Reporter and farmer. [volume] (Webster, Day County, Dakota [S.D.]) 188?-1946, 1900-09-20
CHAPTER XIII.

W AfoSN
they dragged, made themselves into
avengers of the past of the wretchea
woman. whose sin, indeed, had found
her out.
Her miserable secret was fast lockeu
in her own breast. She feareu "
laugh. lest laughter should u IN
sob or shrek; she feared TO sleep ies'
she should betray herself by some uh
conscious whisper; her voice, 10 her
own ears, sounded harsh and uanalur,
al
Rut Grace alone noted n chahse'
She was on the alert for some mislol-
tune concerning Harry-believed thal
no had laid again upon ms WiIes
shoulders the burden of his fault-ahu
so she grew more tender 10 hei,'
whom, she fancied a sufferer through
her husbands sin.
Harvey Barclay a not been a
the hc,Ise. TO its every inmate except
one his absence was a relief: put 70
Helen. who had herself decreea ms
banishment. ii became another lash III
che scourge which memory so reieht-
Iessly applied Upon her bare ana qulN-
erinr soul. To Harvey she might nave
no,,ro5 o,,t some of the thoughts which
,,oro s,,roinp and seething within her.
IT. to,,cb his hand, knowing That It's
ansyyer;up pressure would denote a ST.
lent sympathy with and knowledge OF
w. suffer,ne. TO hear his voice, and
trace i'm words of Indifferent
some subtle information which Would
convey some comfort; TO look INTO ms
aves and discover beneath their iashes
one uuick glance from heart TO heart
would have beer as mamma IN the WIG
erness. but even his poor comfort
was denied her.
or the man she had seen in the
square she had heard nothing mort.
therefore she knew that his silence mao
been bought; and, TO buy IL harvey
had made use of the signature she had
sent him-a signature which granted
her. three months respite-since, IL the
game of fortune turned it's tide against
the re-embodied skeleton of her past.
how long before the petty thousands
she had given him would be swept in.
to the maelstrom, and he come clamor-
ing for moree"
1t was the night of Mrs. R~andolph's
ball. She made a low courtesy to her
ISIlcGklOh III liz pitA SAacc 80 ~A~
stood, fully dressed, before 1t.
"You are the embodiment of a living
lie" she said to her reflected self, as
she saw before her a beautiful, young
and smiling woman, with diamonds
glittering in her ears. and her robe of
exquisite fabric faultlessly outlining
the perfect form. And tonight" SHIT
continued. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS you will
be greeted everywhere as the wife of
Edgar Reynolds son. You-you are
the possessor of that proud old name!
You Helen" She paused. A hard
light came into her eyes; her hand
clenched. Helen Reynolds" she said,
aloud. "Ah! the name is mine, who
shall wrest it from me?"
Ready, Helen?" called a gay voice.
She uttered a slight scream as 1t
Jared upon her ear, then rapidly re-
covered her calm.
quite ready. Harry. You startled
me by your sudden entrance. I be-
lieve I am weak enough to be admiring
my own reflection in the glass. Shall ]
confess to such v~anity?"
cit is pardonable, darling. o new
er looked more beautiful. Let me kiss
you once. Stand off, that I may not
d~isarrange this sumptuous toilet.Ah,
my love, / shall be proud and jealous
at once tonight Of every eye that falls
upon you. Come! Grace is already
awaiting us in the library"
1t was late, ard Mrs. R~andolph'a
rooms were crowded when they en-
tered them.
Helen's eyes sought restlessly for one
face, n form. Surely, Harvey would
be here tonight, and where she could
see IND speak with him alone.
Yes, he was there. She saw his tall
figure advancing to meet them.
AT LAST" he said, as she approached.
II had begun to despair of your COM
ing"
All. she was not the only one who
could act a part, was the swift thought
which crossed her brain. Who could
dream that this young mans hand
some. smiling face was a mask? Who
could suspect that he had perpetrated
a monstrous wrong toward the friend
to whom he outstretched his hand in
greeting?
Harry took 1t, but coldly. and felt a
shade of annoyance as his wife accept
ed the young officers arm, and was lost
to sight amid the throng.
Grace had already Joined the dancers
in the ball room beyond. For a mo-
ment he was alone.
by Jove. What o beautiful wo-
mani" he overheard one man say to
his companion. Looks as If she had
e history. too Who is she?"
"a woman with a history, as you say.
"a history. / fancy. unsuspected by
the man she has beguiled. she is the
wife of Edgar Reynolds son. A beau
tiful adventures. The man with her
is Harvey Barclay. Of the army. He
is one OF the boldest gamblers in the
city. He must have broken some bank
last week. for he went about and paid
all his debts, / understand somewhere
In the neighborhood of thirty thousand
dollars. They We're just about to
make an Investigation into some funds
committed to his care. when ne rem
dered a full account. OF course. these
facts are not generally known, but he
Is getting in bad odor. and / don't be-
iieve the army will consider him a de-
sirable acquisition much longer. How
ever. II requires some overt act on his