The Bottineau pioneer. (Bottineau, N.D.) 1885-1895, 1894-03-03
CHAPTER V-(Contin.ed.)

NJ ~AS
"Oh, Minna," whispered Cicely in a
choking voice. II think-I am afraid
it is a lesson he will never get over.
Duke used some words to me~a few
days ago"
Dukes voice sounding harsh and al
tered, interrupted them, calling to them
loudly:
"Cicely, M!nna, what the d are
you doing chnttering up there when
dinners waiting? Didn't you hear the
bell? Are you both deaf"
They both came f1uttering down, With
an afleotation Of great cheerfulness,
This, however, was hard to keep up as
the dinner went on. Both men drank a
greet deal of wine; but while Duke,
under its influence. grew savagely taci-
turn, and betrayed its effects in glances
of fierce, undisguised hatred at his un-
hidden guest, the latter became more
and more lively and facetious, until he
fortunately grew too stupid to NOTICE
that his incoherent, huskily uttered
jokes met with NJ response. The Ia
dies sat on like statues, mute and mo-
tdonless, afraid to leave the men TO-
gether, afraid to exchange glanccs
which would betray their dread. At
last Radstock's indistinct babble grad
ually stopped, and his head sank upon
his breast, his sodden face became COM
pletely vacuous, his dull eyes stared
without intelligence at the empty de-
canter in front Of him.
Cicely raised her eyes timidly, and
glanced with q shudder from him to
Minna.
we can go now"
They o very quietly. Neither Of
tho men seemed to notice their action,
except that at the slight noise of the
moving chairs Duke looked up and fix
ed upon his uncle a look of such in
tense loatling aud adherence that
Ocely hesitated, and glanced half-un-
consciously at her husbands clenched
right hand and at the glass and at the
knife near it. A little blunt silver des-
Sert-knife, that was all: she would not
have owned 1T to herself, but she was
relieved to see that there was no i'm
plement more dangerous within his
reach. Perhaps Minna guessed what
her sister-in-law's thought was; she
drew the young wife's arm quickly
through her own, and dragged her al-
most by force out Of the
The closing of the door must have
reused the two men. The ladies, with
soft steps, and quite silently, had
scarcely entered the drawing room and
shut themselves in when they heard
the dining-room door open, and caught
the sound of footsteps in the hall.
"That's Duke!!" exclaimed Cicely
hcarsely, bending her head to listen.
He's going to the library. Thank
Godw
Mdnna did not leave her, and the two
sat together almost IL silence until the
clock struck twelve. 1t was a warn
night, but the anxiety under which
they were suffering made them feel
cold and stiff. AS midnight sounded,
Minna shivered. Cicely rose resolute-
ly and gently shaking the girl by the
shoulder, insisted on her retiring.
Il shall 60 and see Duke" she said.
"AId we will settle what to do. Then
I will come and tell you how we have
managed"
She tried to speak cheerfully, and as
she had evidently made up her mind.
Minna very regretfully left her and
went up stairs.
Cicely walked softly to the door, and
listened until she heard the bedroom
door close. Then, with her fingers on
the handle, she was about to leave the
dhawfng-room when she heard the
opening Of another door, that of the
dining-Foom. stumbling footsteps, aud
the noise Of a chair throws. down, be-
trayed Radstock's drunken movements.
He was going in the direction Of the H.
brary.
Cicely flung open the door and con-
fronted him.