The Denison review. [volume] (Denison, Iowa) 1867-current, 1899-01-03
CHAPTER ~.

We're Gardens. The previous evening
had gone there full Of blissful excite
ment. / was going there to ask Mabel
Fenton to be my wife, and as scarcely
doubted what her answer would be,
was IN the seventh heaven Of prospective
happiness. Now, the day afterward, l
enteSed the house absolutely detected
and broken down, for knew her broth
er to be murderer. The police were
on his track and at any moment ha
mioht ha arrested 4 .gorld Of trouble
was in store for my darling.
The man who opened the door eyed
me with marked curiosity. My devotion
to Mabel was too obvious to have es-
capped notice below stairs. The visit of
the police that morning to make in
luiries had naturally aroused great ex-
citement in those regions, and now not
only was ! regarded as the favored
sutton of his young mistress, but had
all the additional interest of being a
suspected murderer.
He ushered me into the drawing
room. 1t remained just as remember
ed it the previous evening. There was
the bowl OF roses from which my love
had taken the choicest bloom to fasten
IN my coat, treasure which l had in
wardly vowed to hoard forever, but
which had been lost in the brutal fray
lost, crushed and trodden in the mire.
There was the book Mabel had been
reading when entered, and by its side
the paper knife with which she had toy
ed before made her hand my captive.
And there was still that subtle odor of
violets, which would linger in my mem
DRY. inseparably connected with that
scene.
But now the frou frou Of dainty
skirts old me Of my darling 8 approach
The handle turned, and Mabel stood be-
fore me.
"Mabel!'
- "Duncanr'
For one sweet moment all else but
our love was forgotten in one long, rap
turous embrace. Not "a hours had
elapsed since / last held my dearest in
my arms, but what a world of agony
had happened in that time!
Hooked into her eyes, SO full Of un-
told happiness for me; / kissed the lips
that spoke but of sweetest love, and for
the moment all the pending misery was
forgotten in one long, fond rapture Of
bliss.
Never had Mabel looked go unspeak.
ably lovely. Her red gold hair rippled
and shimmered in the clear sunlight
and waved and clustered round her
white forehead. Her deep blue eyes
looked into mine in trustful faith. Her
pouting lips invited kisses, disclosing
pearls OF rarest beauty, while the color
on her cheeks came and went in concert
with the heaving of her breast.
"Oh. Duncan, my poor boy, how
shamefully they have treated you! How
could they suspect you? How dare they
arrest you?'
"Their suspicion was nothing. You
did not doubt me for a moments
Duncan. how could I?''
She started from my embrace and
held herself erect
Though all the world were against
you, you know I could not for one mo-
ment doubt yuu.
drew my dear one to seat, still
holding her hand in NINE
Tell mo, Duncan she said, with
gentle sympathy, "tell me all about it. -
So l poured into her ears all dared
tell her of my experiences after leaving
her the previous evening. touched as
lightly as possible on my finding the
body of the murdered woman, scarcely
mentioning the man who stood over her.
AS told OF the fury of the mob her lit
tie hand frightened in mine and the color
left her cheeks. When spoke to her Of
the long. dreary night at the police sta
ton, her eyes betrayed her sweet COM
passion, and when l breathed tenderly
all my thoughts of her in the darkness
and gloom that had shrouded me she
nestled almost imperceptibly nearer to
me, and again for moment / forgot
the coming agony. When l described
the weary waiting in the morning, the
arrival of my friends and my ultimate
release. she broke in eagerly:
All, Duncan, it was so unfortunate
George was away when the police came I
know how sorry he will be that he
could not be the first to go to you! How
indignant he will be at their suspecting
you'll"
Oh. the untold irony of her words (!
All the time my mind was forlornly
cropping for an answer to the monoto.
nous question which knew must come
sooner or later and which would tell
her what ! would give worlds that she
should know first from another.
listened as with womanly care she
prayed me to tell her if I had rested
and eaten and hundred other things
which tender love alone could suggest.
I listened, and l suppose my answers
were lucid, but all the while seemed
to know nothing but that he-the
brother she warslliped-he. my friend