Reporter and farmer. [volume] (Webster, Day County, Dakota [S.D.]) 188?-1946, 1901-07-04

thought he wTsncaed arm free from
the grasp Of the man who held it. and
drew from his breast pocket the tiny
pistol with which he had threatened
Talbot tina morning in the cell. and
held It against his temple: gu ere he
could Pull the trigger Layton had
seized his hand. He was overpowcTed,
and they wrested l. from his nsrveless
hand.
You must come with US. Mr.. Chcs-
ter" said one Of the .
But Teatrice. lifting her head from is
shelter. advanced To their side.
No" n answered. He has sinRNi
only against me and tha man I love, He
can dc US NJ furthe~ harm. His on
science shall lee his gOle accuSes and sole
judge in one. There can 3D. no charSe if
we prefer none Let him go flee.
"Beatrice?" p'caded Eeft!e, with =
g]2Ec" ~ pleading 1--we.
She s.l-2ced him.
~ is NY wish" she sail. and u
roCl1St revenge. II is Christmas night,
dear. Don't let us forget that"
An hou~ later, and in the gloomy SOL
!:ude az his own rooms. the false and
rcFjured MASTER Of Grey Oaks sat alone.
Thou-h he has not been present az the
ceremony, he knew that already the sl-
cred vows had been spoken which had
made BsrtrGm Talbot ana Beatrice
Markham one-knew that. except 10 de-
stroy human life. he could harm neither
more.
Black as the night was his own soul.
which his surging passions tossed to
an1 fro npnp tho FncEa yyhQrn II hnH
met its ~shipwreck.
Suddenly a knock sounded low on his
door. He rose and opened it. To his
| surprise, Edith Lorrimer stood before
him..
Our schemes have failed" she said
in a low. earnest. thrilling whisper.
You have lost the woman and / the
man we love. Take me away with you
anywhere. anywhere, SO that / may
never see their faces more"
You mean to go with me as my
wife,"
Yes. if you will have it so. We are
fitted only for n another"
so be IT," he replied.
And thus the loveless contract was
sealed between them. The morning dis
covered both missing.
For Allen she had left only these few
hurried words:
Il give you back you freedom as my
best Christmas gift"
"She has resigned my fortune he
said ID himself. and guessed not yet the
mad love which had made such pittful
ruin OF it's own hopes.
But here was no more for him TO do
at Grey Oaks. Together with his moth
err and sister, he babe IL adieu.
Promise that you will return in the
summer" peleaded Beatrice. Promise
that you will let us welcome you them"
He smiled sadly.
For mother and for Cora / will prom
Use YOU he answered: but for my
self'-his voice sank TO a ~whisper-"I
dare not comet" he said.
And something IN his tone, rather
than in the words themselves, silenced
her further.
In the evenings cleaning of another
day she and BERTHE. alone at Grey Oaks.
stood silently, beside one of the windows
OF the room which had been to them so
memorable. Her head was on his heart.
his arm about her slender waist. Zach
had listened TO all that had happened TO
the other during these long and weary
months of suffering.
poor little fy," he said. after a few
minutes silence. He boosted truly.
Another day and your futtering wings
would have been beyond our rescue!"
She shuddered and lifted up her lips
for his caress. Thus she might Danish
thought and memory. h sweetness
OF the present wiped out the cruel past.
Her h%appinsss was worth the price paid
for its possession.
Alone in the lodge sat Tyrrell. but he
gazed only into the fire. and the steam
ing Jug. for once. was abs ant.
II can't understand IT," he muttered
10 himself. It's all as peaceful as a
May morning. and the staring eyes are
gone. l can siape and drame without
their disturbing me. But Miss Beatrice
is safe-thank God, and Tyrrell O'Byrne
hcIped to make her so. Thank God. too.
for that, TyrrelI O'Byrne she's prom
ised to keep in her service so long as q
drop Of the cratur don't pass his lips;
and shure he's taken the oath aCin II
for good. Eut shure and / wish IL had
been The other chap as she married"
And so. with one backward glance and
Tyrrelis one regret, we leave them all
the spider and the would-be victims.
The web he had so carefully wove is
shattered. The prisoners so nearly fet-
tered. freed. The spider-hcmeless. a
~wanderer. an unloved wife and an ac-
cusing conscience his companions for
ever more.
But Beatrice and Bertram frogot the
revenge already wreaked. in their OWN
happy lives, and in the consciousness
that no more webs could sully their
beautiful home. and that hencsforth
| Grey Oaks may boast no mystery.
THE END.