Fergus County argus. [volume] (Lewistown, Mont.) 1886-1946, 1901-02-27

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ger on bis shoulder. Looking up, he
met the eyes Of Amabel. who was lean.
Ing toward him over the banlsters. She
was smiling, and, though her face was
not without evidences OF physical Ian.
guor, there was n charm about her per.
son which would have been sufficiently
enthralllng to him "a hours before, but
which now caused him such a physical
repulsion that he started back In the
effort to rid his shoulder from her dis
turbing touch.
She frowned. 1t was an instantane-
Gus expression Of %displeasure which
was soon lost In one Of her gurgling
laughs.
as my touch so burdensome?" she
demanded. III the pressure Of u fin.
ger is so unbearable TO your sensitive
nerves, how will you relish the weight
Of my whole handE'
Thrrc was a lerccucss In her tone, a
purpose In her look that for tie first
time in his struggle with her revealed
the full depth Of her dark nature.
Shrinking from her appalled,, he put NJ
his land in protest, Mt which she
changed again In n twlnhllng, and with
n cautious gesture toward the room In.
to which Mr.. Sutherland and his
friends had disappeared, she whisper.
ed significantly:
I'VE may not have another chance to
confer together. Understand, then, that
ii viii not be necessary for you to tell
me, in so many words, that you are
ready to link your fortunes to mine;
the taking Off Of the ring you wear and
your slow putting Of 1t on again, in my
presence, will he understood by me as
n token that you have re~consldered
your present attitude and desire my ST.
lencc and-myself."
Frederick could not repress n shud.
der.
For an instant he was tempted TO
succumb on the spot and have the long
agony over Then his horror Of the wo.
man rose to such a pitch that he utter.
cd an ~cxccratiOn, aud, turning away
from her face, which was rapidly grow.
ing loathSomc to him, he ran out Of the
p~assageway into the garden, seeing as
he ran n persistent vision Of himself
pulling Off the ring and putting II back
again. under the spell Of a look he re.
bcllrd against even while he yielded to
its influence.
Il viii not wear n ring. | will not
subject myself to the possibility Of
obcyiEg her bchest under n sudden
stress of fear or fascination" he cS-
claimed. pausing by the well curb and
lo0ktng over II at his reflection in the
water beneath. IF ! drop It here, ]
nj least lose the horror of doing what
she suggests under some involuntary
impulse" But the thought that the
mere absence Of the ring from his fin
ger would not stand In the way of his
going through the motions 10 which
she had just given such Significance
deferred him from the sacrifice Of a
valuable family jewel, and he left the
spot with an air Of frenzy such as q
man displays when he feels himself
on the verge Of n doom he can neither
meet nor avert.
As lac rc-cntcrcd the house he fell
himself cnvcloped In the atmosphere
OF a coming crisis. He could hear
voices in the upper hall, and among
them he caught the accents of her b,
had learned so lately to fear. lmpellet
by something deeper than curiosity
and more potent even than dread, b,
FASTENED toward the stairs. WhcI
half way up them. he caught sight o.
Amabcl. She was leaning back agalns
the balustradc that ran across the up
per hall. with her hands gripping III,
rail on either side Of her and her fac
turned toward the five men who Ia,
evidently issued from Mr.. Sutherland
study TO Interview her.
As her back was to Frederick. h
could not judge of the expression o
that face save by the effect II had upoI
the different men confronting her. Blu
TO see them was enough. From thel
looks he could perceive that this youn.
girl was In one of her battling mood
and that. from his father down, no
one of the men present knew what {
make Of her.
At the sound his feet made, n relaxa
tion took place in her body, and sh
lost something of the defiant attitud
she had before maintained. Present.
he heard her voice:
81 am willing to answer any qucs
tiuns you may choose TO put me here
but | cannot consent to shut myself |
with you in that small study. shoul
%suffocaie."
Frederick could perceive the look
which passed between the five men n
semblcd before her and was astonishe
60 note that the Insignificant fello'
they called S%wcctwater was the frs
10 answer.
Every we'll" said he. III you EMO
/; the publicity of the open hall. no on
here will object. Is not that so. gel
, tlemcnT
Her two little fingers, which WEI
turned toward Frederick. ran mp an
, down the rail. making n peculiar rasl
r ing Noise. which for n moment was I'll
, only sound TO be heard. Then NJ
Courtney said:
How came you TO have the handlln
, of the money taken from Agatl
p Wcbh's private drnwcrT'
4 II was q startling question. hut
1 seemed 10 affect Amahcl less than
! did Frederick. II made him start, bl
. she only turned her head Il tribe asld
so that the peculiar sptllc with whlC
/, she prepared TO answer could be SCI
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