The Dickinson press., 1893-07-01
CHATTER IN-tContinuedl

said. Won close Il door on the past
never to he oncnr,l. Poor Rooney. he
died in bringing You to me. He was
my best friend All these years, amid
my imprisonment. my fugitive wander
ingS. H. haS been true to me. He alone
knew where YOU had been placed.
Now. uni, a new name. YOU come to
share my loneliness. Fear not. II Will
only hr for IL few brief years. Then,
mistress nf my fortune. YOU can go
forth into the world and enjoy the no-
cr,y denied me.
"Fa'hrr l do not understand. muir
INJURED the false daughter
do not try To. An innocent man.
have vet been called upon 10 suffer the
penalty of Il crime uniuStly laid to my
charge Even now am 1uSluNe
from Justice. Hunted down. reward
upon my rccapture. l sought ms Sc
cludrl spot to die in peace. mere we
will live in quiet con'rntmchl' your
love and care the Sulacc OF my ue-
clininy wears Are you not content Wi,h
that. Alice. my child!
Yes" murmurcd Beatrice, sll'ce
YOU will il so.
WHY not: Life here. surrounded by
every luxury would not be so aruuous
tlla, she could not lind some enjoy
mrnt in il. and later on.-her eyes
glowrl with sinister tltuulph-there
was Il farther plot To carry out. mere
WAS Raymond Marshall TO thihk o1'
the man she was determined to Win'
come what might.
| lmpcrfrrtly understanding the vague
mystery surrounding RalSton. She Se.
realized that he was in danger OF ap.
| 81 tpIn
the past. Some day she must possess
that secret i'm full. 1t would give her
added puwrr To sway him TO her Will IL
ever her impoSturc were discovered.
She could scarcely comprehend the
rare success of the impoSturc as. later
that evening. she sat i'll the boudolr OF
tho suite of rooms apportioncd to her
in the old mansion.
MOI ;, breath of suspicion had been
aroused. Placidly. uncuuivocally mad
old MIR. Ralstuu accepted her as the
child he had not seen since infancy.
Her p:lst. like his own. he would never
seek 10 probe or revive. Yesterday
was as dead and gone as the ages past.
Here she could change her own identity
in the unlisputrd possession of royal
fortune. ltalSton dead, that fortune
acquired. and with her youth, beauty
and intelligence. She could go out ln'o
the world and become Il queen among
women, tread IL velvet path through
lifc-sllr, the poor. Obscure teacher Oh
half-pay. the fricndlcSs drudge OF
Hoprtlalc seminary.
Yc, there was a cankcr at the hear'
Vt the rose Conscience did not 1rouple
her She even justified her fraudulent
all Sh 40 1hnllpht
of. all that disturbed her was Il mem
ory of the man she loved.
How she loved him still! How the
handsome. animated face OF Kaymono
Marshall haunted her.
For his sake l did it all" she mur
INJURED unanimously. He must ben
GIFT by ii all How: All! patience. m,
eager heart. l hold the strings of dcs
tiny. If | make no misstep, fortune ant
love are both mine i'll the end.
Her rooms had been papercd for he
with infinite care. They were NOR
than luxurious. they were elegant Th
steward and housckecper were tn
sole servants, hut they attended hk
mute slaves to her every caprice as tn
days went by.
: Eals,on was not cXacting. He aske'
an hour or two of her time each da
to read to him in the garden, or pla
for him in the great. Somber drawing
| room on the piano. Ever under tn
shadow of some great fear, he neve
left the walled grounds of the estate
and requested her to contine her lon
drives to the mfrcQucntcd roads Leaf
= ing away from the village.
r A week passed thus. then the novelt
l of her new life began to wear ava.
The false Alice Ralston, the real BE;
:, tricc Mercer began to grow rcStleS
: anxious, moody
= Then She fell to plotting. II ST
could only drag from that past life IL
object of her love. Raymond Marsha
she would be content.
You are getting wearicd of the lon
7. liness here, l fcar,' spoke Ralsto
IS anxiously, one evening.
q mo, father"
II You are decciving me. I can re:
1t it i'm your face caught you cryil
lie yesterday Speak, my child, if you la'
is any secret sollow."
The vcilcd eyes of the siren glow
triumphantly. The hour had come +
q master stroke of tinesse.
rt "Shall l tell you the truth. even
-. 1t disturbs you:' asked Beatrice, in
OF low, purring tone.
er always my dear"
v, II am happy here, only there is
chapter in my past that haunts hi
pursued the falSc-hearted Beatrice.
in have friends whom love, whom Il
M st in poverty, trouble. Father, if l Ii
,. the means to visit them, to place thu
II. in a position beyond want would
10 turn here satisfied, never to leave y
,o again"
ny You mean this, my daughters"
81 II mean it. father"
"As l understand it. you wish to
to these fricnds-tO bid them fiji
farewell, and to enrich thcm?''
Yes"
He led her to room guarded with
iron door. With key he unlocked
cabinet. 1t was stored with none,
J coin, bank notes, bonds.
= YOURS" he said generously; .
yours. Take what you want. ! sll
never ask how much. nor care. Deal
9d literally with your friends as you l..
only-must you go to thcm?"
II must father"
"AloncY
81 will be careful-nothing will L
pen to me-" ...,,, .
Il Shall WOFIy-Soui duSeHSe WIZ
ture me-"
Not for long. Oh! dear father.
make me happy in enabling me to III:
my dearest friends happy. Let me
at once-to-nisht, tomorrow. In
}, week-two, at the farthcst. l shall
turn. Then l shall forget them-al
world save you"
\ She had carried her point. The Fl
important step in the plot of her
was accomplished.
AS the next morning, little mon
filled satchel in her hand, she left
mansion bound for Hopedale, her {
1ident heart told her that she We
. never return until she had won the !
q she loved.
. CHAPTER K.
Dead or Alive?
Ghostly fell the snow!
Like a curtain, shroud, it
closed about the devoted form
Edna na0no that wild fan,nest,