The Dickinson press., 1893-06-24
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CHAPTER VII.
Too I.nte!

CHAPTER VII.
Too Lnte!
Raymond Marshall had swept from
the presence of Beatrice Mercer with
the Joy of IL man suddenly snatchcd
from the deepest depths of grief ana
despair.
In IL flash had come full realization
of the true status of affairs. He had
been grossly deceived his bright,
bonny Edna was not f:ithlcsS. inc
letters he had received were forseres'
and the piotful Beatrice Mercer. Ill,
spired hy love and jealousy. hau
wrought ill the misery so happily
nvrrtrd hv his accidental discovery of
her duplicity.
II will find her il search the world
oycr,," he had avowed artlently. buoy
ant. cxultant in his faith regaincd and
the power of Il love able to battle the
most subtle foe.
With calmncss, however, while his
overpowcring love sustained him fully,
Raymond Marshall realized that he was
at IA terrible disadvantage. in the dark,
with not Il single clew as to the motive
of Edna De;lne's strange disappearance
or her possible whereabouts.
A second visit to Miss Chandler, the
lady principal of the seminary. resulted
in the requirement OF Il very niue auu'
tonal information.
I;lmls father had sent trusted
friend or servant to take her home. He
had made it an express request that
the location of that home. the mystery
of Edna's life her true name should
not be made known. Edna must aDan-
don all her old friends. new lie
opened for her of wealth and comfort,
but apparently weighted down. or at
least affected. by some dread mystery
that involved the utmost secrecy.
Reasoning all this out, Raymond Mar
shall decided that he could do but little
except to await developments. His
anxiety for Ednas welfare, however,
his impctuous, impatient spirit, drove
him to cntlcavor to learn what course
I.dna's mysterious companion had
taken in so swiftly spiritins her away
to her friends. He traced the carriage
to the railroad town fifteen miles dis
tant, but there the trail ended. Dis
tuncc or direction taken by the fugitive
there became involved points OF Specu-
lation.
For L week he hung around Hope
dale. His painting was neglected.. His
father was involved i'll deep business
difficulties, which ut any other time
would have commanded his attention,
but lust now he could thing of EOthing
but Edna.
He grew moody and taciturn, anxious
and then alarmed. No letter arrived
from Edna. He haunted the woods,
spots endcared to him by their past
meetings, but Ills anxious heart drove
him to distraction as the fear grew
upon him that his love was lost to him,
that either the mandate of a stern
father or the plots of the siren-hearted
Beatrice were operating to rob lin
of the bonmy bride to whom his tlOth
was plightcd.
What did this girl know? Eviiently
everything there was to know. With
subtle cmftiness she had woven lle1
soft wilcs about the innocent and trust
full Edna, until the latter had made OF
her Il bosom frielld-an exclusive cen
tidantc. She had tacitly acknowledged
to Marshall that she knew where Edna
had gone, but boldly, angrily, she Lao
refused to tell him what he wished tc
know, Fully comprehending the girls
rcsolute nature, Marshall gloomily de
cided that if she alone held the fate
of his ever again meeting his loved
and lost one that event would never
transpire.
Wrought up TO maddening pitcf
of frenzy by the uncertainty and sus
pense of the hour, as well as by Il sense
of deep wrong and injustice, one even
ing Raymond Marshall went straigh
to the seminary.
Beatrice Mercer shall tell me all sh'
Knows he uttered tiercely. Il vii
plead, I will frighten her, but her secre
shall be minc!!"
The crowning surprise and disaste
alike of the eliminating troubles Of tn
hour was announced ut the very pol
tails Of the seminary.
Miss Mercer was gone! Blankly an
dolefully Miss Chandler impaired tn
bewildering information.
Gone? When-where? Beatrice Mel
Ger, poor, friendless, dependent entirel
: on Miss Chandlers bounty and tn
meager means that her position rs sui
teacher awarded her, gone? Abandon
. ing a position which seemed to be
, life-lease for her:
Yes, she had made the sudden III
nouncelnent that morning. Thorough
amizing her friends she had packed VI
II demanding her salary, and had lei
r without L word of explanation concerl
II ing either her motives in resignlng ht
j position or her future intentions.
To the dumbfounded and suspels
full Raymond Marshall this seemed tt
last and most cruel blow of fate. H
;. final reliance was swept away. Il
felt assured that Beatrice Mercer kne
j of the whereabouts of Edna. No,
:, she, too, had disappeared-there w,
not clue in sight.
Would she join Edna in her ne
, home, and by forgery and misrepr
sentation wreck her faith in her love
and work out her plots Of Jealousy al
revenge?
Oppressed by this torturing though
. Raymond Marshal left H0pedale th'
night on Il blind, hopeless quest fl
some trace of the woman he loved aI
the woman he dreaded.
Too late! The woman whose cru
hand was twisting his heart-strini
with torture because in her wild, e
ratio way she loved him, had twent
four hours start in plot so subtle NJ
bold that his spirit would have quaile
had he even SO much as guessed i
sinister motives.
CHAPTER VIII.
On the Threshold.
One thought had been dominant
the heart of Beatrice Mercer since tt
moment that Raymond Marshalrs di