The Black Hills union. [volume] (Rapid City, Pennington County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1889-1904, 1896-06-05
awful cry seemed sounding again is

She sat upright. looking pale and
deataly as 9 corpse, and fixed her
blue eyes full upon him.
..Father, whore is he??n
Far enough away by this, M
lass" he replied with a laugh.
..Where has he gone"
elbow q | tell?'
when did he leave youp"
HALT an hour since, maybe?"
"And sent no word to me:o"
''None, my lass"
She laid her hand on his arm, and
looked into his eyes with a searching
glance.
Father, | heard the cry of muir
der, by the pool, not long ago"
He started and changed color.
1.-The cry of-stuff, nonsense, girl.
You fell asleep, aud were dreaming"
~ .'No, father! l could not we'll
sleep while you and he were there.
And | heard the cry as plainly as l
hear myself speak now. Father.
what did it meane"
He sat down in his own armchair
without answering. and leaned his
head modify upon his hand. She
glanced at him, then threw up both
her hands and uttered a shrek of
horror that made him spring angrily
TO his feet.
"What ails thee, girl? You are
enough to brighten a mar out Of mis-
enses with your Paintings and
screenings and imaginings tonight.
Go to bed, and let us have done with
this folly. What business have you
up at such an hour anyway"
"Your hand! Your hand! Oh,
work!'
.'My hand? What ails my hand?"
he said, holding it out before him
with a puzzled look.
His question was answered. A
deep red stain was plainly visible
there.
ellis blood! NY darling's blood!!'
walled the half. distracted girl.
Father, what am | to say? What
am l to do? He is gonf and you are
a murderer before high heaven, and
| to keep the secret! Oh, my heart
will break! My heart will break!'
He gazed at her a moment like one
oppressed by a bad dream.
Then his face cleared gradually.
He closed the open door. sat down
beside her and laid his hand heavily
upon her shoulder. She shrank
from his very touch and he noticed
that she did so. But his face lost
none of it's hard, stern expression,
as she looked up to hear what he
had to say"
"You are in the right of it! You
hold my life in your hands tonight.
I'll not. disguise it from you. Now,
what will you do? Give your father
up to justice for the sake of your
your dead lover, or keep my secret
like a good, brave, devoted daugh-
ter, as you have always shown your
self before:"
..My dead lover! My poor, dear
Jamie-so gallant and so brave
whose only fault was in loving me
too well. Oh, father! father"
"Hush, fool! Do you want to let
every p~asser-by into the secret?' he
said, looking nervously toward the
open lattice. sShut that window,
and give over your crying long
enough to tell me what youswill do.
Because, if my W daughter is going
to give evidence against me, [ may
as we'll be off and save my neck
from the hangman while | can.
"l1l not betray you. father" she
said. and she rose and closed the
window and wept no more Her
fnopc cnnroo6 frn2ar or fhnin VOW
source by the certainty of the horror
that had come upon her.
"Hist, Rose! DO you see? There
stands Sir Laurence by u gate, as
l am a guilty man.
She clasped her hands upon his
arm with a low cry of fear.
Sir Laurence would never see his
fiftieth year again, but there was an
elasticity in his step, and a rare fire
in his eyes. that contrasted strangely
with the slightly-silvered hair and
tho small, fno wrinkles that clus-
tered thickly about his brow and
mouth. Lifting his hat with the
easy grace Of an accomplished cava-
lier, he addressed her in a voice
that was singularly low and deep,
and wonderfully musical in its
slightest tones. No one who had
ever heard that voice forgot it.,
through the lapse of Years. To-
night, to Roses excited fancy, there
seemed a sound of mockery in its
ringing chords, as if it's owner knew
her secret terror and distress only
too we'll, and was hooking and
%sneering at it, and her, in his in
most heart.