Hot Springs weekly star. (Hot Springs, S.D.) 1892-1917, 1894-06-08

went away at last; there was nothing
nov ~ trust to o v time and PRAYER.
Y prayer would save the unhappy girl.
then Ethel Dacre would pray earnestly.
Meanwhile Lo~onie--sick, shudderinr.
her heart full of dread and fear-lsv
Watching for tho dawn.
She will betray me-aho VIII tell
eySry n what she suspects. Ia 1t
possible that I shall ever be found
OUT" The very thought made her
whole soul grow sick with fear. "Found
out"-she whispered the words to her.
out to be o thief"
She would fain have annihilatcd
i'm and space. SO eager was her de.
sire to take hold of the will and destroy
1t. Nothing could affect hcr ii that
were once ~destroyed; no human being
could give evidence against her, and
h should live and die Countess of
Charnlctgh. Ethel pacre might Ee-
tray her-she might tell tho story OF
the letter-sho might even whisper
her suspicious about the will; what
mattered 1t all whom nothing -abso-
iuteiy nothing-could be proved against
She laughed aloud-a harsh, discord-
OsSs w 1lSuk " tAo
lips of me 80 young and fair.
have imperiled my soul" she said,
II have sacrificed my love, and have
sent tho man I love to exile aud death;
surely tho small matter of losing tho
esteem of my fellow-crcatures cannot
hurt me after all that. 1t is the last
sacrifice l have to make. Goodness.
love, honor. honesty all are gone;
s~elf-respcct may follow them, the es-
TEEN and good opinion of my kind go
with it, but l shall live and die Count
ess of Charnleigh."
Suddenly across the dull gray OF tho
morning sky she saw IL CLEAN of gold,
and then She sprang up. knowing that
the morning had dawned. She changed
the white muslin wrapper that she
still wore for q dark III travelling dress.
and as she did SO Florette gently
orened tho door. She brought cup Of
tea and q fresh roll toher lady. Leonis
eagerly drank the tea, but did NOT
touch the roll.
"T'ry to eat something. my lady" said
the girl, you will faint"
Then came to l.eonie a dull Won
der as to whether she should ever eat
again; her heart was like lead within
her, her face palo, her hands trem-
bled SO that she could not fasten her
cloak.
we will walk to the nearest cab
stand," she said. "Oren the door
quietly, F~lorette; 1 do not want to dis
turb anyone"
So, in the early dawn of the summer
morning, Leonie left a magnificent
home, where she had lived so brilliant
ly, to commit one of the most treacher-
Ous of crimes.
Florette asked no question; vet she
wondered what this sudden Journey
meant-she wondered why hei. ladys
face was so sternly set and white-why
the pale lips were so rigid and COM
pressed.
Grown Leighton was reached at last.
Great ere the surprise and bewilder-
mont of the whole household at seeing
their lady. No one could understand
it. Leonie asked ut once for Mrs
Fearon, and, more than half bewil-
dered, the housekeeper entered her
presence.
"You are surprised to see me here so
early" she said. we cannot spare
many hours from London now, so 1
came by first train, and shall return
perhaps this evening""
Il will do my best to carry out your
wishes, my lady," said the woman:
and you will not find tho house in bad
order. Shall prepare some breakfast
for you:?"
NO" Leonie could neither eat or
drink again until that will was de-
stroyed.
She went to the room, almost dread
ing to look in the hiding-place lest the
will should be gone. She locked the
door, and then went with trembling,
%faltering steps to the place where she
had hidden the document.
1t was safe; a little cry escaped her
when she saw it again. She took the
cause of all her misery in her hands.
You have cost mo my love, and you
may. cost mo heaven" she said; snow
no more"
But how was she to destroy it?
There was but QUO method, and that
was to burn it.
IF 1 were t, tie it up with a stone,
and throw it into the sea, she said to
herself, tit might rise again. | will
burn i'll will watch the smoke from
its ashes curl in the air-I will watch
the ashes disperse in the wind; then,
in my own right, I shall know that I
am Countess Charnlcigh of Crown
Leighton.
How was she to burn it.? II she car
ried it down into tho servants quar-
ters, and was seen to put it into the
fire, umo might rise and tell against
her. She must destroy it here IN her
own room, unseen, unknown by all.
"One more falsehood and l shall be
Free" she said to herself, as she rang
the bell.
Mrs.. Fearon answered 1.-THE maid
was resting after her journey and
looked somewhat aghast when her
lady asked for a fire.
"A fire?:" repeated the h~ousekeeper.
as she looked from the beautiful, rest
less, feverish face to the glowing sun
outside. IF you do net think it too
Il have taken cold am c,ld." said
Leonie; and the shudder with which
she uttered these words gave them the
sembiance of truth.
Early rising is not good for you. my
LADY," decided the woman; Twill light
tho fire for you myself"
A fayv mora minnfoa and a hrioht q ,.o