Hot Springs weekly star. (Hot Springs, S.D.) 1892-1917, 1898-09-09
CHAPTER NNIu

''>s "S Y ils
rooms the ncxt Afternoon among the notes
and letters which had come since he start
ed in the morning. an unusually thick Ell
Nc!opc. directed in C~alluMder's handwrit.
ing.
This cllangcd his plans. II would he
fo!'sli to start before reading what CAL
lander had to say and doing so would com
pei him to lcsc the train.
He opened the Setter. glanced mt ii, and
ringin. for the man who waited ON him,
hastily directed that Ito visitor should he
admitted Then. drawing his chair neal
the window. lie began, with interest which
heeiieAcd n, every word. to read the Ion.
cl'istlc addressed to him.
II nave been going to write to YOU,
Stan'i>!.. ever since Dorothy proved To
me hoi@ greatly l have wronged you in
my mind. | have begun once or twice.
hut. somehow. my brain would not keen
clear or steady. There is such a cloud
troubling and confusing me; but last
night. as | lay awake, battling with my
thoughts as usual. something seemed ia
break AWAY in heart or head, and light
came To me.
~ don't think l am mad, but | am not
what used TO bc. and there is Il strange
smilt-i"t my o%wn-urging me mt times.
win Il force | cannot resist, to do many
lhihss. Ever since Dorothy showed me
inc truth. l have wanted to tell YOU cv-
erEthlns. for you loved her, not as
tllought. but as a true elder brother. and
you Will understand mc-pcrhaIs Won will
help ME. VISA
When she left me in India it was n
rucful day. Then l was ill; after. I rc.
covered. Her letters were not tho Same.
they were cold. constrained. How mad
grew. with an ~agonizcd longing to 500
her again. TO hold her i'm my arms! NV
mother wrote often. She did not like Won
1 DO not know why. hut she did not. She
was always repeating how my darling and
Dorothy preferred being with you to any
one else. even to Egerton, who was so Sill
perior: 1t was a long time before she
reused the devil within me, hut she did Mt
last. Then l came home.
~ Is a long, weary tale; it seems to
me Una l ann writing of another, and 1
pity him profoundly. as l should never
pity myself. My hatred of you grew
deep and cunning: there was no base.
cowardly act would not have done. could
\ nav tortured YOU without bringing dis
grace on my own name. But all through
my curious, agon;zing mental struggles. I
remembered that my name belonged to
my children.
"Brooding. haunted by Il hideous vision
OF being compelled for :ny honor's sake
to put away my wife. to drag her through
the mirc and filth of legal proceedings. of
the opprohrium of society, of moral am
limitations; something whispered to me.
have the courage to save her from all this
let the icy hand of death send her nm
sullied to Il better world. where the All
seeing alone can judge her. The idea
would not. did not. leave me! 1t had an
extraordinary fascination for me: even
now. though know my suspicious were
wrong. l believe l did my lest for her
under tho circumstances.
lit was not murder. mott was the act
OF telidercst love. l wanted no revenge
on her-l only wanted to save her from
shame aud bittercst grief. l resolved to
send my beautiful Mabel to heaven. even
while affronted hell for her sake. MY
logic is sound, Standish. is it not? She
would have gone hence blnmclcss! From
ME an incxorahle judge would have de
mandel tire price of her blood, and for her
sake l am contented TO pay it!
This idea fascinated me. Ind. from
the fear of doing my dearest one harm in
some nngovcrnab.e fit of despair. relnuin-
ed in my own room. OH the plea of indi9-
fcrent health. and there I thought out my
plan. One night. just after You had gone.
l had put on my smoking jacket and sat
down to think. but l could not smoke. NV
mind WAS II sort of fiery mist. all the past
unrollcd itself. the happy hours, the
sweetness and purity Of : ;sssiiH;s
should | allow sha!ie to touch her? A
voice said to me, the hour has come, let
!. not pass, / rose up, and took a long
keen knife, which EgertOn had given me
as IL curiosity; it was fine and sharp. I
went softly but boldly to her room. did
not fear to meet anyone. was not over
stepping my right. The door opened with
out noise.
Now. l have nearly told you every
thing. Standish. My brain is growing dull
and dreamy. have always wondered
why Egerton shrnnk from mo. Dorothy
has explained why. She has restored my
faith in you. When l knew the truth it
made mo litilcss. The %irrcparab.e evil
wrought by mother infatuated mo.
rushed to her and told her that. thanks
to her cruel tongue, her son was what she
would call IL murderer. l wonder it did
not kill her! My suffcrings have bccn
great. though l have had long spells of
torpidity. Since l came down to Fol,lscn
l have been conscious of an awful. ire
sistible WEAKNESS of life. Like the un-
happy Moor, whose story is so like nv
own. My occupations o'cr'-no. not vet!
] must settle my account with Egerton.
cannot rest till that is tinishcl.'
Standish was very white and his teeth
were set when he laid down the last sheet
of this long. sad, startling letter.
t.n, IN. %r,,n tt,n,, tvl:1l,,s -.
c%ntangling of the puzzle! What n terrible
tragedy, this destruction of two lives! His
generous heart achcd for the ruin. the In
justice. wrought by Il spitcful tongue, by
the selfish reckiessicss OF q; man too ali
sorbcl i'll Il guilty passion to hesitate ut
the sacrifice of friendship. honor, loyalty
or ven the happiness of the woman he
rrofessed to love.
1t was brutal, insatiate, hut Stand:sh
had no time to think of Egcrton now. CAL
lander's case was IL serious one. He must
not be suspected; the terrible truth must
not leak ont. For the unfortunate GRIM
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