Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1897-07-01
CHAPTER XVII.

Extracts from journal OF Sir Ralph Fer
rerS, kept for two years succeeding the mys.eii-
Gus death of his nephew, Yorke Ferrers.]
1t is all over at last, that hateful bust
ness Of the inquest Heaven forgive me
if [ have kept anything back that would
have thrown light upon this tragedy!
And now let me go back to that night,
and put down, for nay own satisfaction,
what I have not breathed, and think l
never shall dare to breathe, to q living
soul.
On arriving at Monks Hall that fatal
evening, I, as before stated, went to
Joan's boudoir 1 had left her i'll. had
parted from her coldIy, and I wished to
know how she was. The child was there
alone, but left to seek her sister, I went
over to the fire, and to the chair in which
she had been seated. Close beside it lay
a paper, as if dropped in haste. I took
it up. / knew the writing only too well.
It was that of Yorke. The letter was in
two halves. thought she must have in
tended to throw it into the fire, and fail
ed to notice that it had fallen short of the
mark. read it-every word.
Of what did think as I took my way
blipdly in the direction Of the ruined sum-
mer house? Of what does man think
when the hand he loves best stabs him
relentlessly to the heart? Who would
not prefer the death Of the creature he
loves to her lasting eternal dishonor-
who, at least, that has loved?
The binding mist came down upon me;
the darkness set itself like foe between
me and the path sought. In the sitting
atmosphere grew confused; the suffering
which enveloped me drove reason into
chaos, and left but one thought whirling
and repeating itself in my brain, IF find
them together, will kill him! I will kill
him!'
Suddenly heard shot. It seemed so
close that for a second I almost fancied
it had been aimed at myself. I stood as
if turned to stone, misunderstanding
with every faculty concentrated in the
actor any sound or cry. There was
faint rustic of the clOse-growing under
wood-so faint, so fur off, that it might
have been made by the wind, or the pas
sage of some sacred bird, frightened from
its nest That was all. l collected my
startled energies. I rushed on. reach
ed the open SPACE where the old summer
house stood rotting in solitude and decay.
The mist was less heavy here; went for
ward few PAGES, listening at intervals.
There was absolute silence.
The newspaper has stated most Of these
facts, and the further course of action
pursued. need not repeat them at
length. But the newspapers know moth
ing Of the one thing. I discovered that
night. Only trifing thing, yet thing
that has been immortalized by the great
est tragedy of the worlds greatest genius
"a woman's handkerchief; little gossa-
mer, flmy thing, and in one corner en-
broidered with the letter -"
He was dead-quite dead. He lay there
alone in that awful misty solitude; he lay
there as I had turned him, face upwards
to the silent sky, whose faint moonbeams
ssroye to pierce the clouds; dumb, sight
less. now and forever; helpless as my own
accusation, powerless as my promised re-
venge.
She had been here That knew. Per-
haps all had been arranged for their fight;
perhaps they had parted, thinking to meet
ere many hours had passed, and then
part never again on this side of heaven.
Perhaps-but why pursue conjecture fur
Their? He was beyond the reach of my
vengeance-of her love. As thought Of
her, I knew she must be near. Had she
heard the shot? Would she return?
left him there and hurried back. My
feet seemed winged. l reached the ter
race, and was rushing round to the door,
when I stumbled against something-a
woman's PROSTATE figure. The shudder Of
dread that shook me told me who it was
even before the faint light reached her
face. I bore her in. She was mine
guilty or guiltless, shameful or pure, she
was mine; the bearer Of my name, the
holder of my honor, the creature | had
loved, and reverenced, and worshiped,
and who had fooled me with such tricks
as drive a man mad. She was mine, and
I must try and shield her from the con-
sequences of her folly and her weakness
It Is all over now. No suspicious have
been awakened, no question raised; acci-
dent has received the blame. and to acct
d.r,t must dl1ia tragedy be attributed He