Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1900-11-14
BY Anna Katharine Green.
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whose thoughts were at that moment
fxed upon him. To Amabel 1t would
have given throb Of selfish hope,
while to Agnes 1t would have brought
pang Of despair which might have
somewhat too suddenly interpreted to
her the mystery Of her own sensations.
He had bent at once to the hollow
space made by the outspreading roots
just mentioned and was feeling with
an air Of confidence along the ground
for something he had every reason to
expect to find when the shock Of a sud-
den distrust seized him, and he flung
himself down in terror. feeling and
feeling again among the fallen leaves
and broken twigs until full realiza-
tion Of his misfortune reached him,
and he was obliged to acknowledge
that the place was empty.
Overwhelmed at his loss, aghast at
the consequences 1t must entail upon
him, he rose in a trembling sweat,
crying out in his anger and dismay:
"She has been here! She has taken
it!' And realizing for the first time
the subtlety and strength of the an
tagonist pitted against him he forgot
his new resolutions and even that old
promise to Agatha Webb and uttered
oath after oath, cursing himself, the
woman and what she had done until
casual glance at the heavens over
head, In which the liquid moon hung
calm and beautiful, recalled him to
himself. Ceasing his vain repinings
and silencing with ferc. but de-
termined effort the fierce demon in his
breast, he turned from the unhallowed
spot and made his way with deeper
and deeper misgivings toward a home
made hateful to him now by the pres
ence of the woman who was thus bent
upon his ruin.
He understood her now. He rated at
Its full value both her determination
and her power, and had she been so
unfortunate as to have carried her i'm
prudence to the point Of surprising him
at that moment in one Of the hollows
of that midnight copse 1t would have
taken more than the memory Of that
days resolves to have kept him from
using his strength against her. But
she was wise and did not intrude upon
him In his hour Of anger, though who
could say she was not near enough to
hear the Sigh which broke irresistibly
from his lips as he emerged from the
wood and approached his fathers
house.
A lamp was still burning in Mr..
Sutherland's study over the front door.
and the sight Of 1t seemed to change
for a moment the current Of Freder-
lexis thoughts. Stopping with the gate
in his hand. he considered with him.
self and then with q freer countenance
and lighter step was about to pro-
coed inward when he heard the sound
Of heavy breather coming up the
hill and paused. why he hardly knew,
except that every advancing step oc-
casloned him more or less apprehen-
sion.
The person, whoever Il was, stopped
before reaching the brow Of the hill
and painting heavily muttered an oath
which Frederick heard. Though It
was no more profane than those which
had Just escaped his own lips In the
forest, It produced an effect upon Fred.
erick which was only second in inten-
sity to the terror Of the, discovery that
the money he had 80 safely hidden was
gone.
Tremblins in every limb, he dashed
down the I'LL and confronted the per
son standing there.
"Youl" he cried. your And for q
moment he looked as II he would like
to fell to the ground the man before
him.
But this man was heavyweight Of
no ordinary physical strength and
adroitness and only smiled at Fred
ericks heat and threatening attitude.
81 thought would be made well
come" he smiled, with Just the hint Of
sinister meaning in his tone. Then.
before Frederick could speak, he said:
II have merely saved you trip to Bos-
ton. Why 30 much anger, friend?
You have the money. OF that am
positive"
"Hush! We can't talk here" whis-
pered Frederick. "Come into the
grounds, or. what would be better. into
the woods over there"
~ don't 60 into the woods with you"
laughed the other. Not after last
night, my friend. But / will talk low.
| That's no more than fair. don't want
to put you into any other mans pow
er. especially IL you have the money"
"Wattles''- Frederick's tone was
1 broken, almost unintelligible. what
do you mean by your allusion to last
night Have you dared to connect
| me-
''Pooh, pooh" interrupted the other
| good humoredly. "Don't let us waste
words over a mischance word may
have let Drop"
II don't care anything about last
nights work or who was concerned in
1t. That's nothing to me. All want,
my boy, is the money, and that want
| devilish bad or would not have run
up here from Boston, when might
have made half a hundred of coun-
tryman Lewis brought in from the
Canada wilds this morning"
''Wattles, swear
But the hand he had raised was
quickly drawn down to the other.
'Doii't," said the older man shortly.
at won't pay, Sutherland. Stage talk
never passed for anything with me.