Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1900-11-01

Then the door opened behind her
and Helen entered. She was very pale
and her eyes had in them strange
CLEAN. They rested upon Grace al.
most defiantly. With swift, nervous
motion, she unfastened the strings OF
her hat and tossed 1t from her.
HAS he spoken?" she asked, indi.
eating her husband by glance.
'"Only to murnlur your name," Grace
answered. II think once or. twice he
fancied was you"
,'".Better for all of us. IL his fancy
were true!". said Helen;. !, and, as
though inspired by some sudden re-
solve, she came close to where Grace,
risen from her knees, was standing be-
side Harry's couch. Yes, better If
you were Harry Reynolds wife. List
en-, Grace. You learned my secret last
night. L was hard, and cold, and al
] most brutal, perhaps in telling. but
suffering isn't apt to soften such wo-
men as am, and when you told me
that you had promised to'marry Har-
| vey Barclay, suffered in that mo-
msnt more than you have suffered in q
! life time. I don't know why I should
appeal to you. I never loved you. I've
nearly hated you for you have every
thing in the world I most covet, and
have been, for many a day, Harvey
Barclays game. He tried to blind me
to. it; but love it not easily blinded,
and loved him, Grace. He is a bad,
INSCRIPTIONS man, but he is the only
thing on earth I ever loved. Swear to
me you will not marry him. can
trust your word. Swear it to me,
Grace. 1t is your fortune, not you, he
covets. He will make misery of your
life, as he has of mine; but I'm not
hypocrite enough to plead with you for
your own sake. It's for mine, Grace
for mine! Oh, he is all have in the
world! and if you cast him off, he'll
turn to me again. In his soul he cares.
for me more than for anything save
self. Tell me you will give him up.
Swear it to mel"
1T can't swear it," answered the girl,
with white, shocked face. II must be
his wife now. There is no help for it.
1 did it for Harry's sake and yours!"
"And i'll tell you that your sacrifice
was useless? Oh, see it all-all the
treachery by which he has won your
promise. can guess it all; but my
lips are sealed. am powerless to un-
deceive you. But you will listen to me,
Grace?. You do not love him. You
will give him up when I tell you that
he is false and cruel?"
II >canIot give him up!" repeated
the girl. "'My word is pledged!'
"Then break i'll" said the older wo-
man. Break it, if you have any pity
on my soul. Do you know what it is
to love as I do? How could you
l5now?" and she laughed low laugh,
terrible to hear Had you known, you
would have murdered me rather than
that should have stolen from you the
love and kisses Of him who lies I'M
conscious beside us.Yes, murdered me-
as I could murder the woman whose
lips should be appraised to meet Harvey
Barclays kiss. You tremble and grow
white. You think that I am mad!
am not mad! Listen to me, Grace
Hawthorne. You shall know all-why
I married Harry Reynolds. did it for
Harvey Barclays sake. I loved him;
but we were poor-wretchedly, miser-
ably poor, and he had not the courage
to work for both. He told me that
Harry Reynolds had a large and inde-
pendent fortune-a fortune Of which
might gain possession by having it set
tied upon me. We did not go beyond
that, for we both understood what lay
beyond. was to begin life again with
him; We were to go to some distant
country and forget all save that we
loved and were together. This is no
| fit story for your pure ears. You see,
make "a confession of my own infamy
that you may guess at his. It was not
wealth, not responsibility and grati4
fed ambition alone that had at stake.
They We're but the stepping stones to
my 'higher greed. I loved him, and for
| his, sake I counted world we'll lost
And you would steal him from me now
now. in the moment when need him
most. But you have heard enough!
Your will give him up to-day-to-night
within the hour?"
| The night had fallen, and the light,
turned low barely showed the two
\ faces each to the other-each white
with a CHASTITY whfteness; but on one
was written d purpose born of desper-
| ationj the other great horror and a
.gfeat'-despair.' This was the man who
held. her in his 'power-this was the
woman for whose sake Harry had bar
tered her pure love. And Harry-ah,
could he take up the first stone when
hts own garments were soiled with the
mud OF his 'dishonor? Was there no
purity, no goodness, no honor in the
world?
With a low cry, which sounded
Though the quiet room like the de-
>spairing moan Of broken heart, she
pushed past Helen Reynolds detain-
ing hand and fed, as If pursued by
demons to the purer atmosphere of
that portion Of the house she might
call as yet her own.
CHAPTER XXX.
Helen listened until the sound OF
Graces footsteps died away. She
sssscrouched down on the floor there be-
3side chair. and buried her face in its
cushions.
An hour passed, and except for the
muttered, incoherent words with which
], hon. husband now and then broke the