The Denison review. [volume] (Denison, Iowa) 1867-current, 1901-03-15

would you! ne SAID, recalling ANA
bells face with bitter aversion as he
gazed into the womanly countenance
he had hitherto sighted as uninterest-
| ing. ut is the first kind word you
have ever given me, Agnes Possibly
1t is the first l have ever deserved"
! And without another word he DOTTED
his hat, saluted her and vanished down
the hillside.
She remained. remained so long that
/ it was nearly o'clock when she en-
tered the family parlor. AS she came
in her mother looked up and was star
tied at her unaccustomed pallor
why, Agnes" cried her mother,
what is the matter?"
Her answer was inaudible What
was the matter? She dreaded, even
feared, to ask herself.
Meantime strange scene was taking
place In the woods toward which she
had seen Frederick 60 The moon.
which was particularly bright that
night. shone upon certain hollow
where a huge tree lay. Around it the
underbrush was thick and the shadow
dark. but in this especial place the
opening was large enough for the rays
/ to enter freely. Into this circlet of
light Frederick Sutherland had come
/ Alone and without the restraint i'm
/ posed upon him by watching eyes he
showed a countenance so wan and full
! of trouble that it was well lit could not
be seen by either of the two women
whose thoughts were at that moment
fixed upon him. To Amabel it would
have given a throb of selfish hope,
while to Agnes it would have brought
pang of despair which might have
somewhat too suddenly interpreted to
4 her the mystery of her own sensations.
4 He had bent at once to the hollow
space made by the outspreading roots
4 just mentioned and was feeling with
an air Of confidence along the ground
for something he had every reason to
expect to find when the shock of a sud-
den distrust seized him, and he flung
himself down in terror, feeling and
feeling again among the fallen leaves
and broken twigs until full realiza-
ton of his misfortune reached him,
and he was obliged to acknowledge
that the place was empty
Overwhelmed at his loss, aghast at
the consequences it must entail upon
him, he rose in trembling sweat,
crying out in his anger and dismay:
''She has been here She has taken
it," And realizing for the first time
the subtlety and strength of the an
tagonist pitted against him he forgot
his new resolutions and even that old
promise to Agatha Webb and uttered
oath after oath. cursing himself. the
woman and what she had done until
a casual glance at the heavens over
head. in which the liquid moon hung
calm and beautiful, recalled him to
himself. Ceasing his vain repinings
and silencing with fierce but de-
termined effort the fierce demon in his
! breast, he turned from the unhallowed
!, spot and made his way with deeper
and deeper misgivings toward home
made hateful to him now by the pres
: ence of the woman who was thus bent
: upon his ruin.
He understood her now. He rated at
it's full value both her determination
and her power and had she been SO
unfortunate as to have carried her inn
prudence to the point of surprising him
at that moment in one of the hollows
;. of that midnight copse it would have
, taken more than the memory of that
days resolves to have kept him from
using his strength against her. But
= she was wise and did not intrude upon
: him in his hour of anger. though who
). could say she was not near enough tc
, hear the sigh which broke irresistibly
/, from his lips as he emerged from the
; wood and approached his fathers
house.
A lamp was still burning in Mr.
) Sutherland's study over the front door
= and the sight of it seemed to change
for moment the current of Freder
;, ick's thoughts. Stopping with the gate
: in his hand. he considered with him
:, self and then with a freer countenanct
= and lighter step was about to pro
= coed inward when he heard the sount
= OF heavy breather coming up thu
!. LII and paused, why he hardly knew
:. except that every advancing step oc
!. c.tScned him more or less apprehen
= sion
: The person. whoever it was. stopped
;, before reaching the brow of the hill
), and painting heavily muttered an oatl
"a which Frederick heard. though 4
If was no more profana than those which
J. had just escaped his own lips in thu
% forest, it produced an effect upon Fred
v erick which was only second in inten
/, sity to tie terror of the discovery tina
# the money he had 50 safely hidden wa
= gone.
is Trembling in every limb, he lashet
# down the hill and confronted tae per
IN son standing there.
"a YOU he cried You And for
moment he looked as if he would lili
., to fell to the ground the man befor
4 him.
~ But this man was a heavyweight o
" no ordinary physical strength an
IN adroitness and only smiled at Fred
i. erick's heat and threatening attitude.
81 thought | would be made wei