Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1893-02-16
L0R(IA\ MERWYNS~
N, ~ 2:gss5;z 81 9F0RTUNE.
H M2RsE w. q

SanSulne expectations Oy curious lfeah
of fate at the high tide moment Of sue
cess and victory, discovery, disaster had
suddenly crossed his unholy schemes
For one glance at the white face OF the
girl before him, one look into the
depths OF those accusing eyes, told that
Flora MerWyn knew ALL
Ali, at least, that the villains last
words had repealed. Appearing noise
lesSlY at the door at q critical moment,
she had crossed its threshold as the care
less self-implicating words Of the cashier
revealed his true iniquity as a would-be
thief, and verified the dark insinuations
of Ray Webster that his base hand had
wrought all the trouble that was wreck
ing three devoted lives.
She had never liked the plausible, self
assured cashier, she had treated his ad-
vances coldly. bat, as the friend, the
confident of her father she had never
believed him other than man of high
business integrity. Now, in the light Of
what The day had ushered in, and what
his own bold statement had revealed, in
hideous, glazing reality his evil, wicked
nature stood barred of hypocritical smile
and courty complaisance.
Wharton had sank to q seat like q
block Of stone. His jaw had fallen, his
eyes seemed riveted. Like the adjudged
criminal at the scatfold, he only expected
the next movement Of the excited girl to
be call for the officers of the lava
revelat ton of the plots into the execution
of which he had been unwillingly
dragged.
Abashcd for tho moment, even the
bold, INSCRIPTIONS nature Of Dacre him
self quailed. Sorrow for the lover whom
she supposed dead, anxiety for the father
whose form upon tho couch an interven-
ing table mercifully hid from her view,
contempt at the duplicity Of the two cra-
ven wretches before her, enobled the
natural dignity Of Flora Merwyn's char
actcr. Like an angry queen her eyes
scanned them, like an injured woman
she held them, balled, beaten, under tho
domination of her flashing, accusing
glance of Indignation and reproach.
She drew the pocIletbooll from the I'M
closing fingers of the overwhelmed Da-
ere. She shuddered at the contamnat-
ing contact Of his relaxing clutch, but
| she stcclcd her heart to weakness.
Il know your plots. | know you I'M
maskedr' she said simply. ut is you
who have brought about this trouble at
| the bank. Stand aside-unlock the front
doors. | will tell those men tho truth!'
"Iou never shall"
! Her intentions he readily OWNED. She
| would donOunce him as thief, swind-
| ler as the lying hypocritical villain he
truly was. She would restore con iidence
| In her honorcd fathers name; she would
| disburse tho ready cash contained in the
wallet she had secured.
This, the weak, blnd-folded being
| he had hoped to dazzle and win, or
brighten into becoming his wife, when
grief and despair had left her
no other alternative to save q
fathers good name and life! That por
ton of his fabric Of fraud and selfish
ness, the irate plotter saw crumble to
ruins. Tho intended victim Of his
avarice had arrayed herself as cham
pion, a courageous. undaunted foe In the
battle of wrong against right.
Compromise, there was mono in that
dauntlcss face, GROVE strangely stern
and heroic. The child had become q
woman-the victim an avengcr.
"Do not touch me-stand back. mon
stcr! thief" cried Flora, with glowing
eyes, as Dacre made q movement as if to
seize her forciby. "When my father
returns"
The schemer started In flash the
| did not know of the arrival of the
banker, of the last tragic episode of the
| hour She had it seemed, arrived upon
| the scene only in time to catch Dacre's
words relating to the wallet He stepped
! aside, he pointed to the couch.
"Your father" he said, lilies there.
They have killed him"
, With the quickness of lightning, the
| girls heart took vivid alarm at the
| harsh, blunt words. Her eyes directed
| towards tho couch, n schock that seemed
| to unhinge every nerve in her body con-
| vulsed her future.
Ono wild Shrek rang from her lips.
| piercing, heart broken, agonzcd Her
face turned CHASTITY, the Mortified eyes
| distended. She tottcred forward with
outstretchcd arms.
"Father father! my murdered
father"
A suffocating sob checked further ut
| terance The wallet fell from her nerve
less fingers, and. her hands pressed to
her eyes as If to shut out the CORY vision
before her, Flora Mcrwyn reeled and
fell an inert heap to the floor.
Arnold Dacre breathed more freely at
| the complication that had diverted tho
attention of Flora from her announced
purpose Of unmasking his villainy. As
he gazed alternately from father to
| daughter. however, with bent brows, his
| face took a deeper, moro serious frown
| than ever.
An impulse seemed to come to his
mind, as he regarded the wallet and It's
scattered contents, to sieze all the avail
able funds in sight and fly precipitately.
a thought of the sure pursuit that
would follow, however, a longing glance
at the beautiful face of Flora Merwyn,
checked the impulse Then his wonted
boldness returned to him, bringing the
color back into his face, and assurance
to his sinister eyes.
only girl" he muttered between his
teeth, with time to cover my tracks, to
u. e. lAas =