Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1899-02-23
Continued.

AShtAi o4AAP4''
"A crime!" he repeated. THE person
who could even ask such question
must be dead to all sense of honor and
shame A crime! l should place it
next to murder"
Il did not know it, she said, softly
az never thought of that"
He looked at her in horror.
oThen you did it-you really and
truly did it, Veronica" he said
Eyes l did it, Marc" she replied,
sadly
what was the reason? Why did
vou do it? What was your motive?
Tell me, that | may understand"
81 cannot do that" she replied,
sadly II can tell you no more than
this; that l. Of my own accord, burned
that will
Great Heaven!" he cried, "it is in
credible Did any one else know?'
q cannot tell you" she replied
WAS any one else present."
mo. she answered.
Was the will you destroyed one
against your own interests? Did 1t
take money from you, or what?'
She raised her dark eyes in solemn
wonder at the question.
you must think what you will of
my motives" she replied; Il cannot
explain them to you
1T is increditable!" he cried. 81
could believe you and myself both mad
before could believe this, 1t is
some foul trick, some horrible farce!"
NO" she replied; lit is the simple,
terrible truth. | destroyed the will,
but did not know it was such crime
as you say.
And if you had known" he cried.
Il should have destroyed it just the
same, she said.
You swear it is true?" he said.
q swear it," she replied.
They stood looking at each other
while the sunbeams fell between them
and the birds sang on the roses outside
the window,
Veronica was the first to break the
terrible silence.
Mare" she said, you will not be-
tray me?'
NO" he replied, slowly, Il will not
betray YOU, lest the iron hand of the
law should grasp you. Great Heaven!
how could you have done such a
deed?"
She looked at him, with shudder.
Gould I really be put n prison for
it, she said.
yes, if those whom you have de-
erauded chose to prosecute you And
then he wondered, for a soft, sweet
light came over the white stiffness of
her face
u see" she said, slowly-'I under
stand"
Veronica" he cried, how callous
you are! You seem to have no shame
for the deed you have done"
She was asking herself what she
should do-how she should make him
understand; and then, with great,
sharp bitter pang, the thought came to
her that she could never make him
understand-that she could never
break her oath, the oath taken with
her hands on her dead fathers heart.
He was looking at her with wistful
eyes
You. Veronica" he said, whom /
thought Of ali women the most perfect,
will you tell me why you did this
viii YOU give me some explanation OF
The mystery key by which | may
solve it? Will you give me some ex-
PLANTATION of the mystery-any key
by which / may solve it? VIII you
say one word that will lessen my
usery?"
Il cannot" she replied. Il am bound
in chains Of iron-I cannot l tell
you this one bare fact-I burned the
will You must trust me all in all or
u0t at ALL"
Trust you. Great Heaven. trust a
woman who could burn the will of
dead mani Stay-tell me one thing;
Did he wish you to destroy it? DID
he ask you to do so?"
No, she replied, "he did not"
Then do not ask me to trust you
Veronica No mans honor would be
safe in such hands. If there is a
myss cry. and you will explain it to me-
-0od-that will do; if not, we must
part"
She held out her arms to him, with
low cry.
Part" she repeated" part-you
and T."
Yes" he answered coldly IF ii
broke my heart hundred times over
You do not suppose that I, man Of
honor could marry a woman who had
deliberately destroyed the will of a
dead man? I would not marry such a
one even if the loss OF her killed me.
II never thought of that" she said,
.iasping her hands.
II should imagine not" replied Sir
Mare Il could never look at you with
opt remembering what you had done
] should be wretched, miserable. We
must part"
PART" she repeated. family 20
Marc, ! thought you loved me So"
Loved you, ] love you dearly, even