Northern Wisconsin advertiser. [volume] (Wabeno, Wis.) 1898-1925, 1900-06-14
Vengeance of Dorothy.

Inc harvest moon climbed slowly
up the cloudless sky, shining white
and clear on the sleeping town at
! Tunbridge Wells. The silence of
night was on the sleeping town. Two
{ women, closely cloaked, crept stealth
lily along, the elder demonstrating.
TITS great risk you run, Mistress
she whispered.
IF you fear to come with me, Betty,
l go alone"
Nay, madam, my fears are not for
myself. 1 know my place better than
to leave my mistress alone to meet
wild Sir Harry Fortescue"
Meanwhile, pacing slowly back
wards and forwards in the shadow cast
by high banks half hidden by BRAN
bles, man waited their approach. AS
the women came into sight he ad-
yanced to meet them.
1T is but five minutes by the clock
since | came, madam, yet dare swear
that the moments have been leaden-
footed as SO many hours. The post
chaise waits for us in yonder hollow,
dawn"
THE chaise can wait" she said. Il
seek word with you first, sir"
"A thousand, as you will, sweet
heart! But can you not say caem as
we driver" g.
The moonlight fell on the group as
the woman stopped and threw back
her hood, and it shone on her pale,
set face Seeing it, Sir Harry fall
tered and tapped uneasily on the lid
of his snuffbox. 1t did not seem much
like the look to be expected on the
face of a romantic girl who had so
easily fallen in with his suggestion
of a runaway match.
'Now," she said, Il will tell you
why l let you think that l would
marry you in secret, and also why the
chaise will not be needed tonight.
You have known me as Dorothy
4 March, sir; know me now as Dorothy
Ingledew-sitser to the man you
ruined, and whose patrimony you stole,
and to the woman whose heart you
broke
He scanned the eager face with some
curiosity now. So this explained the
haunting idea that there was some
thing forgotten which the sight of
Dorothy stirred within him. He could
see now the resemblance between
slender, fair-haired Winifred Ingle-
dew he had tired of and deserted when
he found it so easy to get the Ingle-
dew money from her weak, spend
thrift brother without cumbering him
self with a wife, and this dark beauty,
who had so Unexpectedly become his
accuser.
81 stole nothing. Your brother-if
brother of yours he was-lost it to me
in play. He lost and won; it is the
way of the world, Mistress Dorothy"
HE was boy. You took advantage
of his youthful folly. My sister loved
YOU: you forsook her when she no
longer had gold to tempt you. He lies
in his dishonored grave; she pinned
away and died broken-hearted. You
killed them both, and vowed to kill
YOU in turn. That is why I came to
the Wells with my godmother, whose
name | have borne since she took me
TO live with her; and l let you think
that | would run away with you in
order that might be able to keep my
VOW"
Tragedy becomes you, madam he
said, mockingly. But why talk or
killing 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 snail not SUI
fer for want of male KIM"
Madam, what folly is this? How
can | fight woman"
She unclasped her cloak and threw
it from her as the maid approached
and handed her two foils.
Il came prepared, you see. Sir
Harry" she said, as she carefully
measured the foils to see that they
were of equal length. Now, sir,
choose your foil and take your stand.
This is midsummer madness, in
deed, Mistress March or Ingledew' II
it pleases you better. And though IL
may be pretty fooling when so fair
lady plays a pan in 1t, like it not"
n evil you ch De foil?"
''No, madam"
Coward" she held foil by the
hilt 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 b
would not have seen tomorrows sun