The Worthington advance. [volume] (Worthington, Minn.) 1874-1908, 1895-01-24

AZ 5lgs M ss A "a
interest at stake; / did not tell you, as
feel in duty bound to do now, that !
suspected who it was that forged that
will BY his own tacit admission ]
know that it was Mr.. North
The calmness was all gone from voice
and manner before these last words
were fairly uttered. a woman with
less pride would have broken down
completely; Mrs Maynard sat with
impressed lips and tightly interlaced
fingers, holding herself under 9 rigid
control. She did not look at the girl
who was sitting so silently on the has
sock at her side; but she was vitality
conscious of all the grief and amaze
ment that Myra Hilary's face SO plainly
revealed.
The fairy castle in the CRATE suddenly
fell into sparkling ruins, sending out a
flash of brilliant flame that illuminated
the twilightcd drawing-room for a mo-
ment with the glow OF q strong, red
light. Then by degrees the illumina-
ton subsidized into ftful CLEANS. play
ing with weird effect of light and
shadow over the dim room, and giving
transient glow Of color to the two
white faces that were turned silently
toward the fire. It seemed hours to
Myra Hilary, in the blank wretchedness
that kept her own lips dumb, before
Mrs. Maynard spoke again; but it was
in reality only moments, a space easily
filed by the slow striking of the great
clock in the hall and the tardy response
Of the, drawing-room clock, whose
silvery chime fell tinkling upon the 81
lence. AS if waiting only for this in
terruption to cease, Mrs. Maynard re-
sumed as soon as the last stroke died
away:
NJ J. ''You can imagine with what a shock
this revelation fell upon lne-this dread
full suspicion which his own words and
manner first suggested to my mind, and
then tacitly, but Enthusiastically, con-
tirmed It was difficult for me to real
ize what was nevertheless forced to
believe. And then blamed myself far
more than him, for L feared that it was
nv eagerness to secure that fortune
that had led him on to take this fatal
and desperate step. You know what
reason / have to wish for an indepen-
dent fortune: you have seen with your
own eyes the unhappiness of my life
here, under the same roof with the man
who has hated me with a causeless, in
sane hatred from the day Of my mar
riacc to his brother, and who, during
the four years of my widowhood, when
the conditions of my husbands will
made my inheritance OF the plttance
that he allowed me dependent upon my
continued residence here, has abused co
the utmost his invalid's privilege to
make existence burden to me. Can
you wonder that l saw a welcome re-
lease in the chance Of possessing that
childless old woman's wealth, which
she had conditionally promised me over
and over again should be mine? And it
was for this, thought, to secure to me
the prize that coveted SO eagerly, that
he had committed this deed! You can
perhaps imagine the agony OF self
reproach that this thought brought to
me- Then by degrees the scope and
possibilities of his motives were re-
#vealed to me; my perception of his char
actcr and his capabilities widened: n by
wonderful and unexpected turn OF the
wheel of fortune. the missing niece and
heir-at-law was discovered; the proofs
Of her identity and whereabouts fell
into his hands. Instantly his active
syInp atllies were all transferred from
my interests to Annie Dupont's. The
desire to ingratiate himself with the
successful heiress would be perhaps a
natural and sufficient motive for this
change in him; but that another and
still stronger motive exists, I have be-
come reasonably convinced. And this,
my dear Myra, is the keynote of my
warning to YOU 81. ~, .-..+. =
'.To me?" Miss Hilary repeated the
words incredulously wi tn a little start
of amazement. 'sTo me? Why, Mrs.
Maynard, what have to do with this
matter?'' 7..'--. =. s., IN ~"
perhaps can satisfy you that you
have very important part to play in
this interesting little drama returned
Mrs. Maynard, with a rather forced
smile. II date Mr.. North's sudden in
terest in you, which you yourself no.
ticed for the first time, to a certain day
this week when we drove by the Clement
house and saw him about to step into a
carriage that was waiting there With
him was a man who had called here an
hour before, and left the house in com
pany with Mr.. North; the mysterious
man through whom all the recent dis
coveries about Annie Dupont We're
made. Mr.. North had just had a pri-
vate interview with this man, and
doubtless had heard his story. And,
as we drove slowly past, it was you
that absorbed his whole attention;
you at whom he. gazed with such rapt
interest that he did not see me at all.
I bowed to him as usual; he paid no
heed; his eyes Were fixed upon your
face, while a strange excitement and
agitation were apparent in his whole
manner I did not see him again un-
til he called this morning. During the
few moments that we were alone in
the conservatory he told me that An
n II