Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1901-04-25

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kinship that YOU address me thus?" he
asked, in tender reproach.
You forget that it is you who as
perse your own claim, and render it
impossible, since you deny my title to
| Randolph Chester. All-every word
| that YOU have told me I believe to be
false; and though 1 am weak help
less girl, I Will yet pro We it false!"
You are wrong, Beatrice, and you
misjudge me-" he answered, quietly
IF you will use your reason, you will
understand that I could scarcely invent
such a tale, or support it without
truth as its foundation. If it We're not
so, you could bring a hundred witness
es to combat it. You could prove your
fathers marriage. bring forth his we'd
ding certificate, and attest your own le-
gitimacy of birth. AS it is. you natur-
ally refuse to believe the painful story
necessity has compelled me to unfold
to you. Beatrice, I offer you once more
peace between us. Will you still choose
war? Once again I ask you to become
my wife, and thus forever put an end
to any questioning. Why should you
hesitate? I will not force my love upon
you. I will leave it to time and my
own earnest effort to slowly win it.
Oh, Beatrice. must you always hate, al
ways distrust me?"
Genuine feeling rang in his tone. 1t
was a new phase to her in his charac-
ter-that of pleading and self-humilia-
ton.
Could it be that she had wronsed
him? she asked herself. Could it be
that his horrible tale was true-that
she, indeed, only held the birthright of
a fathers dshonor, mothers shame?
The night before she had been
buoyed up by Bertram's faith. But,
like herself, he had no proof to sustain
it.
Again the terrible doubt came creep
ing in to palsy her strength and chill
the life blood in her veins.
But. resolutely, she nerved herself
against the betrayal of any sign of it's
existence.
what you ask me is impossible" she
answered. gently. II can never marry
you. do not love you. If have mis-
Judged you, you can prove it to me
now by letting the matter rest. So far
as the money is concerned, take it all.
Only-I beg-I implore you. let the dead
rest in their graves. Do not dishonor
them. I will not dispute your claim.
''But, Beatrice, what you suggest is
impossible, else I would gladly accede
to it. The world believed you to be
my uncle's daughter, born in wedlock,
and, as such, his heir. I can not step
in and take possession of this property
without proving it otherwise. One way,
and only one, lies out of the difficulty
and that the way I have just suggest
ed. Become my wife, and the world
need never know. Beatrice, could your
dead mother speak. what, think you,
would she plead? Can you not guess.
too the reason now your father was so
anxious for this marriage?"
"Oh, God, send me sign!' burst
from the tortured girls lips.
And, as she spoke, unconsciously rails
ing her eyes, they rested on a portrait
of her father, hanging against the wall
of the room.
The gaze of the portrait seemed di-
rected toward her; the clear eyes, frank
and honest, and true, appeared to hel
imagira ton to hold an expression of
reproach; the lips about to open, as if
to ask:
''Beatrice, can you doubt me?"
Impulsively, she sprang from her
chair and knelt beneath it, extending
her arms toward it.
"Papa, give me strength" she cried.
Almost Rave I doubted you, but new
err again-never again! You hear ms
swear it! Let him wreak his worst,
papa You and mamma are dead-it will
fall on me rather than on you. Only
forgive me that I could ever listen to
so cruel and foul a lie against your
honor and my mothers purity"
Then, rising to her feet, she turned
toward Randolph.
"Do your worst" she said. 1.-The
only alternative you offer me I refuse.
What else is left me?"
"Skame, poverty and the worlds
scorn!" he answered.
Then I accept them all. There could
be no shame like that of an unhallowed
marriage, no poverty so great as that
the starved heart knows, no scorn of
the world to equal the flashing of an ac-
cusing conscience
''You are brave!" he said. sarcastic
ally. will you always be SO? Nursed
in luxury, do you dream what terrible
definition the word want can hold?
You are beautiful. 90 you know the
curse that beauty unprotected may
prove to you? You have lived in the
sunshine of the worlds smile! Can you
imagine the blackness of it's frown?'
II look at you'll listen to you-anc,
looking and listening, I need no mag
ination to see the picture you so graph
ically paint"
His face grew paler as she spoke.
II refuse to accept your decision as
final until you have had twenty-four
hours for reflection" he replied, with
forced calm. IF, by then. you still re-
fuse the offer have made you you will
understand that you are living under
my roof and on my bounty. shall al
ways be most happy to offer and secure
to you the charity of BOTH
His words did not fail of their effect.
White and trembling, Beatrice moved
toward tho door.
ST take not one minute-not one hour
for thought" she said. You say
that it is owing to your charity that /