The Kinsley graphic. [volume] (Kinsley, Kan.) 1890-1940, 1893-07-21
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DuJ HON COulu you Ihdii y ahO'hSA
man? How dared you? Did you tell
him the whole truth? Mr.. Norcross, l
mean"
Mrs. Norcross laughed again. There
was none of the silvery merriment in
the sound that the guests downstairs
had heard before this person had in
truded like a deaths head at her feast
1t was q CHASTITY sort of laugh, and,
leaving her scat, she began pacing the
narrow drcssing-room with long rest
less strides. Suddenly she turned
ficrcely on Nora:
why did you come here, Nora Hem
way? Why did YOU come here to spoil
my beautiful, bright, gay life? The
child would never miss me. She did not
need me. l heard you had married that
stupid John Lorimer and gone away to
the country to live, and | was glad"
Glad, Mellic?''
Yes, glad! glad. glad! For Eugene
Norcross never would have made me his
wife, if he had not believed l was abso-
lutely alone in the world. And l wrote to
You. throwing myself on your mercy. 1
told you that my past must be dead and
buried past. l begged You to help me
make it SO. 1t was to avoid just such
nischances as this that wrote that let
ter. l told you all about the money I
had put in the bank for the child. You
might have let me be happy, Nora. God
knows 1 have suffered enough in the
past
"How can one be happy living lie,
Nellie? How can you be happy without
letting him know all about Sibley Fair
banks? You were innocent then
Amelia. but You arc guilty here-horri-
bly, guilty"
''Do you want me to kill you, Nora?
feel equal to it-quite equal to it-you
wretched, pulling moraiist!''
She stopped in front of her sister,
quivering from head to foot with pas
sion. Every vestige of color had fled
from her beautiful face, leaving it
drawn and ghastly. Her small, jeweled
hands were clinched until the pink nails
penetrated the soft flesh. AS she stood
with her back to the chamber door, she
looked quite equal to carrying her wild
words into execution.
Nora, looking at the wildly excited
creature more in alarm than in anger,
became conscious of third presence.
A dark, stern face was framed momen-
| tarily in the doorway behind Amelia S
back, then quickly withdrawn.
There is some one in there!'' she
| said, huskily, pointing toward the bed
room-''some one who has heard our
| talk"
If possible, Amclia's face grew vet
paler, She sprang like some beautiful
| panther toward the open door, then
stopped, paralyzed. Her voice sounded
husky and feeble:
"Eugenel You hcre?''
81 am here. Who is your visitor, Mrs.
| Norcross?"
| "a poor sewing woman"
| She had disappeared within the room
and pushed the door after her. 1t die
not close fully upon its hinges. Nora
sat still, so absolutely dazed an6
wretched that it never occurred to hel
to put herself beyond the reach of the
voices in the next room. Where, in
| deed, in this strange house, should she
go?
You are at home early. Eugene"
1t was Amclia's voice. The effort tc
make it quite natural and soft wa.
pitiably apparent to her sisters tortured
| ears.
1t was not pleasant voice that an
swcrcd her:
YES, am at home early. l came
home to give my wife some advice.
There was u concentration OF wrath il
the voice that set Morals heart beating
with apprehension.
advice for me, Eugene?''
YES, Mrs. Norcross, for you" Their
followed the rustling of some papers
"The next time you write letters con
tanning secrets touching upon your OWL
immaculate past, be more careful. Mrs
Norcross. Doubtless Your own per
fumed stationery was inadequate t.
this bulk, but it was 4 clumsy mistake
to inclose your communication to YOU
dear Norric' in one of my business en-
velopes. Perhaps you have never no
ticed the explicit printed directions fo
its return to Eugene Norcross. Il Caron
aelct street, or perhaps. again, you die
not calculate the chances of non-deliv
cry. Such mishaps are unfortunate.
Another silent moment. Then Anne
liza. in the voice of frightened child:
And that letter came back to you?
"And that letter came back to me-
"And you have read it?"
And have read it"
Then you know everything
4 know everything"
What are you going to do?"
In the dreadful silence that fol
low cd, Nora's sense of honor priche,
her into action. She must put hersel
beyond the sound of that disgraceful al
tercation. With her hand upon tn
knob, she paused involuntarily. Eugen
Norcross was answering his wifc's las
question: What am going to do abou
it? ByG-d, what ought to do is
kill YOU"
"a bully and n coward said Nora
scornfully, as she closed the dressing
room door behind her. '.But the prov
ocation has been tremendous
The chatter of women's voices, tn
clatter of tcacups, and the overpower
ing scent of tuberoses fioated upwar,
to her as she istood hcsitatingly on tn
landing of the staircase, scarcely know
ing how best and Quickest to make he
escape from this gilded closet with it
hideous skeleton She breathed NOR
freely when she was once more fairly il
the street. outside of Amelia's home.
/ Amelis's homc.--she repeated tn
words bitterly q che hurried down-toM