Semi-weekly Windham County reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1897-1901, 1901-08-06

tioning your brother"

tioning your brother"
II dare say you had"
II wished to discover If he could keel
a secret
Il dare say you did,"
Il have intended nothing dishonor
| able"
Fudge" She snapped her fingers
and her eyes ut the same time.
You don't believe me. Very well,
don't believe that you were not caves
dropping"
II was not eavesdropping" she cried
hotly. you have the word of a south
ern lady
And | was not trying to get youl
secret. You have the word of a.
stopped short. l had run against q
snag. She gave me n glance of con
tempt and triumph. Her head was up
a little to one side. her nostrils dlated
her breath slow and measured.
Miss Stanforth." said-I was near
betraying what demanded secrecy-"l
will prove to you before night-no. not
before night, but soon-that l had an.
other object l will no longer remain
in Il house the inmates of which,
made a step toward the door.
mfr. Branderstane"
Miss Stanforth"
"ln addition to sailing under false
colors you are now going to endanger
your life by
Fudge! What is my life to you"
snapped my fingers.
"A good deal Just now. 1t Is I'M
pleasant to have a person die on ones
hands"
was in no condition for this en-
counter. A buzzing was going on in
my ears, tingling sensation in my
limbs. My knees were giving way,
and l was obliged to sit down on the
sofa. looked lorgingly at a bottle Of
brandy that stood on the table, but was
too proud 10 ask for It. In n moment
Helen had poured some of the liquor
into tumbler and held it to my lips.
drank revivlng draft. She put
her hands on my shoulders and gently
forced me to lie down.
This must not occur again. she
said. "You have no strength to so. and
l have no right to excite you while in
your present condition. | believe what
you told me-" She put out her hand.
Pardon l said humbly. when
calm, l would as soon think of accusing
you Of eavesdropping as l would accuse
Diana of unchastty. l have been TN
gallant, rude-rude TO q woman"
Forget 1t. Lie still. and you will
soon be yourself again." She sat down
by n table and took up book. 81 vii.
sit here and read while you recover
your strength"
She read for perhaps half an hour.
l supposed she was interested In the
book. for she turned one page after an
other and seemed TO have forgotten me.
At last she put down the volume, and
by her first words convinced me that
instead of being interested in It she
had been thinking Of my puzzling iden-
tity.
II want to nsk you one question"
ASK it"
"Where did you come from the day
the shooting occutred:'
Huntsville"
She had asked the one question and
had received her reply. knew by her
that she wanted to ask an
other.
81 suppose you were there long enough
to become acquainted with the city.
It's a beautiful place.
II was there week."
The limit Of one question having been
overstepped in this indirect fashion, 1t
was easier for her to proceed.
what were you doing there"
Looking for some one"
"A man." r~t.-.
"Yes."
"What for?'
l did not reply at once. I was think
ing of some plan by which to put an
end to her CO tecbising.
IF tell YOU" said presently, "will
you promise to ask me no more ques- ,
tons"
IF you prefer that l should not"
"You wish to know why was seek
ing my man at Huntsville"
II do"
"You will keep what l tell you q Sc
,ret?"
Yes"
"To kill him"