Butler citizen. [volume] (Butler, Pa.) 1877-1922, 1897-10-14
NO.4O
.Hc has left letter for mamma. She

Flinging these disjointed phrases at
my head she left me, and / returned
thoughttuny 70 the bedside of Bur-
lington. rs yet he had shown no dis
position to talk. The doctors second
examination had provoked groans and
affirmative mods in response to impor-
tant questions. The man was terribly
bruised; but his bones, mirabile dictu,
were still intact. Quiet, of course, was
imperative; and any excitement might
prove fatal. led the doctor to the win
dow and told him briefly that
Demctrius had left the house. ANY
thing you need, doctor, can get. Pray
command me-" The doctor, however,
refused my services, and went himself
20 prepare lniment. ! accompanied
him to ;he door, and when / turned con-
fronted the melancholy eyes of Bur-
lington. The fire was out of them; in
its place was question.
Am l in the house of Mark Gerard?"
he asked, harshly.
You are in the house of Mrs. Ger
ard 1 replied. 1t was futile to evade
the truth, but wondered how he would
take it.
He took it, as might be expected.
hardly-in silence. The hot blood
famed across his forehead, and ebbed
instantly, leaving the pale complexion
livid-a danger signal which quickened
my own pulses. The situation was in
tensely dramatic His next question
surprised me:
rs the Greek here?"
He was here"
Curse him! Don't let him come into
this ROOM"
He closed his eyes and said no more.
After all, he had said enough. The
mere words, coupled with the tones of
his deep voice, Mortified me. Manifest
ly, his appetite for blood was not yet
glutted. And this man was the father
of Nancy!
An hour later the letter of Demetrius
was placed in my hands. L had finished
a hasty breakfast, and was sitting,
smoking, upon the veranda. The doc
tor and the nurse were with Burlington.
The letter ran thus:
Dear Madame: Acting In accordance
with the instructions received from my
master, have been compelled to leave your
mouse ana take your son Win me. we can
camp at the hut on the island" (Mark had
described this hut to me with enthusiasm;
1t had been built by his father and was well
proyisioned for the purposes of duck shoot
ing). ''and Mark. as you know. will be
safe and happy there with me. / dare not
take the chances OF exposing the boy to
the fury of a powerful mailman Yours re-
spectfully. madame. DEMETRIUS."
Nancy brought me this carefully writ
ten epistle, and with it a message from
her mother Mrs. Gerard was pros
trated by the events of the past "a hours
and unable to leave her room. She ap-
proved the fight of Demetrius.
HE is certainly faithful" said Miss
Nancy
why are you not lying DOWN." 1
asked, severely.
Il could not rest while-while the
thunder is in the air. Mamma has just
given me the key to the puzzle. She
has told me that Mr.. Burlington is a
madman-that he has a terrible grudge
against father, and wishes to murder
poor Mark. How horriblel"
Every horrible" said, gravely.
"And you," she continued, "were sent
down to stand between Mark and this
dreadful monster. 1 did you an in
Justice. Forgive me-"
She held out her hand frankly, with
an air Of good-fellowship which argued
the lack of tenderer sentiment.
"But the monster" she continued,
withaslight shiver, "is surely helpless 2"
That, Miss Nancy. we do not know.
We think So"
"Mamma also told me that he had
once tried to murder father, and in
stead had killed his partner. ! could
see that the mere telling of the story
upset her terribly. Oh, Mr.. Livingston,
my heart misgives me when think that
I'm responsible for this man being here.
What have done in my folly and con-
ceit?"
Her distress was most painful to wit
ness; and naturally / offered some
crumbs of comfort, pointing out that
she had acted according to the dictates
of her heart, woman's wisest counsel
or, and doubtless for the best, ulti-
mately.
"Why has this man." she asked, fierce
ly, "been suffered to heap such wretch
cdness upon the heads of innocent peo-
ple?"
was silent.
"Have you nothing to say?" she de-
manded, hotly.
There is reason in everything" /
answered-"the inexorable logic OF
cause and effect. believe that the an
swer to most of our questions may be
found, if we search patiently. The
problem of human suffering is to be
solved, but not by random guesswork.
The sufferings of such a woman as your
mother are to be evidence of q future
state of existence"
She listened attentively to my crude
response, a softer light suffusing her
fine eyes. The thought struck me that
both of us, she as we'll as I, had taken
life too lightly and needed the discipline
of reflection. To me personally things
in general had begun to assume strange
proportions; some of my mountains
dwindled to mole hills, and vice versa;
substance melted into shadow; the ideal
absorbed the real. The process is often
rapid, and, like trip across the English
channel, most upsetting.
Yesterday" said Nancy, after a sig
nificant pause. 81 particularly noticed
the sunset. The line of surf, with the
light behind it, was purple, not white;
and yet 1 knew, of course, that it was
white 1t is so with the human souls
we meet; their color depends upon the
light, and our own eyes deceive US.
And there are always the two roads,
one leading TO Heaven-on earth, i
meap.-and the other to-"
"The land of regret May you never
set foot therel"
spoke warmly.
THANK you; you would"
"Turn myself into sign post for
your sake. Most assuredly."
We gazed calmly and dispassionately
into each others eyes. Perhaps, all in
all. il was the bitterest moment OF my
life, for saw that she had guessed my
secret and remained unmovcd; and yet
the leaven of sweetness was there
lro BE coyrrNUED.J
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