Vilas County news. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1896-1927, 1900-09-17

/ to Grave out this interview. anu Ineh
Just as soon as Richard returned. she
would tell him all about it, and lei
him explain it to her.
"Shall I tell you just what l think
about these?" she asked, flashing hel
glorious eyes upon him scornfully, and
rafting the checks with little I'M
patient movement. Il think, she
went on, chat these checks were made
out to Richard Byrnholm for the
amounts which you stated-elght anc
ten pounds respectively. | think thai
he Endorsed them, intending to gel
them cashed, and you, knowing the
fact. stole them and tempered With the
figures, making the changes which you
claim have been made, simply to get
him into trouble and disgrace him
There! now you know my opinion OF
this matter" she concluded. defiantly
ADDISON Cheetham's face grew White
as her own as he listened to these
singing words, and he had savage
fight within himself for a moment to
keep back the oaths which leaped to
his tongue for utterance. But he did
control himself, and finally>threw back
his head, laughing a light, knocking
| laugh.
! THAT was very cleverly reasoned for
a woman he said; "but | fear II those
papers were given to a judge and jury
very different verdict would be
rendered However, leaving those out
Of the case entirely, what have you to
say regarding the contents of that
little book? You surely cannot accuse
me of having tempered with that, since
the dates begin a year of two back
and he pointed to the little memoran-
dunn book that she laid upon the table
by her side.
Instantly the check dropped from her
fingers, and she seized it again, turn
ing it's pages and eagerly scanning
their contents, her face as hueless as
snow, terrible pain IN ner heart.
With a sly, cat-like movement, Adj
son Cheetham reached over and
secured the check she had just
dropped, and, folding them, transferred
them carefully to his pocket.
That single act did more toward
convincing Pearle of the truth of his
words, and that a forgery had really
been committed. and that he meant to
keep them to carry out some deadly
purpose.
All too late she saw she had made
sad mistake. She should have re-
tanned them in her possession until
{ she could see Richard. show them to
| him, and demand an explanation.
She felt as if she should die, sitting
there before that plotting, gloating
man, with all this avalanche of trouble
and danger pouring down upon her.
What must she believe as she read
those items. penned by Richards own
| hand-those items of expense for Ariel
and her child-those debts Of honor?
There seemed to be but one eXplana-
| ton Of it ALL Ariel, she knew, could
not be his legal wife, else he would
never dare wed her while she was
living, and so near. No; if she was
! anything to Richard Byrnholm, she
must be some Wronged, betrayed,
i though trusting women. The thought
was like dagger to her.
Gould Richard Byrnholm. whom she
had hitherto believed to be the soul of
honor, be such villain, and so devoid
of every principle of rectitude and
honor? Could it be possible that he
was indeed a gambler and forger
Had she been thus shamelessly de-
i ceived, and was the future, which had
l. ;orJ,+ 10 hor oh
to become blank.
| Oh! if she could but have gone away
| somewhere and moaned out her misery
: by herself It was dreadful to sit
| there and have that wretch watching
every change in her countenance, and
| gloating over the wreck he was making
Of all her found hopes.
What do you think of them, say?''
he repeated, impatiently. do they
not go TO prove that the drain upon
| Captain Byrnholm's purse has been
very heavy? Debts of honor, a beauti-
| full woman and her child to support,
! not to mention the extravagances he
! has been guilty of in fitting up that
small palace over yonder for your re-
| ception-does it not look, I ask you, as
if there was some need to change those
figures upon those checks to a large
| denomination? Would not a judge
! and jury argue that way, think you, if
the matter was laid before them p?
| And, Miss Radcliffe, do you know the
doom Of forger"
Had Pearle been in the presence OF
any other person, she would have
shrieked aloud for mercy at these
dreadful words. Sne grew blind and
! dizzy, almost paralyzed with fear; for
| she read in that relentless, evil face
before her determination to ruin her
lover at any cost. But in her in
vincible pride she resolved that he
! should not triumph in her sufferings-
he should not suspect how much she
believed; and, with a mighty effort,
! she rallied her dizzy senses.
81 think she said, speaking in a
hard, pitiless tone, that you are a
br11to on