The DeLamar nugget. [volume] (DeLamar, Idaho) 1891-1900, 1893-06-10
A LITTLE
Go m g q y
r r r O r s.

silvery chime fell tinkling upon the 81
lence. AS if waiting only for this in
terruption to cease, Mrs Maynard re
sumed as soon as the last stroke dice
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
frmed 1t was difficult for me to real
ize what l was nevertheless forced to
believe. And then I blamed myself far
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 / 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 day of 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
tAldb 1iC ci4lOWOQ li1C QcRClltcuU uPOu Iuy
continued residence here, has abused to
the utmost his invalid's privilege to
make existence burden to me- Can
you wonder that saw 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 it
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
wonderful andunexpected turn of the |
wheel of fortune, the missing niece and
heir-at-law was discovered; the proofs |
of her identity and whereabouts fell |
into his hands. Instantly his active
symp athies were all transferred from
my interests to Annie Dupont's. The |
desire to ingratiate himself with the
successful heiress would be perhaps
natural and sufficient motive for this
change in him; but that another and
still stronger motive exists, l have be-
come reasonably convinced. And this,
my dear Myra, is the keynote of my
warning to YOU"
''To me?" Miss Hilary repeated the
words incredulously wi tn little start
of amazement. ''To me? Why, Mrs.
Maynard, what have 1 to do with this
matter?'
Perhaps can satisfy you that you
have very important part to play in
this interesting little DRAMA" returned
Mrs. Maynard, with rather forced
smile. 81 date Mr.. North's sudden in
terest in you, which you yourself no
iced for the first time, to certain day
his week when we drove by the Clement
house and saw him about to step into
carriage that was waiting there. With
lin was man who had called here an
lour before. and left the house in COM
any with Mr.. North; the mysterious
1an through whom all the recent dis
oyeries about Annie Dupont were
lade. Mr.. North had just had pri- 1
ate interview with this man, and q
oubtless had heard his story. And, 7
S we drove slowly past it was you
nat absorbed his whole attention;
on at whom he gazed with such rapt
lterest that he did not see me at all. .
bowed to him as usual; he paid no =
eed; his eyes were fixed upon your u
zee, while strange excitement and
citation were apparent in his whole :.
amer. / did not see him again un- =
he called this morning. During the ~
w moments that we were alone in g,
lie conservatory he told me that An
e Dupont had been discovered, and to
at he should soon be in possession I'M
all the evidence necessary to estab- "
h her legal position and rights; told
e exultingly, as if he took cruel
easure in haunting me with my de- Mi
at, He little knew that l had di-
ned the truth, the secret that he was
jealousy guarding, that he had dis
vered Annie Dupont under my own a.,
of" Il'
Again Myra started with visible a
lazement. There was no clearly de-
ed perception of Mrs. Maynard's ei
gaming in her mind, yet the words o. a.
d been spoken with too much sig p
icance to fail utterly in impressing ~ ~
r with their suggestive trend. She W
9eated them mechanically, with -,
que speculation in her tones: so'
Under your own roof" ~
in you, my dear Myra," continued III
s. Maynard, her white lips smiling t,.s
ntly as she returned the girls in ne
ring gaze. Don't ask me for dr.,
'of Ilnow it; partly by intuition ma
partly by an endless chain of adj,
les that would vanish into thin air if 90
ere to attempt to put them into vo,
rds, but which are nevertheless as wa
Ivincing to my mind as the most pal \
lie evidence could be. l cannot be roo
taken; feel, know, that it is SOP "
l VIII not ask Tor proofs, Mrs. May col
d. SAID MISS hilary SUI be- jus