People's voice. [volume] (Wellington, Sumner County, Kansas) 1890-1917, 1894-04-20
CHAPTER Y.


Iessly as my thoughts went beating
hither and thither, my most abiding
sensation was one of anger against
Judith for her impOlitic conduct.
She might surely have temporized
with the Syrian, have led him on at
no hurt to herself, till she had wiled
from him some hint or clue to his
secret, but instead of this she had
deliberately maddened him by her
passionately displayed love for
stephen, and so flung away her last
chance.
And yet, when at nightiall l re-
turned to find the hut still empty, |
decided that he had gone back to his
own country as suddenly as he had
left it, and bitterly out of heart | sat
down by the cold hearth thinking of
the hopes that had sprung in me so
lately as that morning.
Something, too, of Judith's doubts
in this mans power to save her as
sailed me now; after all, might ne not
have been affecting a knowledge that
he had not, solely to obtain a sight
Of the woman he so passionately
coveted?
He might have been, but l felt
convinced that he was not. And
sense OF baffied fury filled me at the
thought of him, on his way back to
Syria, carrying the undivulged
secret that would have made the two
most miserable people alive the hap
piest, while from me would have
been lifted an intOlerable burden
that would haunt me to my life's end
Judge, then, of my Joy when at
dusk | heard the latch lifted, and
saw standing in the aperture of the
door a tall shape, whose dishevelled
hair and muddy clothes bore witness
to the violence Of the physical and
mental exercise that had racked it,
and when the haggard wretch sank
into the corner before me; | could
almost lin the sudden relief his re-
turn had afforded me) have found it
in my heart to pity him
But l gave no sign of such weak
ness, and went on smoking my pipe
as though he were not present, and,
while did so, resolved upon my plan
OF action.
Presently rose, knocked the
ashes out OF my pipe, and going up
stairs collected few necessaries |
had there, put them in a portman-
teau, and bringing it down proceeded
to add certain other trifes that were
lying about, then fastened it, and
placed it ready by the door with my
OvercOat and rug, then resumed my
seat opposite the Syrian and spoke.
Il am going away" l said, "but
you are at liberty to use this place
as long as you please. Jake will
bring you all that you require"
Worn out as he was, the Syrian
eyes pierced me as he said,
"Why are you going?"
l shrugged my shoulders.
why should stay?" l said, al
have neither the wish nor the heart
to see woman hanged for a crime
that she did not commit, a woman
whom word too from you would
save
The Syrian laughed harshlv.
lis your blood so cold in your
country?" he said, do you always
throw the women you love into the
arms of other men? Living, she
would be his; dead, she is as much
mine as his"
Not So" cried, ''since you have
possessed neither her heart nor her.
TO home, go home to your own coun.
try and hold up your head there il
you can with the memory forever
with you of the towards deed you
have done over here.
1T is who have been deceived,
cried the Syrian with heaving breast
81 came honorably to make her my
wife, only to find that / was be-fooled
by a scoundrel whom | had housed
and fed when he was destitute, whom
l taught and enriched till he had al
most forgotten his former miserable
estate, and who rewarded me as you
know
What he did is no business OF
hers" | said, looking him full in the
face with bitter contempt and all
the sins Of his mis-spent life would
weigh as nothing in the balance OF
your blood-guiltiness, for il she dies,
you are her murderer.
"You are mad" said the Syrian
s,lienly, 1.-THE law of your country
found her guilty, and your laws are
just have lied to you, and could
not save her if l would. You think
that Seth Treloar and l knew some
secret about arsenic that enabled us
to take it with impunity-why then
did he die from an over dose of it?r
God knows" / said bitterly,
'your COMPOUNDED juggling with the
cursed stuff is beyond me-but
probably by some oversight he had
not his antidote with him.
A fitting smile of contempt told
me that had missed the mark, ther
the Syrian said calmly,
HE never carried, for he never
needed 6n antldote.n
/ shrugged my shoulders spi