Little Falls herald. [volume] (Little Falls, Morrison County, Minn.) 1889-1950, 1899-05-19
Continued from last week.
CHAPTER "

addressed the girl and sat beside her
bed for some moments. Her own
nervousness seemed to have taken a
little flight into the realm of gratifed
vanity over having aided a famous de-
tective in most important investiga-
ton. When Dorothy seemed quieter
she rose and went softly to her own
room.
Dorothy found herself alone. There
was an awful solemnity about the ar
tstic chamber with it's high ceiling dec
Grated with figures that seemed to rise
from their somber background and
peer at her through the subdued light.
The passage of vehicles on the street
below was now markedly infrequent.
The girl judged that it was about three
o'clock. The moonlight, chill and
xhostlike, fell in through window.
ut is no use," cried the girl. Il can
see no hope for him. Oh, God help
mel"
She rose, and, drawing on wrapper,
and thrusting her feet into slippers,
she went to her writing desk in a corner
and sat down. For moment she
leaned her head on her folded arms and
her lips moved mutely. Then she
opened the desk, and from a secret
drawer took out a package of letters
and began to peruse them. She was
searching for evidence with which to
subdue the horrible fear that was talk
ing root in her consciousness. AS she
laid each note aside voiceless convic-
ton cried out in her heart. One of the
letters she held before her long and
steadily, while her beautiful eyes dis
tended and her breath almost ceased.
1t contained some passages which had
suddenly risen before her minds eye
during the talk in the drawing-room.
They ran as follows:
Then there are times. darling. when ra-
tionality seems to desert me, leaving me
little more than a man with the furious in
stincts of goaded animal. 1t is almost
more than l can bear-to think, feel, know,
that your whole soul is mine and yet that
we must part because it would beggar you
to link your fate with mine. In the face Of
al this, when I meet the MANTLE human
barrier to our happiness-l become YER
table savage.
The other night at Harley's stag din
ner a man rose and drank to you and him,
and offered congratulations. Caruthers
was many r2ough to admit that there was
positive engagement, but he said it was
tacitly the same thing. Then a fellow
spoke up and said OF course, it's settled.
Caruthers.. The woman never has been
born who could refuse to marry man at
sacrifice of ten millions in hard cash.
1.-The Whole party, excepting myself,
irank-drank to you and him. While they
We're getting up left the room. thought
was unnnoticed, but he had his malicious
eye on and grinned knowingly. AS
hooked back and his taunting face
horrible idea crept into my BRAIN knowing
that you despise him, and that they will
eventually bend your spirit to the ordeal
Of marriage to him, it flashed into my
head that If he were to fall dead where he
stood you would be free-We would be lib
Grated. Later another thought came-that
II he were to fall by my hand, and even if
had to give up my life in consequence, you
would secure your inheritance and in the
end would find happiness. Pardon me, dar-
ling, but | am beside myself to-day. Ban
tlnnl hates him as cordially as I do. I can
detect that in his constant illusions to the
will. And l am sorry for Bantinni, be-
cause he is suffering also | have never
liked him before, but love to hear him de-
nounce my rival. 1t is sweet music to my
ear, and the count sees the Injustice to me
in it ALL
The girl did not finish the letter. She
vas convinced now Of her lovers guilt.
Again her head dropped downward till
j.; rested on her cold arms. She told
herself that indirectly she was to blame
~: it all. She had really intended to
throw the inheritance to the winds
rather than cruelty the purest yearn-
ing of her soul and drag the man she
adored down into the dregs of despair,
and she bitterly reproached herself for
not at once acquainting him with that
secret resolve. She had refrained only
Mt the earnest request of her solicitors,
who begged for time to investigate the
legal status of the matter before she
acted, and she had allowed them and
her aunt to overpersuade her, and
now
She tried to sob out the awful agony
pent up within her, but her eyes re-
manned dry, her torture became more
and more severe. She rose, and with
icr hands clasped behind her neck and
li>r head drawn downward she began
to pace to and fro. Near the door she
walked into the arms of Mrs. Winfret.
oh, darling!" cried that lady. II
thought you were asleep"
For Gods sake don't talk to me!'
The girl ground the words between her
teeth.
Mrs. Winfret put her hands on the
girls shoulders, and turned her rigiG
face to the light. 1t was as if Mrs. Win
fret were afraid that single word from
her would evoke another outburst, fol
she said not word.
"Oh, aunt" escaped the girls white
lips, 81 cannot bear i'll simply can
not!"
The elderly lady released her NIECE
and sat down.
"You believe Arthur Gielow did it,
she said, slowly and distinctly. "Well
am afraid so, too. Poor fellow! h,
must have been out of his senses, but i
Is a disgrace to bring your name befor
the world in such an outrageous man
ner."
Dorothy moved quickly to her aun
and laid her hands on her shoulder.
II must see him at once" she sale