Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1894-05-31
CHAPTER XVII.


MAN"
For moment he made no attempt
TO go near her
"Why do You madden me in this way,
Mary2" he asked. Am | so hateful to
you that,when seek thus To be alone
with you. your only feeling Is loathing2
Is II so objectionable n crime that my
love should urge me To bring you hcre2
All my wrong Ia that love YOU
"Lovcl What can you know OF love,
when you seek To force IL with an iron
pIdlock? Love trusts and does not
threaten. You know nothing Of love. ="
TRUSTS" he returned, impatiently.
And have ! not trusted? | have
trusted too long, and nothing has
come Of IL. Now | will net"
"Why have you changed like this
20 mo?" asked Mary, with more gentle
ness. you said that 1t would MAKO
you happy to see me happy. and you
promised TO help TO prove Toms limo
ccnce. What have | done 10 change
you or 20 anger you?"
You have done nothing Nothing
you could do would anger me, Eat
the time has come when ! must net
You could not understand II | toll
you. Mary ! swear to yod 1--we yll
with all my soul There H. not Il with
nor thought, however light. however
wild, will not try 10 satisfy, IL .,ou
will only be my wife. Will you not
listen to me? do not ask you to lbyc
me at Grst. know tLst may leo hard
perhaps impossible. hut VIII lie love
Ia love, such n passion as 1nins mast
make an echo in time viii you trust
mcP'
lie spoke with eager, earnest plead
ing, and made as though to take her in
hih arms.
keep away from mel You forget
am the pliEhted wife Of another man, "
lie stopped, let fall the hands which
he had held toward her, and stared at
her with love, disappointmentand rage
battling together for mastery In hi,
gaze. Slowly tho color ebbcd away
from his checks, and he grew deadly.
dangerously white and stern.
els that your final answer" he
asked, his lips moving at first with no
sound Issuing from them; while his
voice ut length sounded hoarse and
deep. hollow and ncrveful.
III IL were my last moment on earth
! would say the same" answered the
girl, with compressed passion. ~
loatho the very sight of you"
lie made no reply to this, but CON
tinued to gaze at the girl. An express
sion of sadness dimmcd the ncrccr
light of his eyes, but he went whittier
even than before. Then n great sigh,
| almost u sob, burst from him, shaking
his broad frame and making him culver
| like n struck woman.
Then may God have mercy on me,
for you shall not live to belong TO
another man"
The awful stiffness in the room, the
mans moving agitation, his solemn
carnestness and the Gespairing deter
limitation in his voice showed Mary
that the danger which threatened her
was real enough, and that IL she was
TO escape her wits must be quick in
finding plan.
After he had spoken the man lcaut
back against the wall folded his arms
across his chest and gloomily looked at
the girl. Mary moved away, and by
slight and almost imperccptiblo de-
grces placed as great distance as pos
sible between them, watching him all
the time like one watches u danger
GUS animal.
II was n time of fearsome suspense,
but the girl forced herself to keep up
her courage and tried to think how
she could possibly escape. She ran
her eye quickly but stealthily over the
two doors 10 the room. There was one
behind her, but this she felt sure he had
locked before he had trapped her In
the office. The other he had locked
when first he had thrown the mask of
his conduct, but the key remained in
the door.
Could she reach it2 II she could do
that and then get out of the room her
chances of ultimate escape in the large
rooms Of the mill would be much
greater
But Gorringe stood rightin the path,
blocking the way completely, and she
could think of no plan to lure him
away. lie himself removed part of the
difficulty. With another deep-drnwn
sigh no moved from whore he stood
with his back to the wall, and the
sound of the slight movement sent a
thrill of cold TO the girls heart.
Then suddenly plan, fully formed,
rushed into her mind Close behind
her were several packets Of cotton, and
psar 10 II q large bundle Of waste,