El Paso daily herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1881-1901, 1900-10-13
! 0hr Drnnranre of
Dorothy innfr6rtu ,

The silence OF night was on tiie sleeping
town. Two women, closely cloakcd. crcpt
stealihily along, the elder demonstrating.
Its great risk you run, mistress,
she whispered.
III you fear To- come with me. Betty.
go alone"
NAY. madam, my fears are not for
myself. | know my place better than To
leave my mistress alone to meet wild Sir
Harry Fortcscuc."
Meanwhile. pacing slowly backward
and forward in the shadow cast by high
banks half hidden Icy bramhles. n man
waited their approach. AS the women
came into sight he advanced t" meet
them.
1T is but five minutes 10y the clock
since / came. madam, yet l dare swear
that the moments have been lcaden foot
cd as so many hours. The pos: chaise
waits for us in yonder hollow, and we
have many miles to go before dawn"
THE ciiaisc can wait" she said 81
seek a word with you first. sir!'
"a Thousand, as you viii, sweetheart
But can you not say them as we drivc:"
The moonlight fell full on the group as
the woman stopped and threw back her
hood. and il shonc on her pale, set face.
Sccin:: il. Sir Harry faltercd and tapped
uneaSily the lid of his snuffbox- 1t
did not seem much like the look to- bc ex
pcrtcd on the face of Il romantic girl who
ha6 So easily fallen i'll with his sugges-
ton OF Il runaway match.
.Eow" she said. Il will tell you why 1
let you think that | would marry you in
secret and also why the chaisc VIII not
be needed tonight You have known ME
rs Dorothy March. sir. Know me now as
Dorothy In.lc,lcw, sister to the man you
ruined and whose patrimony you stole,
and to the woman whose heart you
broke
He scanned the eager fac. with some
curiosity now. So this explained the
haunting idea that there WIS something
forgotten which the sight Of Dorothy
stirred within him. lie could see now
the resemblance between the slender, fair
haired Winifrcd Inglcdew lac had tired
of and deserted when he found it 50 easy
Ia get the lnglcdew money from her
weak. spendthrift brother without cum
boring himself with II wife and this dark
beauty who had unexpectedly hccome
his accuscr-
Il stole nothing. Your brother. il
brother of yours he was, lost it to me in
play. He lost and I won. 1t is the way
Of the world. Mistress Dorothy"
lie was Il hoy. You took advantage
of his youthful folly My sister loved
YOU; Won forsook her when she no longer
had gold To tempt you. He lies in his
dishonest grave; she pinned away and
died broken hearted. You killed them
both and | vowed To kill you in turn
That was why | came to the Wells with
my godmother, whose name l have borne
since she took me To live with her, and l
let you think that | would run away with
You in order that ! might bc able &"
keep my VOW"
Tragedy becomes you. madam. he
said nockinSly But why talk of kill
already MORALLY wounded me-"
Will Won cease this foolish talk Do
you still think that love brought mo here
tonight? l have To avenge the honor of
my name. 1t shall not suffer for want of
male kin"
Madam. what folly is this: How can
| fight Il woman
She uncIaspcd her cloak and threw it
from her as the maid approached AMI
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 AMI
take your stand
This Is midsummer madness indeed.
Mistress March. or Ingledew. il it pie;,ses
you better. And, though it may he pref
" fooling when so fair lady plays part
in it. like it not"
will you choose n folly
NO. madam
Coward She held foil by the hilt
now. and Mt rhe word. struck him lightly
across the face with the Hat OF the blade.
Ills face was white with anger. save
where n red line showed where her blow
had fallen. :,
Had 4 man struck that blow he would
not have seen tomorrow's sun! But a
woman is privileged. to some extent
will fence with you. madam, since you IN
sist, and when you are disarmed Will
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 parricd. She fenced with care
and the skill that comes of long practice.
At first the man carclessly parried her
thrusts. laughing and jecring at the
strange fate which led him, noted
duclist. to cross swords with woman
But 10y degrees the jest and laugh died
on his lips, and his gaze remained fixed
on something over Dorothy's shoulder.
1t NAV have been fancy or the flicker
of the moonlight on his adversary's I'M
covered hair. but he thought the face of
Winifred looked over her sisters shout
der.
He began To falter. and n strange lunge
Dorothy made remained Impaired.
WINNER he cried. and rs the cry left
his lips Dorothy ION pleCceu MS he'rt-
He stumbled. then fell at her feet For
q moment she stood agha st mt the fulfill
ment of her vow: then. fiinging away the
foil. she knclt ut his side.
His eyes opened, and as they fell upon
Dorothy tho hooking smile struggled
again to the white lips. There was no
sound but his gasping breath. His eyes
opened agin.
"Forgivcr' he gas Jed.
His head fell back. and Sir Henry For
tescue was dead.