Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1899-07-12
CHAPTER XIII.
THE BURNED NEWSPAPER.

She therefore whisked out the middle
page and gave the rest Of the paper to
the maid
''Tell Mr.. Stacey that will come up
in few minutes, she said
When the servant had left the room,
her first thought was how che could
best conceal that part Of the paper from
Alan. Then she ran to the door.
"Alice, Alice, come backl" she call
ed "Give me the paper. will go up
to Mr.. Stacey myself. -
But she did not go up at once. She
turned back into the dining room and
deliberately tore the sheet containing
the telegram across. 80 that the corner
where the account of the rescue of the
survivors Of the Arikhama had been
was gone. This she threw into the fire.
Then she went up the wide shallow
stairs and turned in at her bedroom
door.
''My dear boy" she said in tone as
much like her natural voice as supreme
effort could make it, II really don't
think that you ought to be reading the
newspaper. particularly lying down in
bed. Let me read to you.
She sat down by the fire with her
back to the light. Alan Stacey lay back
among his pillows idly enough.
81 don't care about reading, 80 long
as you'll sit there and talk to me. " he
said lazily. els there anything in the
papert"
Moo; an account of the ball last
night, with our noble names In the
paragraph. All the rest is pretty much
as usual. "
She glanced down the day by day
column, gave him list Of all the
items of news that might in any way
serve to interest him. and after that
they talked for little while. and then
Alan Stacey said that he might rs we'll
get up as lie idling there. and Mary
went down stairs again, carrying the
paper in her hand; carrying also her
burden with her; carrying with her
the knowledge and the conviction that
he would have to be told; that she must
be the one to break the news to him;
that there must be no Sinking it, no
getting out Of it; that 1t was task
which lay right in front of her, task
which she must accomplish-apd the
sooner the better.
Then she remembered that if she told
him Alan, would naturally ask to see
the paper containing the news. But she
had burned it'll She felt-so strangely
are we moved by trifles in times Of
great difficulty-t she could not en-
dure to let him know that her first
thought had been to hide the truth
from him Then how was she to ac-
count to him for having destroyed that
part Of the paperr Should she send out
and get another copyf She did not like
to do that, nor did she like to 20 her
self-it would look SO strange
And then the thought came to her
Why tell him at allH Why say anything
about it3 Why break up and destroy
| their intense happiness3 Nothing could
be wider apart than the lives led by
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and thrust the part which renamed
carelessly into the rack with the other
| Journals, trusting to her own wit to
keep Alan from wishing to look at II
during the day. It was an off day with
the young lady who typed to her dicta-
ton, so that she was free of any tie Of
work. She set herself to do some nee
dlework in order that she might look 90
cupied when Alan made his appearance.
and she sat near the window stitching
industriously, while her mind went owe,
and over again such shreds Of sell
justification as she could find to salve
her conscience She told herself that II
was not as II she had gone into an II.
regular union with her eyes open.
She had truly and honestly believed
herself to be Edward Conway's widow.
and her marriage with Alan was he,
real marriage. What was 1t they said
~ require and charge you both, as "
will answer at the dreadful day Of judg
ment, when the secrets of all hearts shall
be disclosed, il either Of you know O
any impeachment why We may not law
fully be Joined together in matrimony
We do now confess it." Then came thes
impressive words: "Those whom Coz