Reporter and farmer. [volume] (Webster, Day County, Dakota [S.D.]) 188?-1946, 1898-04-28

Mordant released her with a sardon-

Mordant released her with a sardon-
&c laugh.
80. so! you make n very spirited re-
sistance TO my suit, young lady. blu |
can wait-I can wait until my na-
tience has Wort yours out. You ma
60. but in three days | shall ask You
for your answer. Have IA care that
your answer is such as will be pleasing
to me, for / can be "A good friend, but a
very bitter enemy
He crossed the room. opened the door
and bowed her out with cynical but
studied courtesy.
g = Q
"Of c~ourse-just as l expected. The
girl loathes you" said Fergus. when he
had heard the upshot of the foregoing
| conversation.
.Loatbes or likes me | mean TO have
her. Mordant said. d~oggedly. Nov,
what is to be done about Elsiel We
cannot keep her in her present quar-
tiers, or all will be discovered. The girl
il still in q daZed condition, and dees
not know where she is, or why she has
been placed there. This will not last
long, and | begin TO wish She was out
of the way. If she eve regains her
reason. which | think is very probable,
1t will be all the better for you, for you
will have the command of her none
for life-and a handsome fortune it II.
too, especially now ii is no longer
charged with our late friends annual
blackmailing.'
Fergus shuddered inyoluntarily. The
beads of perspiration stood thickly up
on his brow.
Hush, There is yet trouble ahead
of us for that black nights work.
About this girl, Philippa. | am more
than willing that you should prevail
with her If you can, for the less peoplt
we nave about this accursed charnel-
house the better. When you are mar
ried you can take her abroad; but re-
member, Mordant, you must share your
gains with me, as have with you, for
some years past. Hush! here is Sa-
lome."
She came towards them, with mo1e
than her usual pallor in her evil face.
Elsie Is no longer unconscious. She
Is very quiet and weak, but her mind
is at mork. l can see that she is try
ing to think consecutively. What shall
we do? At any moment recollection
may return to her."
Fergus looked to Mordant for coun-
sci.
II feared as much he almost whim-
pered.
drug her, Salome. She must be kept
quiescent for the next few days until
we can get her away into safe custody.
For the rest. keep your eyes on Phillip
pa. Don't let her out of your sight,
and--stay! At night you had better
lock her room door, as you used 10
Elsie's."
Il shall be glad when all this espion-
age ,is over" said Salome, with a dark
frown. When will that wretched wo-
man die, and leave me in peace? OF
what value is money to me, shut up as
l am from II years end to anotherl
1t seems to me that / have made a bad
bargain enough. She is sinking fast"
continued Salome. turning to her faith
er, who stood listening TO the words
with trembling knees and parched lips.
Il tell you she has but a few days TO
live, and | am firing, wearying of my
task. 1t sickens even me-" She was,
clearly. not referring TO Elsie. for she
pointed towards the West Wing with
a gesture of anger and imDatience.
AT most. she has but a short span OF
life," she repeated.
Fergus m0iStened his dry lips ana
muttered, family:
$50 near as thaty'
He would not meet her eyes, though
he knew there was an unspoken ques-
ton lurking within the red-brown
depths.
Bah. the man is a craven, Salome,"
said Mordant, impatiently. II under
stand you. and so, for the matter of
that. does he. The sooner she dies the
better..'
a significant LOOK passed between
them, and together they passed of
the SUNSHINE. into the darkened house.