Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1896-03-18
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your heart as / have read IL In your eyes
I to-day, and will be grateful for the half
loaf which is better than no bread. My
| wife, promise you, shall have no cause
for sorrOw!'
| But Jane only shivered and turned
away. She could not even consider the
advisability Of what he had urged, %
great was the repulsion engendsred BY
his words and manner. To vow to love
anu honor a man toward whom she felt
like that would be a positive wrong which
nothing could make right.
IF that II the condition, you must do
your worst. have NO fear but that Col.
0nel Prinsep can fight his own battls,
even against such determined malica.' -
she replied. bravely, and turned to leave
the room.
You defy mef' he asked, intsrcsptins
her. and looking down meaningly into her
face.
She returned his gaze without ninching.
Whatever fear she felt must not be be,
trayed to him.
Il do. Allow me to pass, Major Ian
eon."
| A moment he hesitated. He felt that
this would be the last interview with her,
that he had played. and lOst-nOt only
his stake. but even the poor friendliness
that had been his before. And he loved
her 30! The temptation assailed him to
at least taste all the wild sweetness that
farewell might be. He had never kissed
her-scarcely even clasped her hand with
more than ordinary ferver, and she was
going from him now forever! Perhaps it
was her pure, pale face, which with all
Its winning prettiness was proud too, that
restrained him; or, perhaps, he loved her
better than he himself knew; at any rate,
he drew back politely-almost rsverently
to let her pass, and she did not even
guess what madness had been In his
thoughts.
She sped back to her own room, and
found Mrs. Dene waiting for hor there,
seated on the edge Of the bed reading
the newspaper.
well, dearT she said, looking up,
smiling. is the bad quarter Of an hour
overT"
''Thank heaven-yes. Oh, Nora, he IL
. very wicked man!'
Perhaps you have not quite under
stood him, JennyT"
only too well, am afraid"
But the elder woman, who, without
knowins it, felt tender pity still for her
former lover, whom yet she neither loved
nor regretted, shook her head.
He was never 80 black as painted
not even so black as fancy he believes
himself to be. If you could have cared
for him sufficiently to marry him, 1 be-
licve he would have proved the best Of
husbands"
"Oh. Nora, never, never could! Please
say no more about 1t. IL that to-day's
paper? Is there any news?"
mot much. Except-yes, this may in
terest you-they are moving for a fresh
Inquiry into the murder of Trooper Lynn.
I thought it would come to that. Well.
anything 10 better than all those hints
and innuendos that they have been writing
lately. Now the whole truth will come
out, the murderer will be discovered, and
why, what 10 1t, Jennyr'
For Jane had fallen forward upon the
bed In q paroxysm Of grief.
For tho first time since the fresh In.
quiry was mooted, Mrs. Dene allowed
herself to believe that there might bs
something In the rumors which had gone
about. She could not but suspect that
there was q little truth In the statement
that the QuarteFmaster's daughter knew
something Of the circumstances of the
mans death; II not. why should she have
been 10 agitated on hearing there was to
BE- q new inquiry?
CHAPTER XXXIX.
The announcement In the Indian Argus
which had 50 startled Jane had also
proved very disconcerting to the Deputy
Commissioner himself. He had thouRht
that he was working 30 quietly, and yst
already 1t had leaked out that he was
working, which to a great extent must
restrict, or might even render futile his
efforts. Yet who could have 20 made
public the intentions which he had pur-
posely kept secret. only speaking Of them
10 his thanedar and Jane Knox? That
the latter would not have spoken Of It
- felt convinced. She was too deeply
concerned In the matter to talk of 1t at
random or lightly.
One other person, beside him to whom
that paragraph must have held such ter
rible import, was seriously disturbed By
1t; and that was Stephen Prinsep. He
edge on the subject, and that II was this
knowledge which had altsred her 20, and
destroyed his hopes Of winning her, for
awhile at least.
Curiously enough hs resolved to call on
Mrs. Dene, and get her to persuade Jane
to sec him.
But after all this proved an unneces-
sary precaution, for when he followed his
card, it was Jane herself who came In .
moment afterward, her face flushed With
the haste she hadkmads to Join him.
''Mrs. Demo II out, but she win Be back
again almost directly, I think" she ex-
claimed, hurriedly. "And, oh, Colonel
Prinsep, have 20 wished to see your
''Then am very glad I came. Some
how ! fancied You were wanting me,~
he answered, holding her hand IN Q firm
yet gentle clasp.
'"But you will never guess why"
"Are you quite sure Dc not knowr
"Oh, hope not-I hope notr' she s1s
claimed, earnestly. II think I must have
been quite mad when IL bslisvsd0"
"What, child-whatr
"That you had killed Jacob Lynn"
The words were out; but, now that she
heard her own voice express aloud what
for so long she had only Whispered fear
fully to her heart, its whole enormity rose
before her, and she wondered how for
a moment she could have thought 1t pos.
sible. She fell upon her knees, her hand
still held In his, the tears streaming from
her eyes,
"Oh, can you ever forgive me. Ste
phsnr
"What il there could not forgive yeu.
Jennyf" he said, softly, In the low, ca.
ressing tones which, though strange to
her 20 long, held still their powerful
charm.
Tell me why yop Gnspectfd mel" he
asked, gently, dsawins two chairs to the
dre, and seating himself - naturally in
one that she could net WSu refuse to take