Reporter and farmer. [volume] (Webster, Day County, Dakota [S.D.]) 188?-1946, 1900-10-18

4 SIRENS VICTIMS ;
3 By Frances Warner Walker. *
- *


think / can straighten matters, and, IL
the worst comes to the worst, I'll have
TO go to Grace myself. Blu keep my
secret, Barclay. You've got your mon.
ely. Leave the rest to me-
ct cart leave it TO YOU I answered.
Tor I'm in love with the you
arc robbing.'
We'll, Grace. ] won't humiliate you
by telling yo,i all me story of his pleao-
ing; but when We parted. he had sworn
to mo that he would never touch anotfI>
er card. l could see no good in expos
ing him to you, and so l promised to
keep his miserable secret. Grace. I
promised for your sake for your sake
/ viii still help shield him from the
consequences Of his act; but / can work
no longer without some reward. Again
/ ask you, will you be my WIFE"
"Oh, spare mel" cried the girl. Spare
me, as you spared him. My need Oh
generous pity is even greater. Ask me
anything but this, and l will acknow-
ledge the justice OF your claim, I will
max you rich and ~impoverish myself:
but / cannot marry you'll"
You maze me a Shylock, Grace,
when ! .-ouId be a Romeo. You force
me to demand my pound of flesh, when
I would sue for the fragrance of a pass
ing breath. Yet though I would be ten
der as Romeo, yet am I u~nrelenting as
Shylock. Promise to be my wife, and I
will p~'orlise to be a truer. better man.
Grace, / have had no chance in life.
Give me this chance. Surround me by
your love, and let my own for you es-
cape its prison"
1T is impossiblel" she answered,
shuddering. II Go not, cannot love you!
l cannot marry you'll"
"And of your refusal you accept the
consequences"
You will enforce them?" -
ut is your own act. Send me from
you, with no promise for the future, and
l will go to the man who accepted Har-
ry Reynolds note, and denounce it as a
forgery-denounce him as a forger.
You say there Is not money in the bank
to meet it. 1 will make the whole
transaction public. Then save him from.
the law If you can. You will find the
law stronger than all your feeble will.
But grant my prayer, and I win have
the note renewed. Give me your check
for the amount already in the bank, and
your own note for the balance, payable
in sixty days. and all shall be made
smooth, the forged note in your own
hands by nightfall, and Harry Rey-
holds guilt unproven by this living
witness against him. You have now the
two alternatives. Grace. Which will
you choose? I give you five minutes to
decide"
And he pulled his watch from his
pocket, and stood holding it in his
hand.
Your decision?" he said, quietly,
when the appointed time had expired.
II will give you the check and note"
she answered, in a tone as cold and life
less as though the dead were speaking.
Bring me the--the note now in exist
cnce, and Twill marry you,"
A flash of triumph darted into the
dark eyes; a lurid fire, as of a volcano
suddenly emitting a sulpherous flame,
long-smouldering in the very bowels of
the earth.
He took n step forward and invol-
UNFAIRLY stretched out his arms.
Grace, my darling!" he murmured,
in ecstatic tenderness.
But. recoiling, she held UP her own
hands In aversion and adherence.
mot that" she cried. spare me
that. 1t was not mentioned in the
bond!"