The Kimball graphic. (Kimball, Brule County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1905, 1896-02-01
LOVE
w1LK1r Columns.
EpILOGuE.

I'll
w1LKIE COLLINS.
EPILOGUE.
It Il two years after the murder OF Lord
Harry Norland. the last event con aected
with this history.
Iris, when she accepted Hugh Mount
joys offer of his Scotch villa, went
there resolved to hide herself from the
world.
She was accompanied by her friend
and maid-the woman whose fidelity 70
her had been so abundantlv proved-and
by Mrs. Vimpany, who acted as house
keeper.
After a decent interval. Hugh Mountioy
Joined her. She was now u widow. She
understood very well what he wished tc
say, and she anticipated him. She IN,
formed him that nothing would ever in
duce her to become the wife of any other
man after her degradation. Hugh re
Geived this intlmation without u remhrlS.
He remained in the neighborhood, low.
ever, calling upon her frequently and OF.
necessary to her. The frequent visits be.
came daily; the afternoon visits were paid
In the morning; the visitor STAYED all day.
When the time came for Iris to yield, and
he left the house no more, there seemed to
be no change. But still they continued
piACl1 lElllCu lie u " 4 w NV NlllhA
they will ever change it again.
And then happened the last event which
the chronicler has to relate.
1t began In the morning with n letter.
Mrs. Vimpany received it. She knew
the handwriting, started, and hid it quick.
ly in her bosom. AS soon us she could get
away to her own room She opened and
read 1t.
Good and Tender Creature-1 ascer-
tanned, u good while ago, thinking that
probably | might have to make this kind
of application to you, where you were liv-
ing and with whom. 1t WAS not difficult;
I only had to connect You with Mr.. Hugh
Mountjoy and to fluid out where he lived.
Icongratulate you on being SO well able
to TAKE care OF yourself. You are proba-
bly, settled for life in " comfortable
home. i feel rs happy about it as if l had
suit.
l have no intention of making myself
more dtsagreeable than I am obliged to
do. Necessity, however. knows no law.
You will understand me when | tell you
that l nave spent all my money. l do
not regard the name i'll which the money
has been spent, but the fact that it has all
/! gone. This it is which cuts me to the
heart.
"I have also discovered that the late la
meuted Lord Harry, whose death ! myself
have the greatest reasons to deplore, play
~ lAO "a oSukN HtiSh 80 bNShA w
sums of money. The amount for which
he was insured was not less than e15,000.
The mount as he stated 1t to me was only
E4,0O0. III return for certain services rem
dered at n particular j%uncture ! was to re.
ceive the half of the insurance money. l
only received G2,0O0, consequently there is
still due to me the sum of $500. This is
a large lump OF money. But.Ir. Mount
Joy is, 1 believe, Il wealthy man. He will,
doubtless, see the necessity of paying this
money to me without further question or
delay.
you will. therefore, seek his presence
he is now, l hear, ut home. You may
read to him any part of this letter that
you please, and you will let him know
THAT | am in earnest. A man with emp
est.
"He may very possibly object.
Every good. III that case you will tell
him that Il fraud has been committed, in
connection With which l am prepared to
make a full confession. ] consented, on
entreaty Of Lord Harry Norland, to rep
resent the dead man as his lordship. I
then went away, resolving to have eoth-
ing more to do with the further villainy
which l believe was carried on to the Oh
tanning Of the whole amount for which he
was insured.
.The murder of Lord Harry immediate-
ly afterwards caused the company to drop
their intended prosecution. Ishall reveal
to them the present residence of his wild.
ow, and shall place my evidence at Their
disposition. Whatever happens, l shall
make the facts of the case public. This
done, nothing can hurt me: while wheth-
er the Public Prosecutor intervenes or
not, neither Mr.. Hugh Mountjoy nor his
wife can ever show their face to the world
Rgain.
'"Tell Mr.. Mountjoy, l say. whatever
you please, except that l am joking;
You must not tell him that. l shall call
tomorrow morning, and shall expect TO
find the business as good as done.
She read the letter again.
Two things were obvious. First, that
he had no clue of the restitution: and,
next, that he had no idea of the evidence
against him for the murder OF the Dane.
She resolved to communicate the latter
fact only. She was drawer now than she
had been formerly. She saw more clear.
ly that the way of the wicked man is MOI
always so easy for him.
If he knew thai his crime could bt
brought home to him; that he would Ger
tainly be charged with murder II he
dared to show himself, or II he asked fol
money, lie would desist. Before such t
danger the most hardened villain woult
shrink.
She also UNDERSTOOD that it was desira
Ole 10 ulue from ulil Vie dtuic vi VIZ CIV
dence aud the name of the only witnes!
against him. She would calmly tell hin
what would happen, and bid him begone
or lake the consequences.
Yet even il he were driven off he woult
return. She would live hencetorth In con
tinual apprehension OF his return. lie
tranquility was gone.
Heavens! That Il man should have sue
power over the lives OF others!
She passedlhe most wretched day of he
whole life. She saw in anticipation TIL
e happiness of that household broken up
picture his departure. For she had neve
seen him buf1ad and defeated.
" He would conne in, big, hurly. With hi
farmer.like manner: confident, bnliyinH
masterful. He would ask her what sh
hnd done: he would swear at her when h
q learned that she had done nothing; h
would throw himself into the most COR
Portable chair, stretch ont his legs. and OF
der her to go aud fetch Mr.. Mountjo,
0 Would she be subdued by him as OF old
Would she fiud the courage TO stand u
to him? For the sake of Iris-yes. Fo
the sake of the man who had been SC kin
to her-yes.
In the evening the two womeG-Mr
Vimpany and Fhnny-were seated in til
70 housekeeper's room. Both had work !
their laps; neither was doing any worl
The autumnal uuy had been boisterous; TIL
20 wind was getting higher.
what are You thinking OFF" askc
In Fanny.
II was thinking of my husband. II
were to come back, Fanny-lf he were
CO threaten"
you would loose my tougne-you woul
let me speak"
~ Eyes: for her sake. Iwould have shiel,
cd him once-if / could. But not now.
ne know, ut last, that there is no single goc
a, thing left in him."
:, ,(In,/A |II