaken. 1 can forgive
you; 1 could not forgive him.
followed him last night and 1 killed
him. 1t was near the station. He
was waiting for his train; it was
dark and 1 dragged his body into
the bushes. 1t will be found to-day.
1t will be found by the time 1 give
myself up to justice. Don't shrek;
ring the bell. am going now.
Justice will come soon enoughl''
AS peal after peal rang through
the house and Hulda fell back upon
the floor in Mysteries and as the rapid
footsteps of frightened servants
approached Van Ord turned again
toward the door.
AS he reached it he raised his left
hand confusedly to his side. He
staggered, reached out blindly and
dropped forward with his face to
the ground.
When they lifted him life was
nearly gone. The fame fiickered a
moment still and went out.
The doctors called it sudden
failure of the heart.-Ne,c York
Mercury.