Reporter and farmer. [volume] (Webster, Day County, Dakota [S.D.]) 188?-1946, 1901-04-11
CHAPTER \. eConfinu~d.,

or have they given me my freedom.
se replied. Il escaped to-day from
taii- How. matters not. i am here.
tut every moment is fraught with
anger. Beatrice, / would have stayed
md stood my trial secure In my limo
ence. but hat / was In the hands OF
feTjurers- You know your cousins
testimony. What chsnce had i In my
innocence to stand Up against ii with
hit proof And how could I gain proof
.hut mp in . prisons walls? How
Suld / pay my debt 10 him when my
sands were tied2 So / have united
1efn. Beatrice, ] am a free man. and
hey shall never take me back alive
listen 10 me-, my dear, and don't trem-
E nor be afraid. / am not going 10
ave my place untitled in the cell !
left vacant, / am going TO pro-
de a substitute. 1t may be one year.
two. OF three before i am able to do
Bis. but il shall be done. And that
lbstitute is Randolph Chester. AS
tier and implacable as he has been
me. 50 viii I be to him: but my
napuns shall be truth-his have been
~rSury and false witness. In open
mbat, let US see which will win. /
tly came here. darling, TO see and 10
10 you this-to swear TO you, IL you
eded the oath, that you were not
pre- innocent than L; 10 hold you
&c 1 II my arms. to press you TO my
art. TO taste once again the sweet
SIS Of your lips. and then to disap-
aT. as Bertram Talbot. from the
srld but eve like the sIeuth-
und. 20 follow on Randolph Ches-
s track, 10 double on his doubling,
ferret every purpose. every motive
his life. untT. mesh by mesh. 1 have
Even about him a web from which
IRE is no escape"
lie had spoken s. hotly. so impetu-
sly. she could not have checked him
she would: but as she realized that
was again TO leave her-that his
ming had only been TO bid her once
3re fareNeii-shc chung to him with
AIRY d~esolation.
BERTHE. Bertie," she pleaded. 81. too.
trust and fear him. do o leave
dearl''
My child. I am powerless. Sweet
Is my dream OF winning you. /
uld not tonight claim you were the
yer given me; nor ever until / can
I've "a the world and TO you, sweet
1T. who need no proof. that / bear
burden OF another's guilt. But,
darling. you are protected from
ID and all others. This is your home.
frests with you whether / shall be
Emitted to its doors"
bitter cry burst from her lips. Her
net So he believed, little dreaming
L she had no home. From her he
ST hear the sad story. AS II had
n told 10 her, unfaiteringly, h re-
ted ii to him.
Sometimes l think we wrong him,
tie, she concluded. See. dear. by
rying me now he gains nothing. /
penniless. The money is all hla.
y should he want TO link his life
4 a nameless girl? And yet. at h
nd OF his voice. / shudder-at his
IN. in~stinctively recoil. His very
city repulses me. You know why l
about to end Ii ali when you
se-why death was sweeter 10 me
rs calm chill than life spent with
Tor my sake. when dead, he
AID have spared my mothers mem
~ The lawyer said my death would
Z all things easy. oh. BERTHE. IL Is
yet too late, See. half he con-
5 OF the bottle still are here. Pour
N out, and let me drink them with
r arms ciose-wrapped about me.
or the first time during her story
uplifted her eyes TO his face. She
terrified at the change which had
IN place there.
ALE before, he was now livid, and
breathing was labored and painful.
eyes. too. wore an expression she
never seen there before.
s she finished speaking. he reached
Mhis hand for the bottle, still stand
uncorked upon the table.
lie thought he was about to obey
command. and smiled YEARLY. as
Ugh glad TO throw off iife's heavy
4 ien; but instead. his fingers closed
IL the fragile glass until it snap
within them, and its dark contents
ed themselves at his feet, with
and there a drop Of blood. where
sharp edges had cut into the flesh.
seemed unconcious OF II all, and
held the broken fragments fast
a faint cry from Beatrice arous-
him.
ertie. you are hurt. The glass Is
81 ing you. Let go OF IL"
embossed his hold then. and shook
Il rom him.
ith her handkerchief she wiped the
/ away, and bound the linen about
81 AS she finished, he caught her
more TO him in a grasp that fair
urt. while n great sob tent his
he.
81 hank God. thank Godl / came
k,me.'' he said. 'My child-my
girl, Swear TO me that what
befall. you win never again at
~ your life. And listen, Beatrice!
stt have needed nerve and courage
my coming struggle o have
lied me with both. Al-al that
villain has told you Is false, and
TO serve some purpose Of his own
darling think OF your father, his
II, his rectitude, and imagine him
VS.. always under the shadow OF
lie. Look at your mothers pic
Recall that he venerated her
A.ory OF a saint. Was ever face
n. pure than hers? And think you,
is story had been true. your father
not have provided sc carefully
our future as TO put it beyond the
of chance? All. darling, i have
only myself now TO avenge, hut
az well. Fear nothing In assert