Brookings weekly register. (Brookings, Brookings County, S.D.) 1898-1903, 1900-10-25
CHAPTEn WV.

IL war O. moment to shake the STOUT
est nerves. 1t was one thing to threat
en- confession, another TO be brought
before the. tribunal OF Justice and have
II extorted from, you; but Helen quiver-
ed under the shock for moment only.
Then, cool. resolute and defiant, she
rose lipto meet II. 8 sg,
rsince you wish my confession, you
shall have IT, she said; "but prefer
that to 1t there shall be no witness.
Mr Barclay, win you kindly leave us?"
n prefer that Mr.. Barclay should
renan," interrupted Harry. .Evident-
ty what YOU have to tell me is known
10 him. IT Is best spoken before him."
A cool. sardonic smile played about
Harvey Barclays lips He. too. had
had time TO recover his composurt.
or the three he had the least to fear
from the exposure about TO take place.
II think that l will join Grace In the
music room," lie said. quietly. Con
iugal scenes are not quite to my mind.
shall be at your service. Mr.. Reyn-
olds, when this evidently-painfnl in
terview has been forced to a conclu-
sioii."
Harry Reynolds made no further ef-
fort to detain him as he walked past
him, closing the door carefully behind
him.
before the young husbands eyes was
q dense black cloud. which shut out
from his view the form of the beauti-
fui woman on whom he had placed all
, his young love and trust.
The air around him seemed filled
with voices which echoed, mockingly,
the words he had heard her SPEAK.
SIZE shall know ail--aye, though
confess my share of the infamy"
And then, not one, but a hundred
voices took up the last word. and
siifieked II in his ears And as they
did so. II seemed 10 him that these In
visible. malicious spirits took mud in
their hands and threw 1t against a
beautiful. pure white statue. unul they
had brought destruction alike to its
beauty and purity
When at last the cloud cleared and
the voices were silent. he found him
self, within q very few steps of his
wife
Her arms were folded across her
breast, smile Of defiance ON her lips.
All her softness, all her womanliness.
had fed.
.'well?" he questioned, mockingly.
Il am waiting for you to speak" he
answered. sa tt3a
And his voice. though nnutterably
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 stippose / refuse to speak ?'
she replied. 1T was to Grace I prom
ised my confession, not to YOU"
Grace does not bear the name which
your confession may tarnish: nor may
II be fit to sulIy her pure ears. / will
listen 70 it first. if II be infamy" Che
paused and shuddered) 'sit is for me
4 to hear--no other" 49,
This is an unfortunate house fol
tete-a-tetes, she responded. coolly
"One I had not long age was inter.
rupted. DO you know?. she contin
ued. II am afraid you win be disap-
pointed in my confession. I Nwai
merely working in your ends, afte
all They happened for once to run Il
the same groove. Like yourself.
wished to prevent Harvey Barclay
marriage with Grace Hawthorne.
For her own sake2"
Her own sake? MOI" she an
sHcred And now tho iightness ne
\, Il, fs st fefSf Ak ~ ss M n f