The copper country evening news. [volume] (Calumet, Mich.) 18??-1907, 1897-02-17

heart. Something rustled Denehtn MS
toach, and he rightly surmised that 1t
was letter.
"a letter from him." he muttered
between shut teeth perhaps it will |
tell Inc his name. And he quickly drew
it from its hiding place, hastily thrust
ing it into his pocket. With one last
look ut her still white face, he hurried
from the room to summon her mother,
then fled from that spot as though he |
feared himself and dared not tempt fate |
by another interview with the woman
he loved.
When miles away from that village,
he drew from his pocket the package he /
had taken from Lillian's breast. 1t con-
tanned two letters, one TO Lillian Dalton,
the other sealed and addressed to Ernest
Dangerfield.
With trembling fingers he tore the
| letter open and read its contents. Oh,
how piteous this woman's woe, how
| hopeless her love, how lost her souli 1t
was farewell-eternal, bitter, heart
broken. With curse, Hal crushed it in
his hand and spread the other letter
| open before him.
| Too we'll he remembered the careless
vet distinct, penmanship; too well the
fiippant, yet philosophical style, the IA
milar reasoning against matrlmony'
the light promises, the decided assertion
that he would marry no woman, under
no circumstances, and no matter how
much he loved her.
The next train carried Harold Ferris
rapidly away to the city named in the
direction on the envelope addressed to
Danperfeld. He himself would present
this letter and bring back the scoundrel
for whom he now felt only hatred. He
must right the wrong he had done, Or
one of them should die.
But his search was in vain. He lost
all track of Dangerield from that day,
vet strange voices of fatality whispered
of the dying year. Perhaps he was fool
ish and superstitious, but he hoped and
longed for the last hour of the year TO
come, with an almost settled faith that
he would then meet his enemy.
In q spirit of irony he decided to
spend New Years eve in New Mexico
ON the bank of the Rio Grande. As he
! stood on the spot where he and Danger
field had laughingly quaffed the toast
/ 10 future meetings at that hour he bitter
: ly reviewed the past and permitted the
hot tears to flow uninterrupted as he
recalled each word of the black border
, ed letter-sacredly carried above his
y heart-which told him of the pitifu
death of the woman he had loved anc
!, had hoped to have made his wife Ions
!, ere this
q Slowly the hours wore on, and II
4 knew it must be near midnight, whol
he heard Dangerfeld's familiar voic
n exclaim:
% "Great God, Hal, can it really b
you?' And the next moment the tw
q stood face to face
- Hal ignored the outstretched hand
N the other and gazed intently into 81
~ eyes, his passion rising, until with diff
II Guilty he kept his hands from the other
throat.
"Why, old man, it's you, isn't it. or
n spirit?" questioned Dangerteld, sti
n holding out his hand. Why don't yo
ny speak, or are you asleep"
an 81 am sufficiently awake to keep m
r. hands off you'll exclaimed Hal. "Whel
10 where is she?"
"She-whom?"
be 1.-THE woman you told me you loved.
cat home, suppose. :"
"You suppose. You don't known
"No, but there's no reasonable dou
ot about it. ;"
Of "Why don't you know?'
-, "Well, you see, she grew troubl
20 some. as women will, and T.
deserted her. +"
ooh. come, that's rather a seve
IT word IL only ceased to write; thai
MS all. :"
Halls eyes burned in the darkne'
- and for long time he did not spea
an and when he did his voice seemed
come from far out over the river as
not said:
vas "She is deadP'
mo "No, really?"
,aI "Really? Yes, damn you'll Dea
xv- Murdered by you as cruelty as thou
~, you had stabbed her to the heart
" only woman / ever loved, who wor
tho have been my wife had you not col
between us, and since you cannot ma
t;u restitution to her here you shall he
,aa after" And with threatening gest'
he started toward Dangerfield, who,
inc the first time in his life, was frighten'
MD Stepping quickly backward, ne i
r a his footing and without sound
;,h over the precipice to the rocks and 70
our ing river below.
our Hal paused on the brink with
avo of horror; then his face again grew
and stern.
nd cit was fate" he muttered. &c
de has punished him. His will be done
av. Then he silently strobe away.
uld
in Again the year sped by. The d
It'll moon floated in the heaven amid vap
.oof clouds and looked down upon the few
You ish life of the great metropolis.
hat Changed and aged, Hal Ferris ST.
, to OH Broadway. mid the glow OF tn
nor sands of electric lights and watc
the merry throng passing to and
49, hcrrv;uo tho old wear on its way w