Reporter and farmer. [volume] (Webster, Day County, Dakota [S.D.]) 188?-1946, 1901-05-02

other side of the morning room. And,
by the way, here is an advertisement
addressed to you"
The lovely face paled, and the red
lips ~quivered.
Addressed to me?' she echoed. "Oh,
you must be mistaken"
You do not know any one, then,
whose initials are b. To"
"B. t.? Give me the paper! Let me
sect"
She sprang up as she spoke. and,
with unrepressed eagerness, crossed
the room.
Nonsense, Miss Montrose! You
scarcely can imagine / seriously be-
lieved a personal in the columns of the
Herald could have reference to you? 1t
is a coincidence-nothirg more?"
And she coolly resumed her reading,
while the girl stood. white and trem-
bling before her.
Slowly she went back to her seat.
"B. T." The Initials seemed to flash
before her eyes in letters of flame.
Constantly as BERTHE had been in her
thoughts, great as had been her anxi-
ETY. concerning him, she had wholly
forgotten that he must have suffered
even greater expense concerning her.
ipuoAlCS5 ~ o. A~
flight from Grey oaks. and knew no
more.
''You are pale and trembling, Miss
Montrose," said Cora. when she had
returned to her chair. do go to your
room and lie down. You must not
forget that you are still an invalid,
n that Brother Allen has put you I'M
der my care"
Ter6erly Beatrice stopped and kissed
the sweet, upturned face, neither not
ing the quick glance of hate from the
black eyes opposite at mention OF
Brother Aliens" name.
II believe I will go to my room,
dear. viii you postpone our reading
for a little while?"
"She will come back for the paper!
thought Edith. she will answer the
appeal, How shall I get that answer
into my hands? I verify believe she is
connected with a gang OF thieves!'
But her first surmise. at least, was
| correct. An hour had scarcely passed
before Beatrice re-entered the ROOM.
Edith had retired into a distant win
dow. and let the curtain fall before her,
| so that she was screened from view.
The paper had been carelessly thrown
upon the table.
A moment before she took II up Be-
atrice pressed her hand to her heart.
1t seemed to her, from those printed
pages that Bertie's voice was actually
calling to her.
Then she glanced eagerly over the
columns. She had found the place, for
on a card she had noted down the
number given, then, with a dry sob.
FASTENED from the room.
A little later, thickly-veiled, she
| emerged from the house.
Already bonneted and cloaked for
this at a little distance,
Edith followed her.
AS she supposed, her destination was
the nearest lamp-post, into which she
slipped her letter.
Greeting her carelessly, as they met,
Edith walked on, only to retrace her
steps n take her STAN beside the
box until the postman should make his
next round.
st have just posted a letter which I
wish to recall" she said to him. 1T
is addressed to B. T., Box &C."
The postman glanced at her a mo-
ment, but her eyes met his frankly.
She was young and pretty and richly
dressed. 1t must be all right; besides.
she had the address which proved the
letter hers.
Opening the box, he sorted its con-
tents. until he found that to which he
referred.
'Here It Is. miss" he said.
she slipped a note into his hand.
"Thanks.' she murmured. You
have saved me great anxiety
Then, with her precious prize In her
--vfFtI- hama and
going straight to her own room, care
fully locked and bolted herself within
It.
Cautiously and slowly she unf4stened
the envelope, so as to leave upon 1t no
| trace of the tampering.
She might have wished to forward II
to its destination.
A cIoseIy-written sheet fell from Il.
when she had finished reading 1t she
knew all. That revelation was. In
| deed, different from what she had sup
posed. The girl had done no wrong,
then, and Aliens pity had not been
misplaced. Pity, Was 1t pity? Did
she not know otherwiseG
Through the mad i~nfatuation Of a
moment. knowing full well that his
heart was in no wise moved, she had
brought about his formal Offering OF
his hand and heart. Once pledged, he
would redeem his pledge: but latterly,
he was changed-even his infatuation
was taking wings. Her old influence
was waning, and to this girl she owed
it,
Had she not some right to recognize
the debt? She had seen Aliens eyes
rest upon her pale beauty with a
glance she never had inspired. She
had heard his voice soften, as 1t never
had softened TO her. She sad noticed
his avoidance OF this stranger guest.
and read in 1t another sign of his dis
trust of himself. IT would make no
difference in the fulfllment OF the bond
between them. If II had been merely
his POSITION, his wealth. his name, she
coveted. she could have laughed in
scorn and cared not at all. But Edith
Lorrimer alone knew the secret work
ings of her own heart, and recognized
that out of all the world II craved n
| thing alone, and that the passionate
love OF the man to whom h was be-
| trothed.
Even In the moment OF his declara-
| ton, keenest pain had mingled with
har triumph pa aSkad her RI becOme