The Washburn leader. [volume] (Washburn, McLean County, N.D.) 1890-1986, 1901-06-22

ing my sanity win have, disappeared.
Listen to me! What Is the alternative
OF your silence? Beatrice is forever
lost to you, to me and to the world.
You, yourself will be, in the eyes Of
this same world, q convicted felon.
You will spend your best years in the
garb of u convict, and within a peniten-
tiary's walls. Supposing, at the expir-
alton OF your sentence, your prison
doors open, what will your freedom be
worth? Without money or reputation,
what will your bare word avail. should
you wish to lift up your voice against
me? Or, IL there were those who heed
ed yaur cry, anddemanded to see the
proof OF Miss Markham's madness, do
you think they would not find her mad
Indeed? Nervous, delicately organized,
I ask you could she bear years Of con-
fnement among the mad, listening to
mad sounds, seeing mad sights, withou,
indeed b coming as they?
Demon! tiend'e i~ncarnate!" cried
Talbot, silence, or I swear$that ! will
kill you!"
~. ~ INV La AAACN, * . SASS
ter, coolly, and, opening his hand. he
showed a small revolver that he held.
men do not venture into a cage with
wild beasts without precautions. Adj
vance but step toward me, and q
buhllet through your brain will send
your soul into eternity! I should not
be DER sorry of a pretext-We waste no
love upon each other-and In such 9
moment as this men drop the mask
they wear. But there is another side
to the picture I just have painted. o
may turn 1t to the light If you will, and
blot out the reverse Of the canvas. A
word from me will suffice to withdraw
the charge against YOU. Nay, more-I
will fully establish your innocence!
You are poor. I will settle upon you q
sum adequate for all. your future needs.
I will restore to you your social posi-
ton among men. It is but a small mat
ter that I ask in return-only that you
should go to Beatrice and tell her that
it is your wish that she should marry
me; that, indeed, it is the only way
by which you may be saved imprtson-
ment for an act OF which you are
guilty. Are guilty, remember! You are
to confess your guilt to her and ac-
knowledge that you have prejudiced
her against me most falsely! In the
moment that you tell her this she Will
consent to anything-aye, even 70 pc.
coming my wife! You see, ! do un-
derestimate her present hatred m
Observation-Disclosures. I wish to marry
her. She Is homeless. nameless. lpor-
tionless--I give her all three. This Is
my alternative. Do you accept III"
The veins on Talbot's temples stood
out like knotted cords. His hands were
go tightly clenched that the nails were
buried in the flesh. Once let his fingers
meet on Chester's throat, and they
would never relax until he had stran-
eleed him. It was no fear Of the pistol
that kept him at bay-no fear OF losing
but of taking life! It was the awful I'M
pulse of murder, which brought the
great beads of agony's sweat upon his
brow. and gent the blood from, cheek
and fps back in a flood of Ice upon ms
heart.
l.Gorwreak you worst" he said,.at
last, the words breaking, in 9 dull mon
otone from between his clenched teeth.
ooh, God! that anything so foul as
your love should have stained the
young life you so ruthlessly consign to
a living death. But better .that-petter
any torture, than the torture OF your
caress! Go! You hear ME? &C, or
one Of us will hes a murderer"
''You refuse. then?"
"Aye, I Refused"
Clear and ringing now rang the de-
NAL.
The two fhen confronted each other,
each standing now, with his arms fold
ed across his breast, each with MS eaze
concentrated upon the other.
But. victor and triumphant. armed
and ecu Randolph Chester's eyes
fell first. But still the cruel smile
wreathed his lips
Within three days Beatrice MARX
ham shall be my WIFE" he said. -
have asked for your cooperation. You
have refused It. I will succeed without
II. but your fate shall be none the
brighter. eFlon! convict! It will make
the long years Of your seryitude none
the shorter for the knowledge that l. at
last, have won and wear the jeWel.you
coveted. Good morning, Mr.. Talbot! !
will see that the news of my marriage
p~enetrates your prison cell"
He went out.
talbot was alone-alone with the bur
den of his tortured thoughts. He q
been SO strong, so secure, and noW, Ing
some trapped lion, he could but roar IN
terrible impotence. !.
ooh God!'-he cried, his eyes dry a
burning with the hopeless firea OF ms ms
erv. ..take my miserable life! Let me
sueffr as you will. but save this child.
form such q fate!"
, To ne Continued3
stronger Than Usual.
80. a. n.+roJ< ), rarnarlsed