Reporter and farmer. [volume] (Webster, Day County, Dakota [S.D.]) 188?-1946, 1900-09-06
CHAPTER VII. (continued.)

thing to serve you. Oh, does 1t need
words TO tell you, to assure you OF
this? But, don't forget. Harvey. that
you helped to deceive me as TO the for
tune of my husband. 1t was you who
told me that he had a fortune in his
own right. Did you not know that ii
was false? The sum you want Is near
iy all OF his entire fortune"
Blu his father is rich?"
That is the worlds error. II Is
Grace Hawthorne's money which keeps
up this h~ouse-Grace H~awthorne's
money which wards off ruin from Ed
gar Reynolds, IL cannot explain Ii
now. 1t is too long a story. oh, Har-
vey, sometimes / think all / have
gained does not repay me for what I
have LOST"
Never mind the past. Helen. We
must deal now with the future-with
the present 1t is cold and stern. and
dark enough, God knows! Can you not
get this money from Miss Hawthorne:
There can be no mistake about her for
tuner"
NO, She is rich-so rich tEAt had
we-you and /. Harvey-but the fifth
eth part of her money. we might have
been happy to-day"
An exultant gleam glistened in Har.
vey Barclays Sy2s, but Helen detected
1t not. She was lost in her w
thought.
You shall have this money, Har-
vey," she said, at last. Come to-mor-
row ut this hour. and / will have 1t
ready for you. No. don't thank me!
Or, stay, Harvey-you may han me
in one way. Promise me that you will
never again AXE such desperate risks.
Another time / might be powerless to
serve you"
II promise, Helen he answered,
lifting her hands to his lips.
And. as IL overwhelmed by a sudden
afterthought:
You do not wholly despise me. Hell
en-"
"Despise you!" she echoed. now lift
ing her eyes to his face. with such a
ook in their depths as Harry Reynolds
had never seen there-a look which
would have been a revelation to him
concerning the woman who for six
months had been his wife. "Despise
you? / have read OF women, Harvey,
who, beaten to death by brutal hus-
bands, had dragged themselves, dying
TO the murderer's fest to kiss the hand
which had wrought the injury. Do
you know. / can fancy myself just
such a woman
God bless you, Helen!" he muir
INJURED, f~ervently. and one instant he
held her strained TO his heart.
But, once outside the door, the look
of tenderness fled. His features grew
hard and stern.
at must strike soon!'' he muttered.
This morey will staye off the newt
able ruin staring me in h face but a
little while. And how Helen will act
when she learns my purpose? All! /
have not so much to fear from her. A
ghost or two resurrected from the past
will keep her silent. And she loves
mel But the girl! Already the moths
flutter around the fame! I must strike
soon!" he repeated. And once my
wife, Grace Hawthorne, / think we can
put your money to better uses than in
supporting a household not your own"
Midnight had struck, when at Grace
H~awthorne's door sounded a gentle
knock.
The girl, who had gone to her room
but q an hour before. rose and
opened IL. To her surprise, Harry's
wife stood upon the threshold. The
beautiful face looked pale. and q veil
of trouble seemed to have darkened
the golden-brown eyes.
May i come in?' she ssked, and her
voice held the pitiful pleading of a lit
tie child.
A touch OF pity smote Grace. In that
minute she thought Terhaps she had
been cold to the young wife, had not
tried to love her, or she could not have
failed in the attempt.
She stretched out her hand with a
smile. and laid 1t on the little fingers,
whose touch fell cold, and which h
felt tremble in her clasp.
Indeed. yc. may come In" she an
swered. "Is Harry asleep. that you
thus play truant?'
Yes, he is asleep. But III could
not sleep. Oh, Grace. it's for Harry's
sake / am here" and, instead OF tax
ing the chair toward which Grace mo-
toned her. she fell upon her knees be-
side her. and buried her face I'm the
folds of her dress.
"Helen, what has ~happened?" ques-
toned Grace, with trembling voice.
~ HOA ~ iitAit III ol1 NO1iu 61iH III
reply, bat at last the young wife lifted
her head.
81 have a sad story to tell you. Grace
Ia story I think you have never sus-
pected-I-have had to bear my burden
quite alone. 1 do not know why / come
to you tonight, except that I am des-
perate. Grace, did you ever know-did
you ever suspect that Harry gam
bled?'
"Gambled? Harry"
The two words were all the girl
could force her white lips to utter.
Helen bowed her head assentingly.
Before I go further" she said.
speaking with evident effort, and as
though each word brought physical
pain. II must extort from you a pledge
OF silence. You must promise-you
must swear!-never to betray my con-
-fidence-never, under any Circumstance
es. WIN you promise me-, Gracey"
Yes, I promise" she replied,
But her lips were dry, and her voice
held a sound OF harshness.
IL think" continued Helen, "that
the beginning of this trouble with Har-
ry was the realization OF the loss OF his
father's fortune. He had alyvays heen