The Superior times. [volume] (Superior, Wis.) 1870-1912, 1898-09-17
CHAPTER XXIV-fContinued.)

Every glad TO find you at last be cried,
in his usual genial, pleasant voice, as he
advanced, with outstretched hand: Il am
| longing to Know
He stopped. silenced and astonished by
the aspect Of Standish, his stern face, and
the sight of his hand closed and resting
on the table, quite irresponsible 70 Eyer
tons friendly gesture
What Is the matter, StandishF"
II will explain. You must hear me
without interruption, for what l am going
TO say is a sufficient strain on my self
control. l have heard the whole truth
which underlay the ira gedy in which we
have both played a part. I know the
brutal villainy Of your conduct toward
your friends wife. I know that the sus-
picons which should have fallen on you
were directed to me. and | have II from
! Cnlander himself that he, too, had learn
ed the truth, that he was aware of the
debt he owed you. and was resolved 10
| pay it in full; therefore, you are unht 10
touch the hand Of gentleman, 70 SIT III
the room with decent woman. You took
! the heart, the will, Of II weak, innocent
| child by faisest strategem into your iron,
pitiless ha nds, and for the qualification Of
a base passion. destroyed her souls life
as certainly as her murderer struck her
dead"'
| While he spoke Egerton's large, dark
eyes grew larger, fercer, and fixed them
selves unfiinchingly on those Of Standlsh.
| Yes" he returned, in hard voice.
This is how, | suppose, moral. blame
less man like yourself looks upon me, ana
/ this is how l look upon myself: l found
one OF the sweetest, fairest creatures my
/ eyes ever rested on, whose indeilnab bic
/ charm fascinated my heart and thrilled
/ my senses as no other woman among the
| numbers | have known ever did before.
/ found her tied to a cold, half-inditferent
/ man, whose zee, whose dull nature cheek
/ cd and repressed hers. She feared hlm
she wanted the mpaniOnshlp of young
/ er, more sympathetic man. She was
! formed for me, and all that was needed to
secure such happiness as men and women
rarely taste was that she should take
/ courage and burst her bonds. II would
/ have been but a nine days wonder, soon
] forgotten. and | could have given her ev
! erythiDg. But she dared not, Heaven
never created an angel purer or more self
/ denying than Mabel. Whether right or
/ wrong. | have but one regret-that did
! not succeed in carrying her away from the
/ oppression of her home 10 the heaven my
/ love could have created-frOm the crue!
| mailman who destroyed her sweet life to
| the shelter Of my arms Ny love for her
gave ME superior rights. | shall never
/ repent or regret my share in the past.
You. too. are insane, exclaimed Stan
/ dish, amazed at his self-deception and
/ struck by his alusion to Callander.
Feeling convinced continued Eyer
! ton, from some strange innate convic-
/ ton that Callander murdered his wife, |
| forced myself to endure his company
! rather than give cruel tongues any chance
/ of touching the truth. l bore the bitter
reproaches of her sister. | Will bear in
/ silence-no brea th from me- shall ever
! tarnish the pure name Of my beloved
! dead, But you and have the honor Of
! Callander's name the safety of his life
/ in our hands, and though We shall keep
/ far apart in the future we must guard it
well"
His honor. yes, for the rest-no earthly
! judge can touch him now"
/ What" cried Egerton, with a sudden
revulsion of feeling is he dead?"
Il have reason To believe So" and Stan
! dish told the occurrences of the day as
/ rapidly as he could.
Then that chapter is finished" ex-
claimed Egerton. we can neyer meet
again as friends; but for the sake Of the
! dead We must not seem enemies Dorothy
may rest satisfied with her work, he add
ed with n sheer.
she has reason 10 be satisfied re
turned Standsh gravely. Better mourn
over her sisters early grave than blush
for q faithless wife, a dishonored moth
err"
] Egerton stood moment in silence.
/ Then he said. more to himself than to
Standish. Il shall leave England ro-mor-
row" With one steady, defiant look into
the face Of his accuser he left the room
! and the house