Brookings weekly register. (Brookings, Brookings County, S.D.) 1898-1903, 1900-10-18
$1,000 q 66Sss@6- 165-6T761'5 % 5000
|: A SIRENS VICTIMS )
= BY Frances Warner Walker *
- .4S E ~
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phHh Gun sirdIBnten Idtters, anu, III
the worst comes TO the worst, I'll have
to go to Grace myself But keep my
secret, Barclay. You've got your mon
cy. Leave the rest to me-
I cant leave II to you.' answered.
| fer I'm In love with the woman you
are fobblng.'
We'll, Grace. won't humiliate you
by telling yo,, all the story OF his plead
ing: but when we parted. he had sworn
to me that he would never touch anoth>
er card. / could see no good in expos
Ing him to you, and so promised to
keep his miserable secret. Grace.
promised for your sake I; for your sake
II will still help shield him from the
consequences of his act; but can work
no longer without some reward. Again
I ask you, viii you be my wife.?"
"Oh, spare mel" cried the girl. Spare
me, as you spared him. My need OF
generous pity is even greater. Ask me
anything but this, and I will acknow-
ledge the Justice OF your claim. ] will
make you rich and impoverish myself;
but cannot marry you.'
You maze me Shylock, Grace,
when / 'solld be n Romeo. You force
me TO demand my pound of flesh. when
would sue for the fragrance of a pass
Ing breath. Yet though / would be ten
der as Romeo, yet am I unrelenting as
Shylock. Promise to be my wife, and
will p'oniise TO be a truer. better man.
Grace, have had no chance In life.
Give me this chance Surround me by
your love, and let my own for you es-
cape its prison
1T is impossible!' she answered,
II do not cannot love you!
cannot marry you!"
"And Of your refusal you accept the
consequences"
\ "You will enforce them?"
! 1T Is your own act Send me from
you, with no promise for the future, and
I win go to the man who accepted Har-
ry Reynolds note, and denounce 1t as
forgery--denounce him as a forger.
You say there Is not money In the bank
to meet 1t. I will make the whole
public. Then save him from
the law IL you can. You win find the
law stronger than all your feeble will.
But grant my prayer. and I will have
the note renewed. Give me your check
Tor the amount already in the bank, and
your own note for the balance payable
In sixty days. and all shall be made
Fnooth. the forged note in your own
hands by nightfall. and Harry Rey-
nolds' guilt unproven by this living
witness against him. You have now the |
two alternatives. Grace. Which will
gou choose? give you five minutes to
decide"
And he pulled his watch from his
pocket. and stood holding 1t in his
hand.
Your decision?" he said, quietly,
when the appointed time had expired.
II will give you the check and note"
The answered, in tone as cold and life-
ess as though the dead were speaking.
Bring me the-the note now In exist.
snce, and Twill marry you."
A flash of triumph darted into the
lark eyes; a lurfd fire. as of volcano
suddenly emitting sulpherous fiame.
in the very bowelsfof |
the earth.
He took one step forward and inyol-
lntarily stretched out his arms.
Grace. my darling!" he murmured.
n ecstatic tenderness.
But, recoiiing, she held UP her own
hands In aversion and adherence.
Not that" she cried. "Spare me
that. 1t was not mentioned in the
bond!"