The Hope pioneer. [volume] (Hope, N.D.) 1882-1964, 1901-05-16
CHAPTER xIII.-CoSr1N11En.

CHAPTER XIII.-CoNTINUED.
"Wh;,t is the matter?" asked Mrs.
Nolan.
Matter enough" answered Mrs.
Goddard, c%lenching her hands, and
gratiIg her teeth together. matter
enough. He has married the girl, but
has ;.lready-already fallen in love
with her, and now he wants to throw
me over"
didn't you expect that?" asked
Mrs. Nolan, whose innate dislike for
her mistress often fostered opposition
to her plans.
"It was the last thing I did expect
the very last"
"Your egotism has undone you,
Jeanne" said Mrs. Nolan with no
little cautious JUNCTION. 81 had no
sooner laid my eyes on that beautiful
young creature than I knew if he
ever was in love with her once he
would be again"
For mercy's sake, dry up!" com
manded the furious m "This is
no time for you to lecture me. Do
you know that we shall be stranded
here without money enough to keep
us? Do you know that he defies me
to expose the matter and that he
swears I shall never touch the girls
money"
"Not after her death?" asked Mrs.
Nolan, her own face growing sudden
ly grave.
death, you idiot? The girl is as
sound as a dollar"
II thought you said"
ct makes no difference what I
said" broke in Mrs. Goddard. "She'll
never die till I get back to America,
and"
Mrs. Nolan caught the excited wom-
an by her shoulders and forced her
to look at her.
do you mean that-that you in
tended to commit murder, Jeanne""
IF he did not give me the greater
part of the girls money-yes," was
the sullen answer.
"Well, you must not draw me into
that, Jeanne!"
81 shall draw you into nothing, but
I shall expect you to hold your
tongue"
"Mould he hold his tiff you re-
sorted to-if you killed her?" asked
Mrs. Moan in a low, quivering voice.
They had now returned to the lit
tie sitting-room in the cottage. Mrs.
Goddard was looking through a box
of writins-paper, with nervous, FUN
I. bling fingers. Mrs. Nolan stood over
her and ventured cautiously to repeat
her question.
Mrs. Goddard hesitated as she
found a telegraph blank, and dipped a
pen.
He'd have to, or be implicated with
ME in-in the whole business she an
swered, doggedly. eff she died sud
denly or was shot, the law of self-pres-
ervation would be too strong for him.
"And what then?' Mrs. Nolan
seemed scarcely to breathe.
"Then I could win him back to me
if I wanted him"
"Are you sure?"
"With her out of the way, yes"
There was a dead silence in the room.
The outer circle of the underground
railway ran beneath the garden, and a
passing train shook the room like an
earthquake.
"What are you going to do now?''
asked Mrs. Nolan, c%uriously, cycling
the telegraph blank.
Mrs. Goddard was writing, and when
she had finished and laid down her
pen she held the sheet to her compan-
ion. 1t was addressed to Maj. Rowland
Goddard, Observation-Disclosures
N. Y, U. S. A. The message was but
q single word and no signature went
with it. The word was: america"
"It will pass most eyes as a word
from some Geographic CODE" said Mrs.
Goddard; "but the major will under
stand it in full. Now, Lucy, we must
pack. We are going back on the first
steamer. 1 shall u out and send this
and inquire about the passage. Go to
work. We have no time to lose"
"But what if you were recognized on
the steamer going over?" faltered Mrs
Nolan.
"There is no likelihood of that.
know SO few people,"
"But Henry Dugdale is in New
York"
"He may not be now; but we have
to run ever that risk. We are playing
q big game, Lucy"
"You mean you are" said Mrs. Nolan
~ shall never take a hand in the--the
other"