Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1901-07-11

1 thought he wrenched one arm free from
the grasp of the man who held it, anc
drew from his breast pocket the tiny
pistol with which he had threatened
Talbot that morning in the cell, an6
held it against his temple; but ere he
could pull the trigger Layton hac
seized his hand. He was overpowered
and they wrested it from his nerveless
hand.
You must come with US, Mr.. Ches.
ter" said one of the men.
But Beatrice. lifting her head from Its
shelter. advanced to their side.
mo" she answered. HE has sinned
only against me and the man I love. He
can do us no further harm. His con-
science shall be his sole accuser and sole
judge in one. There can be no charge if
we prefer none. Let him go free:''
"Beatrice?" pleaded BERTHE, with a
glance of pleading love.
| She silenced him.
''It is my WISH" she said. "and OIL,
noblest revenge. 1t is Christmas night
dear. Don't let US forget that
An hour later, and in the gloomy sol.
itude of his own rooms. the false and
perjureG master of Grey Oaks sat alone
Though he had not been present at the
ceremony, he knew that already the sa-
cred VOWS had been spoken which had
made Bertram Talbot and Beatrice
Markham one-knew that, except to de-
stroy human life, he could harm neither
| more.
| Black as the night was his own soul,
which his surging passions tossed to
and fro upon the rocks where it had
met it's shipwreck.
Suddenly knock sounded low on his
door. He rose and opened it. To his
surprise Edith Lorrimer stood before
him.
"Our schemes have failed" she said,
in a low. earnest, thrilling whisper.
''You have lost the woman and I the
man we love. Take me away with you
anywhere, anywhere, so that I may
never see their faces more"
you mean to go with me as my
wife,"
eyes, if you will have it so. We are
fitted only for one another"
$50 be it, he replied.
And thus the loveless contract was
sealed between them. The morning dis
covered both missing.
For Allen she had left only these few
hurried words:
81 give you back your freedom as my
best Christmas gift"
"She has resigned my fortune" he
said to himself, and guessed not yet the
mad love which had made such pitiful
ruin Of it's own hopes.
But here was no more for him to do
at Grey Oaks. Together with his moth
err and sister. he bade it adieu.
promise that you will return in the
SUMMER" peleaded Beatrice. Promise
that you will let us welcome you them"
He smiled sadly.
"For mother and for Cora will prom
Use you" he answered; "but for my
self'-his voice sank to a whisper-"I
dare not comet he said.
And something in his tone, rather
than in the words themselves, silenced
her further.
In the evenings cleaning Of another
day she and BERTHE, alone at Grey Oaks,
stood silently beside one of the windows
of the room which had been to them so
memorable. Her head was OH his heart
his arm about her slender waist. Each
had listened to all that had happened to
the other during these long and weary
months of suffering.
"Poor little fy!" he said. after few
minutes silence. "He boosted truly.
Another day and your futtering wings
would have been beyond our rescued"
She shuddered and lifted up her lips
for his caress. Thus she might Danish
thought and memory. The sweetness
of the present wiped out the cruel past.
Her happiness was worth the price paid
for it's possession.
Alone in the lodge sat Tyrrell. but he
gazed only into the fire, and the steam
ing jug, for once, was absent.
'I can't understand it" he muttered
to himself tits all as peaceful as a
May morning, and the staring eyes are
gone. I can slape and drame without
their disturbing me. But Miss Beatrice
is safe-thank God! and Tyrrell O'Byrne
helped to make her so. Thank God, too,
for that! Tyrrell O'Byrne she's prom
Used to keep in her service so long as a
drop of the cratur don't pass his lips:
and shure he's taken the oath agin it
for good. But shure and I wish it had
been the other chap as she married"
And So with one backward glance and
TyrrelTs one regret, we leave them all
the spider and the would-be victims
The web he had so carefully woven is
shattered. The prisoners SO nearly fet-
tered. freed. The spider-homeless a
wanderer, an unloved wife and an ac-
cusing conscience his companions for
ever more.
But Beatrice and Bertram frogot the
revenge already wreaked, in their own
happy lives, and in the consciousness
that no more webs could sully their
beautiful home, and that henceforth
Grey Oaks may boast no mystery.
THE END.
GerOme the Great.