The Progress., 1892-08-06

ISOLATION could Oil err y lchlled ana sen
hitive -irl under the mesmcric control of
= ru,ian: her father subject to his cX
tOrtious and inSalts, AMI the only escape
4 worse misery even than this-Katc to
yield herself to him in marriage! FaugE!
the thought sickcnei me. but it cnraged
me too, Kate was right-death. sudden
and mcrciless. was the proper measure
to be mcted out to Slurk. II he had ap-
laared 1T that moment believe would
have shot him Unh"Sitatingly and re-
loIcrl IN the deed. MUrlcr would he n
righteous work when wrought on such as
hr. and II the murder were brought homr
10 me could suffer III a better cause?
K4.e had risen slowly from her chair
ana WIS now fronting me, scanning my
face and bearing with curious cagcrness
She held her hands across her bosom,
alternately iItcrl~ing the tips of the
fingers and pulling them free again
Her lips moved rs if in speech, but 70
sound came FROM them.
got up presently. looking | dare say
very solemn. "s indeed felt. Her eyes
followed mi1p rs l1sc. and now we
gazel straight mt each other for some
moments.
Il promised you that you should be
freed" | said. ".lld yoU shall be- ! shall
hc sorry to have any mans blood on my
hands: brt if you can be saved in no
o,hcr way. it must be So"
"Nol 10 love me indeed" she mur-
Jnurel. with sort OF sad ex,lltatior in
her tcnc. Dut she added: II cannot let
you do it. cannot lose you. even to be
freed from him. Ii is my fathers fault
after all DcsiGes"-
Il take it u2on myself" interrupted |,
with 4 dignity which may have been
absurd, but which did not seem so to me
d; the time.
"E1t it woald be murieT-at any rate
the law woId call it so. No. you must
no. be called murderer. Tom. But i
they would not hang wonan-let me
do it! | should love to do itr'
and she spoke with look that con-
firned the words.
Before could reply. however. her ex-
preston changed again. She appeared
% think intensely for Il few moments
then her face lighted up. Suddenly she
caught my hand and kissed it.
And kiss me Tom she cried, ez-
titedly kiss me. for deserve it,
Pave Thought of way that will save us
ALL
Much startled and half fearing that
the girls mind had given way under the
pressure of trouble. was attempting to
puirt her. bnt she silenced me by an i'm
petuous gesture and went On speaking
eagerly and RAPIDLY.
Tomorrow we had planned to so to
Koilsteln for Il picnic. It's IL great, i'm
Inonso rock. where robbers lived hun
dreds Of years ago. Hardly any one ever
g)e5 there now. have been there and
/ remember that on the top it is full
OF deep ciefts and holes. and | thought
how. II any one were to fall into one,
they might lie there for months without
being found, an1 they could nerer get
ont Of themselves. So Eow-listen! We
VIII go up there-you and | and-he,
and viii lead him near the brink Of
one of those clefts and then you must
TlSl iOiNSFi anu I,tAe MN anu urOp
him downtown t. the bottom. So we
shall get what we want and yet there
need be no murder"
Not lie murder. Kate?"
"it need not be. for WHOM he is safe
down there. rather than lie left to ssarve,
he would give up those papers. Don't
you thin!; he would"
She was trembling with excitement,
and her state communicated itself in
sonc degree to me, 50 that was scarce
Is able 10 tiiinl; coherently. But there
certainly seemed to be rlausi3ility in
her scheme: az the worst it would be
better than shooting the man outright
Bat volid the recovery of the papers
put al end to Slurks persecution of
Kate IS well as of her father? Would
not his power over her remain?
Dat wo can have him imprisoned
then. you see" WIS her answer to my
objection: 'iind foT fear of that he would
never dare to trOub!e me again. He
wolid have been in prison long ago but
Ter the papers.
1T certainly seems a good plan."
A