Brookings weekly register. (Brookings, Brookings County, S.D.) 1898-1903, 1900-10-11
CHAPTER xx.

Il SOmetnlng IN the sound OF ncr OWL
name. as 1t penetrated through the
closed door Of Grace Hawthorne's room
caused her to spring quickly from her
chair, where she had been wrapped In
idle reverie, and running across the
floor, respond in person to the sum-
1 mons.
4 1t was the morning of the day that
| Harry Reynolds and his wife were 10
sail. They had reached New York the
evening previous. Had some disaster
befallen them? Was their second we'd
ding journey to be rudely interrupted
"Grace!" called Edgar Reynold's s
voice again, and again the girl shud-
dered as It's note of alarm, mingled
i with excitment and impatience fell. up
i on her ear. tr.
| Her guardian stood at the foot of the
broad staircase.
I Her first glance proved to her that
her fears were not within foun dation.
/ He was very pale, and a white paper
trembled visibly in the trembling hand
| which held II.
i She felt the blood desert her own face
| as she hastened down to his side.
\ Doubtless 1t was a telegram from the
\ absent ones. Harry was III. dying. per-
haps, and she had parted from him In
! coldness, IL not In anger. Her heart
stood still as the shadow of an awful
/ dread fell upon 1t.
Come into my study quickly" spoke
her guardian. ~
Mechanically she followed him. Why
| did he delay by holding back the blow?
Why not let 1t fall at once? Another
l -
madi Why did he first carefully close
the door, and draw the bolt, befor tell
ing her the awful truth? Must not the
whole household know 1t soon?
Harry was dead! Harry was dead!
and she had told him yesterday that
1t was he who. on moonlight night.
in a little, simple ailegory. had taught
her loves lesson. and that she loved
him still.
White and trembling with the awful
pallor. and the nervous trembling of
OLD age, Edgar Reynolds held out to
her the piece of paper that he held.
Why should he force her to look?
Did she not know its contents?
Read" she cried. aloud, and the
young voice had lost its youth. and
held only the vibration of her souls
agony. "Tfe is dead! / know--I know!
oh, my love-my Lowell"
She did not know that this last bitter
cry would escape her She scarcely
knew she uttered 1t, but Edgar Rey-
nolds listening, learned the truth. His
fears OF long ago had been no idle fan
cy. Bravely al the child had hid her
heart, her heart-wound had been NOR
tai
Her betrayal, unconscious though It
was. was to him 80 pitiful, that. for the
instant. II shut out the present-its
own terrible-enough realities. He hast
ened to reassure her.
MY darling, no harm has happened
10 Harry. II wished you, dear, on an
other errand. Read this paper, and you
will understand. The bank to which II
was presented for payment held no such
balance, and, closely examining your
signature, they send the note to me to
verify II. with the usual notice accom-
panying It."
His voice, as he addressed to his ward
this explanation, sounded like some-
one speaking from afar.
Her eyes were fixed on the slip of pa
per he held toward her, but and 1t was
cloud Of darkness.
She could distinguish no line, no
word. Harry was not dead; no harm
had happened to him. Was she not,
then. strong enough to meet whatever
else fate held in store for her?
Slowly the blood came back to her
heart. from which 1t had receded; slow
ly it let the pulse once more beat under
it's strong tide. which for the moment
| its want had palsied.
The sight returned to her eyes, and
| this was what she saw:
A premise. three months from date OF
| January 2, TO pay ss5,O00 to one Moses
! Abraham, and sigred "Grace Haw-
| thorne.'
Once having read the paper, though
| failing utterly to comprehend it's pur.
port, she found in 1t singular fasci-
| nation.
She read 1t and re-read 1t; but al.
ways on the signature her glance rested
| longest.
When and where had she signed such
note? What did II mean? Was Il
her promise to pay this amount, and L
whom?
But the bank, with keener eyes thar
4 hers, had doubted that her hand hat
! traced the letters OF her own name.
| What, then, did 1t mean? How cam,
! II there? II not her own, 1t was forg
ery--a forgery some hardened crimina
had perpetrated.
She opened her lips to speak. He
reason was returning. A sense OF in
dignation at this outrage was making
itself felt and inspired her with nev
/ strength.
IT never saw this paper; the bank !
right" she was about to say when he
uncle spoke again, and. turning the pa
per over, revealed TO her the first of tn
names by which 1t was endorsed-th
signature of Harvey Barclay.
To Grace the name was a revelation
of the whole. All Mr.. Barclays insin
nations his threats. his proffers or al
n were explained to her.
Her mind, minute before cloude
and misty. was now as clear as befor
IL had been dark.
Looking back upon the one awful mc
ment when the supposed truth ha
|. burst upon her, II seemed to ha,
stretched itself into an eternity.