Hot Springs weekly star. (Hot Springs, S.D.) 1892-1917, 1900-05-04
ton" she hcgan. coldlx.

tou. size DcEln, Colby.
"Oh. yes. o understand me perfectly
Give me my letters. MIS- Nevill: yn,
have no doubt read them all,' and sh,
laughed harshly aud sneeringly.
Mrs. Nynaston. you are tailoring nm
der some dclusion." said Vera. quietly: ="
have no letters of yours. and il I had
with IL ring of utter contempt, II shout,
not III likely TO have opened them"
You arc saying what is false CRIED
Helen. angrily. "IIow can you dare i,
deny it? You know you have got them
You are here to give them to Maurice
Knowing that they will ruin mo. 70,
shall not give them to him. l have com,
TO take them from you'll will ltav,
Them"
II do not wen know what you ar,
speaking about" answered Vera. .Wh,
should want to ruin you, if, indeed, sucl
II thing is to hr donc:"
Don't imagine You can put me off will
empty Words cried Helen. wildly. Sh,
made a step forward: her white hand.
ciiiched themselves together with IL rea-
sonlesS fury: she was as white as the
crescent moon that rose beyond the trees
Give mo my lcttcrS-:hc letters yo,
are waitin. here tn give to my husband
she cried.
Mrs. Kynaston. do not he so angry
said Vera. becoming almost bewildrrcd
u! hrr Nlolcncr: "yOu are really mistak-
en-prhy calm yourself. ! have no let
ters: what ! WAS going to give your hus-
band was only Il little parcel from IL man
who is abroad-lle is IL foreigner. do
not think ii is of the slightest importance
to anybody. | have no, opened it, j have
n" idea what it contains. and your hus-
band himself said it WAS nothiny-only
have promised To give it him alone: i,
was IL wliim of the little Frcnchman wlo
lntrlstr'l me with it. and who. l must
honestly tell, l bclicvc.to have been half
mad"
Mrs. Nynaston WAS looking mt hc. fin
GUY: her anger seemed To have died
AWAY.
YES" she said. lit was Monsieur d. Ar
Diet who gave them to YOU"
"Ihat was his namr. W.Arblct. did
not like the man; hut he bothered mo
until l foolishly undertook his commits
sion"
Miss Ncvill..' cried Helen. suddenly,
give that parcel To me. cntrcnt yon.'
II am very sorry. Mrs. lNynaston; |
cannot possibly do So"
"Oh. yes. you can-you WILL" said
3ANb'Ais iliIIiOItllSlS. w lII cam ~ lnlt-
ter to YOU now? 1t is | who am his
wife; you cannot get any good out OF IL
mere empty revenge. Why should Won
spoil my chance of winning his heart: i
know well enough that he loves YOU,
but--'
Mrs. Nynaston. pray. pray rcco!lcct
yourself: do not say such words to me-"
cried Vera, deeply distressed.
sNNl,, ,l.,.Jy - 49,. -.
and / know we'll enough that it is true.
l hate you. l am %icalonS of you, for L
know that my husband loves you; and
yet. il You will only give me that parcel,
l will forgive .sou-i will Try to live at
peace with you'll will even pray and
strive for your happiness. Let me have
n chance of making him love me.'
For heavens sake. Mrs. Nynaston, do
She was crimson with pain and shame,
and shocked beyond measure that his
wife should he so lost to all %dccency and
self-rcspect as TO speak so openly of her
husbands love for herself. Il will not
and cannot listen to you."
You will not give it To me?' There
was Il sudden change in Iielen's voice
she pleaded no longer.
NO, certainly not
And that is your last word?'
"Yes.'
There was IL silence. Helen looked
away over the water toward the tir trees.
She was pale, but very quiet; all her an
CRY agitation seemed To lave died away.
Vera stood Il little beneath her on the
lowest step. close down 10 the water; she
held the little parcel that WAS the object
of the dispute in her hands. and was look
ing at it with an expression of deep am
noyance; she WAS wishing heartily that
she had never seen either ii or the wretch
cd little Frcnchman who had insisted up
on con!iding it 10 her care.
Not a s%ound-only once the faint cry of
some wild animal in the far-off woods,
and the iiuttcr OF II night-moth on the
wing. lIelcn's face was turned eastward
toward the fast-fading evening glow.
What is it that sends the curse of Cain
into the human heart?
Did some foul and evil thing. wander
ing homeless around that fatal spot. enter
then and there, unbidden. into her jcal-
Gus soul? Or had the evil spirit been
always there within her. only hiding
its time to burst forth in all its naked
and hideous horror?
Heaven only knows.
vera, gather me Il water lily. Sec
how lovely they are. l am going back
to dance; i want Il water lily"
Vera looked III startled. The sudden
change of manner and the familiar mem
ton of her name struck her as strange.
Helen was leaning toward her, all flushed
and eager, pointing with her glistening,
jcweled fingers over the water.
"Don't you see how white they are,
and how they CLEAN in the moonlight like
silver? Would not one OF them look love-
ly in my hairy'
II do not think l can reach Them" said
Vera, slowly. She was puzzled and half
frightened by the quick, feverish words
and manner.
"Yes, yes, your arms are long-much
longer than mine; you can reach them
very we'll. See, 1 will hold the sleeve Of
your dress like this; it is very strong. 1
can hold You quite safely. Kneel down
and reach Out for it. Vera. Do, please, 1
want it SO much. There is one so close
there, just beyond your hand. Stoop over
a little further; don't be afraid: / have