The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1900-08-01
Dorothy Ing edew Revenge.

town. Two women, closely cIoaked,
| crept stealthily along, the elder rem0n-
straing
IT'S a great risk you run, mistress
| she WHISPERED
IF you fear 70 come with me, Betty.
go alone"
Nay, madam, my fears are not for
myself. I know my place better than 70
| leave my mistress alone TO meet wild
Sir Harry Fortescue."
! Meanwhile, pacing slowly backwards
and forwards in the shadow cast by hish
| banks half hidden by brambles. man
waited their approach. AS the women
came into sight he advanced 10 meet
them.
1T is but FIVE minutes by the clock
since I came, madam, yet I dare swear
that the moments nave been leaden-fool-
ed as so many hours The post-chalse
waits for Us in yonder hollow. and we
have many miles TO go before dawn"
The chaise can visit" she said. Il
seek a word with you first, sir.'
"A thousand. az you VIII, sweetheart.
But can you say them as We driver"
The moonlight fell full on the group as
the woman stopped and threw back her
| hood, and it shone on her pale, set face.
Seeing it, Sir Harry faltered and tapped
| uneasily on the lid of his snunbox. u
did not seem much like the look TO be
expected on the face of a romantic gill
who had so easily fallen in with his sug-
gestion Of a runaway match.
Now" she said, Il will tell you why
I let you think that I would marry you
in secret, and also why the chaise will
not be needed tonight You have known
me as Dorothy March, sir; know me
now as Dorothy Ingledew-sister TO the
man you ruined and whose patrimony
CT o,d he b-a
you broke"
He scanned the eager face with some
curiosity now. So this explained the
haunting idea that there was something
forgotten which the sight of Dorothy
stirred within him. He could see now
| the resemblance between the slender,
fair-haired Winifred Insledew he had
tired Of and deserted when he found It
so easy to get the Ingledew money from
her weak. spendthrift brother without
numbering himself with a wife, and this
dark beauty who had so Unexpectedly
become his accuser.
II stole nothing. Your brother-if
brother of yours he was-lost It TO me
in play. He lost and 1 won; It Is the
way Of the world Miss Dorothy"
He was boy. You took advantage
of his youthful folly. My sister loved
you; you forsook her when she no long
er had gold TO tempt you. He hes in
his di.honored grave; she pinned away
and died broken-hearted. You killed them
both, and I vowed to kill you In turn.
That Is why I came to the Wells With
my godmother. whose name I have born
since she took me to live with her; and
lei you think that 1 would run away
with you in order that I might be able
to keep my vow"
'fTlra orady- hnpOrneS Won ha
said, mockingly. But why talk of kill
ing when you know that your eyes have
already MORALLY wounded me?'
"Will you cease this foolish talk? Do
you still think that love brought me
here tonight? ! have to avenge the
honor of my name. 1t shall not suffer
for want of male kim
Madam, what folly is this? How can
fight woman?"
She unciasped her cloak and threw t
from her as the maid approached and
handed her two foils.
81 came prepared. you, see. Sir Harry
she said, as she carefully measured the
foils to see that they were Of eqgal
length. Now, sir, choose your foil and
take your stand"
This is midsummer madness. indeed!
Mistress March, or Ingledew. if it please5
you better. And though it may be pref
ty fooling when so fair a lady plays part
in it. I like 1t not
"Wiu you choose a foil?''
mo, madam"
Coward She held a foil by the hiIt
now, and at the word struck him lightly
across the face with the fat of the
blade
His face was white with anger. save
where a red line showed where her blow
had fallen.
Had a man struck that blow he would
not have seeaS tomorrow SUM- But q
woman is privileged to some extent I
will fence with you, madam, since YOU
insist and when you are disarmed I will
take my revenge in kisses
The moon flung their shadows on the
ground in grotesque confusion, and gilt
tered on the blades of the foils, az thew
thrust and parted. She fenced with care
and skill that comes Of long practice
At first the man carelessly rarried
her thrusts. laughing and jesting IT the
strange fate which led him. a noted du-
elist. to cross swords with a woman
But by degrees the jest and laugh died
on his lips. and his gaze remained fixed
on something over Dorothy's shoulder
It may have been fancy, or the Sicker
Of the moonlight on his adversarys IN
covered hair. but he thought the face If
Winifred looked over her sisters shout
der
He began to falter. ard lunge Do
rothy mSde remained impaired
WINNIE he cried. and as the cry left
his lips Dorothy pierced his heart.
He stumbled: then fell at her feet For
moment she stood agfast at the full
filment Of her vow: then. f,nging away
the foil she kneIt at his side
His eyes opened and as they fell upon
Dorothy the hooking smile struggled
again to the white lips. There was no
sound but his gaspIng breath. His eyes
opened again.
'ForRiver' ne gasped
His head fell back. and Sir Harry For
tescue was dead
Dorothy flung herself On the body an1
kissed the lips again and again. weeping
bitterly. Her maid tried to draw her
away.
Let me ber' she sobbed. 'I.et me be-,
Q. nv love. my love- I thought there
was room for nothing in my heart but
hate. and I killed him-killsd him. But
shall love him tin ! dier'
Mistress. you forget" pleaded Petty.
THE watch viii be here with the dav"
Dorothy shudderad and allowed Betty
10 wrap the cloak around her The
waiting woman gave last searching
glance round % max. sure that they had
left nothing 20 hetray them. and then
with the foIls hidden under her cloak.
led her mistress sway The pride and
FIRE that had sustained the girl through
he night had gone. and she was now
all weakness and timidi;y obliged %
lean heavily on Ct maids sou'der. a-6
2 brain numbsd % all bus e one though.
that, IN avenEin- her listers wrongs ehs
had killed aer own l0vs-- His death wa
already avenEsd-Peany Pictorial Mag
zine.
Pnt n on II msef