Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1900-11-08

4 and drew on her gloves. -
i The day was already we'll begun, .anid
there was little time, for her to.act. AL
night she had revolved in her brair
the scheme she had now determined
on
Fastening down the. stairs and
4 through the hall, she softly. closed be.
hind her the street door, and once
again directed her steps toward Har-
vey Barclays rooms. =
Within half a block of them she met
him, sauntering forth in quest OF
bre akfast, though it wanted but an
hour of roon.. So, =:
She laid her hand upon his arm, and
/. though she wore thick. veil over her
face, he could descry beneath it her
unwonted pallor.
Take me to your rooms" she said,
! in a low, husky voice. 1.-THE crisis has
! come, Harvey, and you must help mel"
Mechanically he turned back with
her, though dull rage was seething in
his heart.
| Was this woman always to interfere
with his most cherished plans? Once
Grace Hawthornes husband, he, could
| defy her: but he dared not yet.
Still the sullenness was apparent in
his manner, as, having returned in 81
| lence to his apartments, he now sullen-
~ accosted her.: 80.
Whats up now, Helen? Don't you
know that you are not only compromis-
ing yourself, but compromising my pos
sition with Grace; by coming here. like
| this?'..
Don't dare talk to me of Grace!"
| she answered. Don't breathe her
| name!"
Then the defiance vanished, and with
a low cry of anguish she threw herself
on Harvey Barclays breast.
Harvey, Harvey!"' she sobbed, "you
haven't ceased to love me? You still
care for me? Oh, tell ne that you do,
tell me that you will keep every prom.
Use that you have made me; for. to-
day. you must redeem .them-to-day
you and I must begin our new life to-
gether!" .<
" Helen, are you n1ad?"
She drew herself away from him and
looked into his eyes.
"Am ! mad? I think not, though /
have had enough of misery to turn
stronger brain than mine. Have we
never talked of a new life, Harvey, and
one we could share together, or has my
so-called madness conjured up the Wis
ion? Did the madness wear your shape
and take your voice? Your engagement
is but an empty form by which you
wished to profit. can help you, with
out it, to attain the same ends. Harry
knows all. We dare not hope that he
will keep silent. All our plans, it.seems
to me, have fatally miscarried. You
promised to redeem the note before it
fell due. You promised, if engaged to
Grace, to get=from her fresh supplies to
avert disaster. All has failed. It is
easy to word the averting of disaster,
but. when the storm. strikes, you quail
beneath it's fury and you are helpless.
1 am not blaming you, only put in you
all my trust, and you failed me. You
have brought me to the very edge:.of the
precipice.. One step further, and I will
be hurled to the Jagged rocks below.
Why have ventured so near, knowing
we'll the frightful nature Of the chasm?
Shall I tell you? Because loved YOU
loved you-loved you-because, if you
stood beside me, hand clasped in hand,
I would rather take with you that fatal
leap than live on bed of roses without
you. Listen, Harvey.-I have not told
YOU. all that threatens me-, last night
Tom Window forced an entrance to my
room. The devil of torment was reused
to life in him. He swore I should re-
turn to him. He wished to rob the
house; but persuaded him that it was
impossible, and on my promise that to-
night would give him the money, the
1n ia
would go with him, he left me. Harvey,
there is but.one way that / can escape
himLonly one way. A steamer sails
from New. York tomorrow at dawn. J.
will take khe train to-day at 4. There
is another at on which you may fol-
low. We can meet on the steamer, I
+ will collect enough of value to let lis
| begin life anew in a new land. Tell me,
Harvey, will you do it? Or shall I, with
nothing more to lose, confess the truth
| yes, all the truth, even to telling Tom
Window who it was who tempted me to
leave my home? You know what he
has sworn. You know that he makes
no idle threats. But What am saying?
+ You love me. and we are to begin to-
gether the life we have SO often pict-
ured. Tell me, Harvey, that you will
enter it without regret?"
Harvey Barclays face was livid. Ey-
cry word she had uttered he had
weighed.
What was to be. done?.. Drive her to
desperation, and he well knew that she
might foil his every scheme.
AS she had said, she had nothing
more to lose. Why should she not drag
him down with her in her fall2
Moreover, he had heard Tom Wind
.om's threat Of vengeance.
Already he shivered as, in magma
ton, he heard the whistle of the assas-
sins bullet, or felt the sharp steel of the
assassin's knife. From him he might
expect no mercy. :,
"Give me time to think, Helen, he
murmured, at last. II must have time
to thinks"
There is no time!" she answered; II
must have your decision now-at once!
1t is already noon, and have much tc
do. o, Harvey, what alternative is left
us?"
He turned away, and stood with his
back toward her, his eyes bent on the
ground.
For full five minutes neither spoke
| T.. = J1xo