The Black Hills union. [volume] (Rapid City, Pennington County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1889-1904, 1897-09-10

NoAlCu ultll SOulc Oue iuAue NY pres
ence known to the mar whom l was
bent upon seeing.
No doubt he heard the noise of my
forcible entrance. In Il minute the
folding-door, which, as is often the
! case in lodgings, divided the sitting
room from the bedroom opened, and
Eustice Grant appeared. AS he did so, l
caught a glimpse of the bedroom from
which he emerged. An open portman-
teau. apparently half-packed, was lying
on the bed, and there were other evil
dences of preparation for a journey.
Grant advanced toward me, but he
made no p%retense of greeting me. He
neither offered his hand, nor babe me
good-evenig. l rose and faced him.
He was pale, almost CHASTITY pale. His
brows were bent, and a slight twitch of
the nostril told MI he was suffering
from some great, though suppressed
emotion. He looked at me haughtily
and angrily; but whatsoever he had
whereWith to reproach himself, there
was neither fear nor triumph in his
gaze. ! looked at him and wondered;
but l felt certain that he knew all about
Viola's absence.
Still, as that absence might ever now
be satisfactorily explained. l resolved
that l would not, by evincing premature
distrust or suspicion, let this man tri-
umph over me. So 1 spoke with forced
composure:
MI. Grant, I have missed my wife,
somewhere. Can you give me tidings
of herr"
Il can not he replied coldly.
Where did you part with her? You
left Mr.. Monks with her, in a cab.
Where did you leave her."
Il can not tell you, Mr.. Lorraine"
"Do you mean that you are ignorant
Of her whereabouts?"
you have had my answer"
My blood boiled. You mean you will
not, dare not tell me, you Utter villain!'
l cried. II will know, or I will kill
you!!'
The table was between us. or 7 should
have sprung at his throat.
II care nothing for yoGr threats, Mr..
L%oraine,' he said, with CALLING con-
tempt. "Wherever Mrs. Lorraine is, she
is there of her own free choice"
"She is herein this house with
you" exclaimed.
Look for her-search every u D
board and Granny. I will ring; you
shall be conducted over the whole
building. Make it public property that
you are a jealous husband looking for a
faithless wife. No; that shall not be
done for her sake. Wherever she is,
she is not here"
He spoke as if expecting me to be-
lieve him. Strange to say. | did be-
lieve him. The thought that this house
would be the last place in which he
would hide Viola from my search, no
doubt conduced to this belief. But now
| could no longer doubt the horrible
truth. This man. by some devilish
craft, had torn my wife from me-had
taken away the oma who, a few
hours ago, pressed a Judas kiss on my
lips, even as she was going to meet her
lover.
Stay! perhaps he had killed her. Such
things have been lone before now by
men who fail to win the woman they
love. Perhaps he had decoyed her
away, and was OBTAINING her against her
will. Even now she might be longing
for me to come and free her.
All these thoughts whirled through
my brain, and for a moment unnamed
me. I sunk Upon a chair, cold and
trembling in every limb. Grant stood
like a statue until 1 recovered myself.
"You villain!" I gasped. q will
know will see her! Tell me where
she is!'
He leaned forward. He looked at me
s%ternly:
"Listen!' he said, in a fierce voice.
In this room I said to you, Take her
and make her happy Have you done
so?'
laughed wildly. IF being willing to
shed ones blood for her can make a
false woman happy, she should have
been happy. Does she. expect to find
bliss III a life of shame with your"
His eyes blazed. "You had better CO."
he said. Go at oncew
I laughed m%ockingly. Now that I had
lost all hope, now that my one desire
was vengeance, l could speak calmly.
II shall stay here" I said, until you