The Red Cloud chief., 1893-07-28
NavcNSSN Ssa ~ ,.eWvvMDN co.,.
CHAPTER XiI-CoYrrSvrp.

illAllSk COSTISt
But hoy could you marry another
man? How dared you? Did you tell
MIN the whole truth? Mr.. Norcross, 1
mean"
Mrs. Norcross laughed again. There
1vqs zone of the silvcry mcrrinent in
the sound that the CHESTS downstairs
had heard before this person had in
1t was a CHASTITY sort Of laugh, and
leaving her seat, she began pacing tho
narrow dressing-room with long rcstl
less strides. Suddenly she turned
icrccly on Nora: K
why did you come here, Nora Hem
way? Why did YOU come here to spot
my beautiful, bright, gay life? III
child would never miss me She did nd
need me. ! heard you had married tho
stupid John Lorimer and gone away -
the country to live, and l was glad" &
Glad, Mcllic?" rs
YES, glad! glad. glad! For Eugeuo
Norcross never would have made me III
wife, IL he had not believed ! was abso.
lutcly alonein the world. And wroteto
you, throwing myself on your mercy. ]
told you that my past must be a dead and
buried past. begged you to help =
make it so. 1t was to avoid just suGh
mischanccs as this that | wrote that ~
ter. told you all about the monet!J
had put in the bank for the child. You
might have let me be happy, Nora. Qoc
knows | have suffered enough in tht
past
GLOW can one be happy living n IAe,
Nellie? How can you be happy witlAat
letting him know all about Sibley E81r.
banks? You were innocent thasI
Amelia. but you are guilty here-hSrf !,
bly, guilty"
"Do you want me to kill you, NoR71
feel equal to it-quitc equal to it. fY,u
> wretchcd. pulling moralist!"
She stopped in front Of her STIR,
.quivcring from head to foot with tOs-
sion. Every vcstigc Of color hadRned
from her beautiful face, leaviu5k Il
drawn and ghastly. Her small, jcySeled
hands were clinchcd until the pink M il
penetrated the soft flesh. AS she Ctcod
with her back to the chamber dooHythe
looked quite equal 10 carrying hc4wild
words into execution. H.
Nora, looking at the wildly e$e3ted
creature more in alarm than in ;ne'cr
became conscious of q third re0nqe
A dark, stern face was framed M pen.
tarily in the doorway behind AnlA',
back. then quickly withdrawn. IU
There Is some one in thcrcIf M
said. huskily, pointing toward th4LAd
room-"some n who has heard ,yul
talk" kEB
If possible, Amc'ia's face grey re-
palcr. She sprang like some bcautifu
panther toward the open doom cher
s,oppcd, paralyzed. Her voice sobAdct
husky and feeble: "
"Eugcne' You hcre?"
~ am hero, Who is your visito1 Mrs
Norcross?' ~
a poor sewing woman TX
She had disappeared within tht ! Jom
and pushed the door after her.& die
not close fully upon its hingc4 Hor'
sat still, so absolutely daAeA 'ant
wrctched that it never occurred ia he,
10 put herself beyond the reac4of' tn,
voices in the next room. Whbrt y In
deed, in this strange house, shdnltsh'
go? w,
"You are at home early, Eugc0e,"
Il was Amclia's voice. The dH&prt u
make il quite natural and s41t wa
pitiably apparent to her sisters ~ rire'
ears. NJ
1t was not n pleasant voice tnast an
severed her:
yes, | am ut home early. cam
home TO give my wife some Hqvice.
There was Il concentration OF wrath II
,hc voice that set Nora's heart &eatini
with apprehension.
advice for me, Eugene?'
"Ycs, Mrs. N~orcross, for you{ The
so,lowed the rustliug of some pspers
..Tbe next time you write letters con
toininr secrets touching upon your owl
immaculate past, bc more careful MRS
NorcrOss. Doubtless your own per
frmad stationery was inadequate L
,bis bulli, but il was n clumsy inlstak
~ ;ncIose your communication to you
dear Norric' in n OF my business CT
yrlopes. Perhaps you have never nc
ticed the explicit printed directions 10
;,s return to Eugene Norcross, II Caror
Lolot street, or perhaps, again, You a.
not calculate the chances OF hoh-acIN
cry. such mishaps are unfortunate
Another silent moment. Then Am'
lin, in the voice of II frightened child;
And that letter came back to you9
And that letter came back 10 me-
and You have read ii"
"And have read It,
..Then YOU know everything"
-! know everything
.'yYhat are you going to do?,
In the dreadful kilence that 10