The River Falls times. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1894-1933, 1898-03-29

He lifted her down in his arms. l
knew then that he loved her by the
way he performed the act. could have
sworn it.
What freak is this?' he asked.
why do you choose that means of
egress from the chamber of the bride?'
"She looked at him-and such look.
He fairly recoiled before it. She lifted
UP her hand, there was upon it a single
dash of crimson.
"'Lynde Graham she said, distinct
ly, there will be no bride, and if you
love me prove that love by keeping my
secretv
''She fled away, and he looked after
her like one in maze. 1t was five
minutes before he seemed to recover
his faculties. And then his face was
pitiful to behold. Such agony I have
never seen expressed by any human
countenance! Hardened as | was, |
pitied him.
"Well, you know pretty we'll all the
rest. Suspicion fell upon Lynde Ora
ham; he was arrested and convicted,
and because he loved this woman, he
would be willing to die in her stead.
He refused to speak the words that
would establish his innocence, because
by so doing he would condemn her to
the gallows.
"You may we'll believe that was pre-
pared to take advantage of what
knew. I guessed at first that she had
%
to be mistress of Trenholme House, and
it was not long before l sought her out,
and revealed to her my terrible secret.
For moment I thought she would have
killed me- l think she would, if she
had had the means at hand. After her
passion had little subsidized, | made
terms with her. Money was what l
wanted, and she gladly consented to
pay me for keeping dumb. This began
before she married Mr. Trenholme. At
| terward it continued just the same. You
all wondered at her frequent Journeys
from home; she only went to pay me
nv allowance at times when | was I'M
able, through illness, to come for it.
You, Mr.. Trenholme, thought me your
wifes paramour! bah! she would soon
err have killed herself than submitted
to the caresses of one like me. Ii she
was a murderess, she was true to you.
I remember once / made her kiss me,
and she touched me with just the loath-
ing that she would have touched toad!
But what did I care? I wanted money,
not love- 1t was dangerous secret to
keep, but l have been we'll paid for it.
Thank the powers above and below! l
am out of the reach of the law! | defy
you allp'
He lifted his hand in wild defiance,
| and fell back a corpse!
Helen rose from her kneeling posture
and faced Imogene, her face pale as
that of the dead man before her.
"You have heard the confession of
that dead villain" she said, slowly.
CHOW, we will listen to yours
Imogene shrank from the steady gaze
of those clear eyes, shrank back pitt
fully, crying out:
80 spare me! spare me! Do with me
as you will, but do not force me to
confesson!'
Ralph drew her sternly forward, and
took in his own the hands with which
she strove to conceal her face.
''You shall not be spared!' he said,
hoarseIy "You did not spare her! But
we will not condemn you without a
hearing Clear yourself, if you cam
81 cannot! o, you know l cannot! |
did murder her! But it was because
loved you! | could not live to see you
the husband of another! With her
dangerous face under the sod, | thought
my beauty might win you! God will
bear me witness that it was pure love
alone that Influenced me. / never once
thought of the power that would be
mine as your wife. Wealth and sta
ton were nothing to me! 1t was your
love wanted! o Ralph, only THAR
30 Godw cried Ralph, striking his
forehead, "to think that | took to my
bosom as my wife the murderess of my
poor Marinal It is too much! 1t mad
dens me! And but for you, Miss Full
ton, / might have lived on to the end
in ignorance, and Lynde Graham would
have died an innocent man.
81 did not seek this" Helen said, in
a subdued voice Heaven knows l did
not! But 1 was Obliged to come here,
I could not keep away. It YVES what
some call fate, suppose. After | came
here some things were forced upon my
knowledge that | did not care to know.
But having once become convinced that
Lynde Graham was wrongfully accused,
cot ~ work with NV mho1p Co111 tn