The Dickinson press., 1894-05-05

VI I'S W.
a mother aroused to her duty to Il
way ward. hut neglected child.
As she stood celebrating what to
do. for the first time Il glimmer OF
hope that the worst might not have
happened came into her mind. Rad
stock might not hc dead after all.
Why had she not thought OF this be-
fore? She felt in her husbands peck
cts. found the key OF the inner cellar.
and taking the candle. went quickly
down stairs. 0 giving herself time
to faltcr at the thought of the dread
full sight her eyes must meet. Hcr
heart almost failed her as she descend
cd the stone steps. II for II mo-
mcnt she hcsitated to enter the cellar.
Rracing herself. however, to her task.
by Il strong effort. she ran over the
brick floor. frightened by the sound of
her own footsteps. and glancing be
hind her to he sure that the noise
VAS not the footsteps of some II fol-
lowing h~l. knowing her secret.
For it had already grown to be her
secret: she seemed to have taken the
burden of it, With it's guilt and horror,
on her shoulders. SHE listened at the
door of tile inner cellar, but heard
nothing but her own sobbing breath.
Then she put the key in the paddock.
turned it with some difficulty, for 1t
was old and rusty, and pushed open
the door.
At last her coward eyes reached the
floor. In the corner behind the door
there was q huddled heSp; clothes, floor,
walls were stained and soaked with
blood. Cicely knew that it was a
dead man who was lying at her feet.
his face on the ground, one arm bent
under him, the other tutstrctched; but
she had tho courage TO lift the lifeless
head, md to see that the throat was
gashe1 from side to side. AS she drop
ped the head and drew back slMdder-
ing. she caught sight Of the knife her
husband had thrown down; it was
stained and wet. Then she relocked
the door and fled III stairs as If the
| phantom of the murdered man was
pursuing her.
For the first time, as She saw her
husband lying by this time fast asleep,
she felt a spasm of the natural human
loathing of the manslaycr. But even,
before she had conquered this, she
brought Il sponge to the bedside and
clearscd his hands from the tell-tale
stain. Then with a pair of scissors
she cut away the front of his shirt.
which was also stained, rolled it up and
hid it away. Then, believing sleep to
be an imposSibility for her that night.
sh' sat up in an armchair beside her
husband with NJ very clenr thought,
but with Il feeling that he was IL sick
man. In mind, if not in body. and need
cd her most watchful nursing.
The horror and the shock Of the
nights events. however, had worn II
her body and mind; she fell asleep, and
it was Duke who awoke first on the
following morning. to lind his wife's
head had Slipped down III to the pill
low beside him.
He started, still heavy from the eff
fccts of the narcotic he had taken.
and not remembering clearly and Of
the events of the preceding night.
''Ciccly!! he cried. why, Cicely,
why aren't you in bed, my dear? What
is the matter!"
Ciccly opened her eyes with a start,
and looked up at him. Unlike her
husband, she realized in a very few
glanced fcarfully from his face, which
still bore evidences of the strong emo
lions which had torn him, to his hands.
Looking at her face, the expression Gu
that of Duke gradually changed and
grew more gloomy. He followed her
glance from his hands to his shirt.
front.
"iNhat's thisY' Ii, asked hoarsely,
finding that the front had been Cit
away.
Cicely tried to laugh.
ut was wct,' she said, trying to
speak easily, land l was afraid you
would catch cold. You were fast
asleep, so l had to cut it,"
Gradually, as she spoke, the mem
DRY Of all that had passed began to
come back to him. He fixed his eyes
upon her with n searching gaze SO full
Of misery that she could not meet it.
Rising quickly, she tried to walk away
across the room, but suddenly stopped
with Il cry Of pain, and fell into a
chair.
MY ankle! I sprained it, I think,
last night on the cellar stairs"
1.-The cellar stairs!" repeated Duke
slowly. Then he sprang up suddenly
into Il sitting position. ''What were
you doing-down there?'
She tried to face him bravcly, tried
to answer him. But she could not
The horror of it al" overwhelmed hel
afresh. With a low cry, Which was
scarcely more than Il mOan. she lei
her head fall forward on to her hands
Duke sprang up from Ii bed and
knelt down in front Of her.
"What do you krow? What die
YOU see!" lie asked, In a shame-facel
guilty whisper.
Il know everything saw every
thing. Don't ask me about; don't spcal
Of it-at least not yet. I cannot beal
it," abe gasped out incoherently.
Even now the heavier share of tho
burden seemed to be hers. Duke look
ed ut her, and then his arms crcp1
round her neck, and his head fell, like
that of Il naughty child seeking for
gjvencss. with II nesting pressure
against her breast. For 4 few minutes
they We're both quite silent. she re
turning his cares with a passionate
tenderness quite foreign to her. The1
he raised his head and put his lip:
close to her ear.
"You do forgive me, don't you, Cice
ly?
At first she could not command hel
voice to answer him. 1t was she wht
was passionate now, with a strength OF
emotion to which his most vehemen
transports were weak II cold.
"Oll, yes, yes!!" she whispered. Ih'
words seemed to bubble up from hel
very heart. and almost to choke he
i'll their uttGrancc.
Even at that moment Cicely was
astonishcd ut the comfort her words
her carcsscs, had the power to glv'
him.
They were silent again for 4 loni
time, with the dead, heavy silence O
despair; until they heard the servants
going about their morning work, ant
the cries of tile children in the nurser!
overhead. Then they reused them
selves, and realized, in Il strange
dreamy manner. tl,at they must 6.
about the business of the day as usual
You will go to the city, asket
Cicely.
Yes, yes" he answered, hastily
springing up and preparing to 80 int
e his dressing-room. Nothing will hav'
: leaked out yet"
CONTINUED NEXT WEEK.