Reporter and farmer. [volume] (Webster, Day County, Dakota [S.D.]) 188?-1946, 1900-10-25
CHATTER XIV.

Tt was a moment to shake the stout
est nerves. 1t was one thing TO threat
en- confession, another to be brought
before the tribunal of justice m have
II extorted from you; but Helen CULVER
ed under the shock for a moment only.
Then. cool, resolute and defiant, she
rose up to meet 1t.
Since you wish my confession, you
shall have It," she said; but / prefer
thai to 81 there shall be no witness.
BIZ. Barclay, will you kindly leave us?"
II prefer that Mr.. Barclay should
remain" interrupted Harry. Evident
iy what you have to tell me is known
TO him. 1t is best spoken before him"
A cool, sardonic smile played about
Harvey Barclays lips. He, too. had
had time to recover his composure.
OF the three he had the least 10 fear
from the exposure about TO take place.
II think that / viii join Grace in the
music room" he said, quietly. Con
jugal scenes are not quite to my mind.
/ shall be at ycar service, Mr.. Reyn-
olds, when this evidently painful In
terview has been forced to a conclu-
sion."
Harry Reynolds made no further eff
fort to detain him as he walked past
him, closing the door carefully behind
him.
Before the young husbands eyes was
a dense black cloud, which shut out
from his view the form of the beauti-
full woman on whom he had placed all
his young ove and trust.
The air around him seemed filled
with voices which echoed, mockingly,
the words he had heard her speak.
she shall know all--aye! though 1
confess my share of the infamy.'
And then, not one, but a hundred
voices took up the last word, and
shrieked it in his ears. And as they
did so, it seemed to him that these in
visible, malicious spirits took mud in
their hands and threw IL against a
beautiful, pure-white statue, until they
had brought destruction alike to it's
beauty and purity.
When at last the cloud cleared and
the voices were silent, he found him
self within a very few steps Of his
wife.
Her arms were folded across her
breast, a smile OF defiance on her lips.
All her ~softness, all her womanliness,
had fed.
"Well?" he questioned, mockingly.
II am waiting for you TO speak," he
answered.
And his voice, though unutterably
sad. was cold and stern.
Instinctively the woman felt that she
stood no longer In the presence of a
doting husband, a man whom she
could trick by her smile and bend by
her caprice. but her judge, the scale of
justice In his inexorable hands.
And suppose I refuse to speak,"
she replied. ut was to Grace / prom
ised my confession. not to you"
Grace does not bear the name which
u confession may tarnish: nor may
It be At to sulIy her pure ears. / win
listen to II first. Ii 1t be infamy'' The
paused n s~huddered) 1T is for me
to hear-no other"
This is an unfortunate house for
t~ete-a-tetes." she responded, coolIy.
Zone I had not long ago was inter-
rupted. DO you know she contin-
ued, II am afraid you will be disap-
pointed In my confession. I was
merely working In your ends. after
AL They happened for once to run IA
the groove. Like yourself, 4
aX1Shed to pfeyent Harvey Barclays
r1prffaSo with Grace Hawthorne"
For her own sake?'
ekfer own baks3 Mo-" she an
eRered, And nov me Iightness fed
MI <TS1