Hot Springs weekly star. (Hot Springs, S.D.) 1892-1917, 1894-06-08
At war WITH HERSELF.
The Story Of a Woman. Atonemsnt,
BY Charlotte NJ. Braems.
CHATTER Xiv.

dc was not often mere, put ne retained
them for himself. He was very pop
ular with his landlady-rather a severe
maiden lady, who vas accustomed to
speak Of him as quite the gentleman"
On this June morning, when so great
cumstances, he had risen late. Miss
Danvors had sent twice to say that
breakfast was ready, and yet he did
not appear. A third tina the little
page Knocked at his doOr-this time
tho message was of o more startling
description.
"a lady is waiting to see you, Capt.
Flemyng, and che says her business Is
important"
"A lady" repeated Paul; "who can 1t
be-"
He never even dreamed of Leonie;
his only impression was it might be
some one soliciting charity-some one
about q fancy fair, OF a bazaar, or some
thing of that kind. How little he
thought that waiting for him we're the
title of Earl, and the Inheritance of
Crown / cishton!
Capt. Flemyng hurriedly completed
drawing-room, where the visitor await
cd him. He saw q lady closely yelled
and wearing a large traveling-cloak.
He bowed, inwardly wondering who
she was and what she wanted. Then
tho veilod figure came up to him and q
faint voice murmured his name. He
started back in surprise.
"LeOnic.." he cried. Great heavens.
what has happened, what has brought
you herc?:" lie saw then that she held
In her hands q paper packet. She
placed it in his.
Take this, Paul." she said, simply;
lit is yours"
He took it, w%onderingly, and then
she threw back her veil and gave q
great gasping sigh as Of one who
y relieved of a dea lily burden. Hc
looked at the beautiful, colo.less face,
with its strange expression Of leace
after q storm.
What does it mean, Leonio?" he
asked. You astonish mc-stay, you
taken something. You look 80 i'll, my
darling"
Still holding the packet in his hand,
mover looking to SEQ what it was, he
led her to the little couch and made
her sit down, and then he poured out u
glass of wine. She would have refused
it. but he told her he would not listen
to her until she had drunk it.
The generous wine brought back a
hinge OF color to the sweetface. 1t was
oil sweet now; that torrents of tears
seemed to have washed away the
former pride, hardness, and GOODNESS
forever. He was struck by the soft
ened beauty, and bent down to touch
the w hite brow with his lips, but she
shrank from him as she had neverdone
before.
do not do that, Paul, until you have
heard what 1 am here to say. Look at
what Is written on the document have
given to you."
He looked and saw
"The last will and testament of Uric,
Earl of Charnleigh."
"Leonie," he cried, "what does this
mean?:"
But she had risen from the little
couch and was kneeling at his feet. He
cried out again when he Jaw that; he
tried to raise her, but she bent her
head in lowliest humility.
Listen, Paul-listen to me. [ am
worthy only to kneel hero, not to stand
by your side. dear; for I have willfully
robbed you, knowing that all / had was
yours"
Robbed moi" he exclaimed. sWhat
can you mean, Leonie?"
Read that will, and you will UNDER
stand"
He opened the document, and as he
read a murmur of wonder that sounded
almost like regret came from his lips.
Mime" he said-"it is not possible!
Mine, Leonie, and not yours"
Eyes; have robbed you, Paul, I
found this will long months ago, and
hid it. Icamc down to Crown Leigh
ton this morning purposely to destroy
it, never intending to give to you what
Is your own, but 1 could not do it;
do it "
He seemed quite bewildered.
Il do not understand, Leonie. What
is it you say? Explain to me clearly
you have startled me-"
whole history OF her sin-from the first
the eventful night Of the charades to
this, when, humbled and repentaut, she
came to confess the truth to him. She
did not spare herself; she told him
how, one by one, she had discarded her
own self-respect, her love, her honor,
her hopes of Heaven. She did not
spare herself; she did not hide from
him one single incident Of her wrong
doing.
at was a terrible temptation, Paul.
she said, and I yielded to it. / have
not one reuse to offer. I repent Of my
sin now, but that will make It none the
less heinous."
Paul sat like a man suddenly bereft
of his senses, unable to speak, unable
even to think clearly.
Il cannot understand your words oven
yet"
have deceived you in every way. I
have kept this will back from you, try
ing to compromise with my conscience,
trying to make myself believe that II /
married you it would be the same-it
would not matter which had the inner
itance, you or l."
He tried to speak, but she went on
hurriedly-
II did not love you. Paul. I loved
Bertram Gordon; and the greatest
wrong I could have done would have
been To marry Won. for / love Rertram