Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1899-10-19
CHAPTER XIII.

ness ana SLlllneSS OF nlgnI Stealing lulo
the house that is your own!
She held up her hand with an impera-
tive gesture for silence
"Hush!' she cried 1T is not mine; it
will never be my home again. Your sin
has barred the threshold to me; it is no
home of mine.'
Again he was quite at a loss to under
stand her. He repeated his question::
"Why did you leave newly have you
stolen back to your home like this, like
a thief in the night? What were you do
ing here in the darkness?"
He turned suddenly to the place where
he had found her, her troubled eyes fol-
lowed him. Then he saw the picture ly-
ing on the floor, the door of the little
cupboard open; then his glance of horror
fell on the scarf and the brooch. He
looked at them for some few minutes in
silent wonder, silent horror; then his eyes
met hers, and they gazed spellbound at
each other until he reused himself and,
pointing to the proofs of murder, said:
81 know these; they are the scarf and
the brooch missing from Austin when
he was found"
"You know them WE'LL" she answered,
sadly.
Then a red CLEAN of anger came into
his face, his eyes flashed.
"What does this mean! he cried.
"Why do find you here with these? l
have heard you say that these when
found would be certain proof of guilt.
81 know it; that is why l came in
search of them,'' she said, 'to destroy
them. II could not rest while they ex-
isted-I came to destroy them, and when
that is done l will go from this fatal
house, never to return. They have been
before my eyes by night and by day.
have thought Of them, dreamed Of them;
they have burned my heart and my brain;
Il said to myself that, no matter what
risk ran, l would come back here and
destroy them
'tLenorev' he cried; and she saw him
draw back from her with a shudder.
''That you should utter such words
Who placed them there?"
81 did," she answered; 81 placed them
there
And again they glanced spellbound at
each other.
* am neither dreaming nor mad, Lee
more, yet | hear you say these words
you placed here, you hid in this place, the
proofs of the murder Of Austin Chandos.
Answer me, how came they in your
hands?"
'You know BEST she replied, in low
voice; why prolong this? Let me CO.
Give me those things that l may destroy
them, then let me 60
81 do not know best; / will know.
ask again. and demand an answer-how
came these things in your possession
81 found them in your wardrobe" she
replied. why do you play this farce
with me? Why ask these questions?
Why feign this ignorance, when you
know the whole horrible truth?"
He looked at her with complete bewil-
derment. He stopped, the words died on
his lips, then, struggling against himself,
he said:
81 begin to perceive horrid truth that
had never even dawned upon me before.
Dan it be possible that you-you, Lenore,
had anything to do with that terrible
death? Were you guilty?
He laid his hand on her arm as he
spoke, and she looked up at him with
wonder
''You were guilty." she said; mot T.
81! Oh, no, Lenore; | loved you with
a mad love; I sacrificed my lifes happi-
ness and everything to you; but, before
heaven / am quite innocent of your hus-
bands DEATH
"You-you killed him." she said.
81 did not! If any one but you uttered
such words l would take vengeance, but
you are privileged to insult me as no one
else could do. You say you found these
things in my wardrobe; / say it is false,
you did not; say that an angel in heav-
en- could not be more free from blame
than l am over him. l have never even
seen these things before"
''Yet you recognize Them" she said.
Because you have spoken of them so
often, and have described them so WELL
Let us be frank and open. You suspect
me of having murdered Austin Chan
dosY'
Yes she replied; 81 have almost GER
tain proofs"
"And L. he answered, when saw
you with these things near you, when
heard you say that you had come to de-
stroy them, I, for one moment, believed
you guilty. See how appearances de-
,ceive; on what have you condemned me-?
Tell me the proofs, tell me the cause of
my wife's judgment-my wife's judgment
given against me?"
"You were, unknown and disguised"
she answered. you were here on the
spot, on the day he was slain"
mo, / was here on the morning of
that day left at noon," he answered.
"Why were you herew
"Have you not seen the pocketbook-
did you not read my diary?''
''No. Why were you here, Cyril?'
'tOh, madman-blind, foolish that l
was" he replied, why did / come? 1
will tell you, Lenore; you, who have
wounded my heart of hearts with cruel
suspicion. I came because the love of
you was burning my soul away, because I
could not rest, nor sleep, nor live, so great
was my longing to look upon your face
again. l said to myself that if / could
see it my soul would take new life; that
IL for once I could look upon you, see il
you were happy. see you smile, hear you
speak, see you in your daily life with
your husband and friends around you
"A n L. Ia -. .