Waterbury evening Democrat., 1893-03-02

fingers, holding herself under . rigid
control. she did not look at tho girl
who was sitting So silently on the has
sock ut her side; but she was vitality
conscious of all tho grief and amaze-
ment THAT Myra IIilary's face SO plainly
revealed.
The fairy castle in the CRATE suddenly
fell into sparkling ruins, sending out q
flash of brilliant flame that illuminated
the twilightcd drawing-room for mo-
mcnt with the glow Of n strong, red
light. Then by degrees the Ilumina-
ton subsidized into htful CLEANS. play
ing with weird effect of light and
shadow over the dim room, and giving
transient glow of color to tho two
white faces that wero turned silently
toward the fire. 1t seemed hours to
Myra Hilary, in the blonl1 wrctchedness
that kept her own lips dumb, before
Mrs. Maynard spoke again; but 1t WIS
in reality only moments, space easily
filed by the slow striking of tho great
clock in the hall and the tardy response
Of the drawing-room clock, whose
silvcry chino fell tinlllinG upon the 81
lencc. AS if waiting only for this in
corruption to cease, Mrs. Maynard re-
| sumcd rs soon rs the last stroke died
away:
''You can imagine with what u shock
this revelation fellupon mc-this dread
I'll suspicion which his own words and
manner first suggested to my mind, and
then tacitly, but Enthusiastically, con-
| firmcd. 1t was difficult for me to real
lie what was nevertheless forced to
believe. And then blamed myself far
moro than him, for feared that 1t was
my cagerncss to secure that fortune
that had led him on to take this fatal
ANA desperate step. You know what
reason | have to wish for IN indcpen-
dent fortune; you have seen with your
own eyes tho unhappiness of my life
hero, under the Same roof with the man
who has hated me with q causclcss, in
sane hatred from the day of my mar
ringc to his brother, and who, during
| the four years Of my widowhood, when
the conditions Of. my husbands will
made my inheritance Of the pittance
that he allowed mo dependents upon my
| continued residence hero, has abused to
the utmost his invalid's privilege to
make existence u burden to me- Can
you wonder that l saw o welcome re-
lease in the chance of possessing that
childlcss old woman's wealth, which
she had conditionally promised me over
and over again should be mine? And it
was for this, thought, to secure to me
the prize that l coveted so eagerly, that
he had committed this deed! You can
perhaps imagine tho agony of self
reproach that this thought brought to
me. Then by degrees the scope and
possibilities of his motives were re-
vealcd to me; my perception of his char
actcr and his capabilities widencd. BY
n wonderful and unexpected turn of the
wheel of fortune, the missing niece and
hcir-at-law was discovered; the proofs
of her identity and whereabouts fell
into his hands. Instantly his active
| symp uthiCS were all transferred from
my interests to Annie Dupont's. The
desire to ingratiatc himself with the
successful heircSs would be perhaps a
natural and sufficient III )tivc for this
change in him; bat that another and
still stronger motive exists, have be
come reasonably convinced. And this,
my dear Myra, is the keynote of my
warming to you."
ITO mc?" Miss Hilary repeated the
words incrcdulously with little start
of amaZcmcut. 40 me? Why. Mrs
Maynard, what have to do with thi:
mattCr?"
"Prrhaps l can satisfy you that you
have very important part to play in
this interesting little DRAMA" returned
Mrs. Maynard, with n rather forced
smile. Il date Mr.. North's sudden In
terest i'll You, which you yourself no
ticcd for the first time, to certain day
this week when we drove by the Clcmcn
house and SEW him about to step into
carriage that was waiting there. Will
him was man who had called here ar
hour before, and left the house in com
Incrnu ,anVrnu anrIuTrnT