Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1893-08-17

CsA ssAtS NSe PIl VA IL Ill WAS til1L llt D.
trayed no recollection of the past, no
resentment toward me, no conscious.
ness that we had ever met before. This
panied me, but I accepted it as only
what ought to expect. and I resolved
to go away as soon as could find any
reasonable pretext for cutting short my
visit here, and henceforth bury out of
sight that dead past in which he bore a
part. 1t was only when he looked at
me as he did to-day, as lover might,
you know, that saw the depth of his
duplicity; and / think now that /
hate him for being so false to us bothv'
Again there was little silence, so
controlled that no hint would have
been given a casual observer of the
tragical emotions that were contending
in the hearts of these two women. 1t
was Mrs. Maynard that spoke next, in
a cold, hard, relentless tone:
eve both have great cause to con-
gratulate ourselves, my dear Myra, on
having discovered Mr.. North's true
character before it was within his pow
er to wreck the lifelong happiness of
that has recently forced itself upon my
| belief"
The color died quickly from Miss
Hilary's face again; there was n vague
alarm expressed in her trembling tones
as she responded hurriedly:
''Oh, let me know the worst. Mrs.
| Maynard! What is he? What has he
donc?''
1T would be nothing" continued
Mrs Maynard. bitterly, ''for him to
| vacillatc between two fancies-to alter.
nate and hesitate in his choice between
| yourself and me-
| ''Oh, dear Mrs. Maynard!' came in
tones of whispered protest from the
white-faced listener.
| 'It would be nothing" repeated Mrs.
| Maynard in the same hard, bitter tone,
that his conscience would reproach
him for, or that society would seriously
condemn; therefore, this phase of his
| conduct does not materially surprise
me. But l am surprised to find that
this man, who is habitually SO watchful
of his own interests, SO careful of his
own safety, so jealous of his own COM
fort and happiness, should allow his in
terest in any matter to carry him to the
length of becoming a criminal in the
| eyes of the law"
| "a criminalr'
Miss Hilary's white lips repeated the
words breathlessly; then for brief
space refused to speak again. At last
she asked TREMENDOUSLY:
| "What crime has he committed?"
ooh, a very gentlemanly one, in.
deed" returned Mrs. Maynard with
quiet sarcasm. 1T is nothing worse,
my dear Myra, than forgery. 1 have
already told you briefly of the recent
will contest in which had so great an
interest at stake; did not tell you, as
feel in duty bound to do now, that
suspected who it was that forged that
will. BY his own tacit admission
know that it was Mr.. North
| The calmness was oil gone from voice
and manner before these last words
were fairly uttered. A woman with
less pride would have broken down
completely; Mrs. Maynard sat with
compressed lips and tightly interlaced
fingers, holding herself under rigid
control. She did not look at the girl
who was sitting so silently on the has
sock at her side; but she was vitality
conscious of all the grief aAi amaze
ment that My-a. nliary's face SO plainly
revealed.
The fairy castle in the CRATE suddenly
fell into sparkling ruins, sending out a
flash of brilliant flame that Illuminated
the twilighted drawing-room for mo.
ment with the glow of strong, red
light. Then by degrees the illumina.
ton subsidized into fitful CLEANS, play
ing with weird effect of light and
shadow over the dim room, and giving
a transient glow of color to the two
white faces that were turned silently
| toward the fire. 1t seemed hours to
Myra Hilary, in the blank wretchedness
that kept her own lips dumb, before
Mrs. Maynard spoke again: but it was
inereality only moments, space easily
filed by the slow striking of the great
clock in the hall and the tardy response
Of the drawing-room clock, whose
silvery chime fell tinlSling upon the 81.
lence. As if waiting only for this in.
terruption to cease, Mrs. Maynard re-
sumed as soon as the last stroke died
away:
| '.You can imagine with what shock
this revelation fell upon me-this dread.
full suspicion which his own words and
manner first suggested to my mind, and
then tacitly, but Enthusiastically, con-
firmed. 1t was difficult for me to real
ize what l was nevertheless forced to
believe And then 1 blamed myself fan
more than him, for feared that it was
my eagerness to secure that fortune
that had led him on to take this fatal
| and desperate step. You know what
reason l have to- wish for an indepen-
dent fortune; you have seen with your
own eyes the unhappiness of my life
here, under the same roof with the man
who has hated me with a causeless, in
sane hatred from the dayef my mar
rage 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 me dependent upon my
continued residence here, has abused to
the utmost his invalid's privilege to
make existence q burden to me. Can
you wonder that saw a welcome re-
lease in the chance of possessing that
childless old woman's wealth, which
she had conditionally promised me over
and over again should be mine? And 1t
was for this, thought, to secure to me
the prize that coveted SO eagerly, that
he had committed this deed! You can
perhaps imagine the agony OF self
reproach that this thought brought to
me. Then by degrees the scope and
possibilities of his motives were re-
vealed to me; my perception of his char
acter and his capabilities widened. by
F. <x&% he