Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1901-09-26
CHAPTER XVI.
Mrs. Martin in n New Role.

CHAPTER WI.
Mrs. Martin in n New Role.
The rest of that day and the greater
part of the night was spent by Mrs.
Martin in revolving in her mind the
story she had listened to in the closet
next to Austin's room. and in the effort
to think out some effective way OF
bringing it to the knowledge of Clarice.
She fell asleep at last from utter eN-
haustion. without having fixed on any
satisfactory plan: but when she awoke
in the morning the whole matter was
plain before her. and she smiled to
think how difficult it had seemed to her.
She determined simply to write out
the whole story just as it was, and send
It to Clarice. Let Clarice but once
know the truth as she had heard it, and
nothing more would be required.
''She will be more infatuated with
Austin than ever" thought the astute
intriguer THE second attack of love
for the same object is like relapse in
fever-the patient has the disease worse
than at first. And, talking of fever I
hope this excitement isn't going to
make Shirley Austin sick again. But
joy never kills, they say. and a little
good news judiciously administered now
and then will help him on, no doubt. I
must drop a word of caution to DR..
Bethune. Clever and cool as he is, it is
evident that he will lose his head in
this affair at the name Of Adele Lin
gard. Smart girl! I wish she would
reward him for his constancy, though
INSCRIPTIONS people would think him
too good for her. Clever girl! 1 could
admire her If size played her cards just
a little more cleverly; but it's lucky for
my game she lacked skill and judgment
in playing hers"
Having come to the end of her re-
Elections, Mrs. Martin locked herself up
in her room, with orders that no one
should disturb her on any pretext, and
sat down to her desk.
She began her letter in the form of a
narrative, and filled page after page.
1t made very pretty little love story
when she got through without signing
her name. But she had not even at
tempted to disguise her handwriting,
for she was Indifferent as to whether
Clarice should or should not guess from
whom the letter came.
LET her but know the circum-
Stances" she thought, wisely enough.
''She won't care from what source the
Information comes; and it will have all
the more effect that do not attempt to
make the communication anonymous"
II sign no name," she wrote at the
bottow of the page, because it might
prejudice you against the writer of the
above; neither do I seek to mislead you
as to my identity, for I dare say you
will easily recognize my handwriting.
I am prepared to have my motives mis-
understood, for, of course, it is to my
interest to know that you will probably
marry Shirley Austin, in consequence
of the contents Of this letter. But,
apart from that, am always a sympa-
thizer in the course of true love, and if
my letters had reached you, I might
have prevented your marriage with
Philip Grayson. and all the misery
which has come of it."
She enclosed her letter in a large,
strong envelope and sealed it with
black wax, and, in order that there
might be no question about it, she took
itself to the nearest letter box and
dropped it in,
On her return she found that DR..
Bethune had already called and gone.
SAAN
said to Bertha, who had given the in
formation. secretly delighted, for she
could not have missed anything very
important in so brief visit.
Yes; he didn't stay two minutes"
Bertha answered, her face flushing
then paling, while her voice trembled
''He said the sick gentleman was not sc
well to-day-excited and feverish. Oh
mamma, can he be worse again? 1t is
such strange illness! What can it be:
4, Do you think he is much worse?"
Nonsense, child! Don't be ridiculous!
What is there for you tc worry about
You've done nothing to harm him, ex-
cept to wait on him like a slave, and
certainly that might turn any young
mans head; but guess this one is
safe"
If Mrs. Martin had been less absorbed
in her own plans, she might have seer
that Bertha was changed from the gay
!ight-hearted girl she used to be--tha1
she was nervous, excitable, easier made
to weep, and all unlike her natural self
she might have noticed that at her owr
last words her daughter had grown
deathly pale.
But she saw, nothing Of all this al
present; and if she had, it is not likely
that she would in any way have con.
nected the change with the presence OF
Shirley Austin in the house-a person
whose name Bertha did not yet know
and whom the girl had never seen unit
about fortnight ago.
She went On quickly to her own room
threw off her hat and busted herself
about many little, household affairs
and. later in the day, she told hel
daughters many things regarding theil