The Washburn leader. [volume] (Washburn, McLean County, N.D.) 1890-1986, 1901-09-28

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CHAPTER XVI.
Mrs. Martin in q New Role.
The rest Of thai day and the greater
part of the night was spent by Mrs.
Martin in revolving in her mind the
story she had listened to in the closet
next to Austin's room, and in the effort
to think out some effective way OF
bringing it to the knowledge of Clarice.
She fell asleep at last from utter eH-
haustion, without having fixed on n
satisfactory plan; but when she awoke
in the morning the whole matter was
plain before her. and she smiled to
think how difficult 1t had seemed to her.
She determined simply to write out
r1he whole story just as it was, n send
1T to Clarice. Let Clarice but once
know the truth as she had heard 1t, and
nothing more would be required.
"She will be more infatuated with
Austin than ever" thought the astute
e1ntriguer. 1.-THE second attack Of love
for the same object is like a relapse in
-fever-the patient has the disease worse
than at first. And, talking of fever, I
hope this excitement isn't going to
make Shirley Austin sick again. But
Joy never kills, they say, n a little
good news judiciously administered now
and then will help him on, no doubt. I
must drop a word of caution to DR..
Bethune. Clever and cool as he is, it Is
evident that he will lose his head in
this affair at the name of Adele Lin
gard. Smart girl! I wish h would
reward him for his constancy, though
INSCRIPTIONS people would think him
too good for her. Clever girl! I could
admire her if size played her cards just
n little more cleverly; but it's lucky for.
my game she lacked skill and Judgment
In playing hers"
Having come to the end of her re-
Elections, Mrs. Martin locked herself up
IN her room, with orders that no one
SHOULD disturb her on any pretext, and
s8at down to her desk.
. She began her letter in the form Of a
narrative, and filled page after page.
1t made a very pretty little o v story
when she got through without signing
her name. But she had not even at
teempted to disguise her handwriting,
for she was Indifferent as to whether
rClarice should or should not guess from
whom the letter came.
"Let her but know the circum-
stances" she thought, wisely enough.
-"She won't care from what source the
information comes; and it will tave all
the more effect that I do not attempt to
make the communication anonymous"
81 sign no name," h wrote at the
rbottow of the page, because it might
prejudice you against the writer of the
above; neither do I seek to mislead you
AS to my identity, for I dare say o
will easily recognize my handwriting.
I am prepared to have my motives mis-
= understood, for, of course, 1t Is to my
interest to know that you will probably
marry Shirley Austin, in consequence
of the contents of this letter. But,
apart from that, I am always a sympa-
'Ahizer in the course of true love, and II
my letters had reached you, I might
have prevented your marriage with
Philip Grayson, n all the misery
v which has come of It,"
She enclosed her letter in q large,
strong envelope and sealed it with
black wax, and, in order that there
might be no question about 1t, she took
itself to the nearest letter box and
dropped it in.
On her return she found that DR..
Bethune had already called and gone.
: H must have been in a hurry" she
said to Bertha, who had given the In
formation, secretly delighted, for she
could % have missed anything very
important in so brief a visit.
Yes; he didn't stay two minutes
Bertha answered, her face flushing,
then paling, while her voice trembled.
He said the sick gentleman was not 30
well to-day-excited and feverish. OH,
mamma, can he be worse again? It 10
such a strange illness! What can It be?
Do you think he Is much worse?"
-Nonsense, child! Don't be ridiculous!
What is there for you to worry about?
You've done nothing to harm him. exc
..cept to wait on him like q slave, and
certainly that might turn n young
mans head: but I guess this one -
safe"
II Mrs. Martin had been less absorbed
In her own plans, she might have seen
that Bertha was changed from b gay.
.1ight-hearted girl shegused to be--that
.she was nervous ,sexcitable. easier made
to weep, and all unlike her natural self;
aheSmight have noticed that at her OWE
last words, her daughter q grown
deafhly pale. ss9 Il .%SasSf
BSt she; saw nothing 4 an thts NJ
153fesent; a1dSi c she had II ~ not likely
chat she would IN any Wayahave con-
nected the change with the p~resencesoa
Shirley Austin In the person
u whose name bertha did not yet know
xnd5MhoM the gtri had never seen unit
sa9 bpnt ~ fortnight ago. 9a&saAs s@SMt