The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1900-11-09
Dorothy March's Revenge.

If you fear to come with me. Bet
/ ty, I go alone
NAY, madame, my fears are not for
myself know my place better than
/ 10 leave my mistress alone 10 meet wild
Sir Harry Fortescue."
Meanwhile, pacing slowly backwards
and forwards in the shadow cast by The
/ high banks half hidden by brambles. a
man awaited their approach AS the
women came into sight he advanced 10
meet them.
1T is but Ave minutes by the clock
since I came madame, yet I dare swear
/ that the moments have been leaden-
! footed as so many hours. The postchaise
waits for US In yonder hollow, and We
have many miles to 60 before dawn"
The chaise can wait" she said. I
/ seek a word with you first, sir"
"A thousand, as you viii, sweetheart.
But can you not say them as we
/ drive?"
The moonlight fell on the group $ the
woman stopped and then threw back
I her hood. and it shone on her pale, set
( face. Seeing it, Sir Harry falered and
! tapped uneasily on the lid of his snuff
box. It did not seem much ike a look
/ to be expected on the face of a roman
tic girl who had so easily fallen in with
{ his suggestion of a runaway match.
Now" she said. Il viii tell you why
I let you think that 7 would marry yau
in secret, and also why The chaise VIII
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 you
stole and to the woman whose heart you
! br Ike"
He scanned the eager face with some
I mi ina ~
/ haunting idea that there was something
/ forgotten within him. He could see now
| the resemblance between the slender.
/ fair haired Winifred Ingledew he had
tired Of and deserted when he found it
so easy to get Ingledew money from her
weak, spendrift brother without cumber-
ing himself with a wife and this dark
/ beauty, who had so unexpectedly become
I his accuser.
I stole nothing. Your brother-if
brother Of yours he was-lost 1t to me
I'm play. He lost and 7 won; IL is the
way Of the world, Miss Dorothy"
He was a boy. You took advantage
Of his youthful folly. My sister loved
you. you forsook her when she no long T
had gold to tempt you. He lies in his
/ dishOnored grave; she pinned away and
/ died broken hearted You killed them
both and 7 vowed to kill you in turn.
That is why I came to the Wells with
my grandmother whose name I have
/ borne since she took me TO live with her:
I let you think that I would run away
with you in order that I might be able
to keep my VOW"
"Tra gedy becomes you, madame" he
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 ma
! here tonight? I have to avenge the honor
Of my name. I shall not suffer for want
Of male kin"
Madam. what folly IS this? I can
not fight a woman"
She unclasped her cloak and threw It
from her as the maid approached and
handed her two foils.
II 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 indeed,
Mistress March or Iingledew if it pleas
es you better And though it may be
pretty fooing when so fair a lady PLAYS
part in it I Ike It not"
"Will you choose a fol?''
"No, madam"
now. and at the word struck him light
ly across the face with the fiat Of the
blade.
His face was white with anger. save
where a red line showed where the blow
had fallen.
HAD man struck that blow he
would not have seen tomorrow's sum
I But d woman is privileged to some ex-
tent I VIII fence with you, nadars,
since YOU insist. and when YOU are d s
armed 7 win 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 as they
thrust and parted. She tented with
care and skill that come Of long practice
At first the man carelessly parried her
thrusts, laughing and testing at the
strange fate which led him. noted
duelist to cross swords with a woman.
But by degrees the jest and LAUGH died
on his dps and his gaze remained fxet
on something over Dorothy's shoulder It
may have been fancy, or the flicker Of
the moonlight on his adversarv's uncov-
cred hair but he thought the face OF
Winifred looked over her sisters should
-
He began to falter and a lunge Dorothy
made remained impaired
Winnie" he cried. and as the cry
left his hps, Doroths' pierced his heart
lie stumbled then feli at her feet For
a moment she stood aghast at the full
dnment Of her vow; then, Ringing away
the foil she knelt at his side.
His eyes opened and as they feI upon
Dorothy the hooking smile struggled
again TO the white lips There was no
sound but his gasping mreath. His eyes
opened again.
HIS head fell back and Sir Harry For
esQue was dead
Dorothy flung herself on the body and
kissed the lips again and again. weep
ing bitterly Her maid tried 70 draw
her away.
Let ne ber' she sobbed. let me Sc,
o, my love, my l0ve I thought there
was room fer nothing in my heart but
hate. and I killed hm-hled him. But
] shan love him till I de-
Mistress. You forget" pleaded Betty.
The watch VIII Re here with the day"
Dorothy shuddere6 and allowed Betty
To wrap the cloak around her The
waiting woman gave a last SEARCHING
glance around 20 make sure that fher
had left nothing 70 hetray them, ard
then Wirh the foils hidden under asr
cloak Ted her mistress away. TIE rr 6e
and ERE that had sustained the Girl
through the nlgat rad gone, end she
was now ali weakness and tfm.dlry.
OBLIGED 70 lean heavily on her maid
shoulder and a brain numhsd % III but
the one thought that. In avenEug Der
sisters v-r1ues she tad klled her own
lover. Hs Death was already avenged.
-szs---
Loves Greatest sacrifice
N8ther-Are you sure you love him.
U7urFt e--su sure. Do vcu see ~
dress
CT coorse do. What 81 itE
VII Won eludfv seu me II r. bears the