Reporter and farmer. [volume] (Webster, Day County, Dakota [S.D.]) 188?-1946, 1901-05-09
CHAPTER XIX.

IL was midnight, and Grey Oaks was
wrapper in the embrace of the twin
shadows silence and darkress-when
the door leading to the suite of apart
ments In the east wing SOFTLY opened.
and a figure, which seemed a very
phantom of the night, stood hesitating.
1t was Beatrice, fully dressed.
Some instinct warned her hat by
daylight her flight from Grey Oaks
might be intercepted. Besides, It
seemed to her she could not draw a
which once had been to her the dear
est spot o N the wide earth.
AS no sound broke the stiffness of the
house. she noiselessly CROPPED her way
through the half-lighted halls and
dow the stairway Until the outer door
was reached.
The great door of entrance, in OPEN
ing, would betray her, so she passed
into the library, hoping to be able to
unbar a window without noise.
The room was dimly lighted, but ev-
cry article could be distinctly seen.
AS the familiar picture met her view,
her dream required to her with start
ling d~istinctness. She almost fancied
she could hear again the rustling
leaves, and glancing instinctively to-
ward the window which had framed
her fathers form; but 1t was closed
and suffered, and without the trees
were bleak and bare. without a single
leaf to tell her the story IL 1t couldl.
She sti1ed a sob and walked swiftly
across the room. lifting her hand to
undo the ~fastenings of the window.
Just as she made the movement. an
other hand was laid on her. Her whole
frame quivered with the shock, but she
uttered neither scream not cry. al
though for the instant 1t seemed as If
the owner Of the hand must have
sprung from the very floor.
ALLOW me to assist you, my dear
cousin" said a low, hooking voice in
her ear. 'It is a cold night for a
moonlight stroll, such as I guess was
your intention. But there is no ac-
counting for a fair woman's freaks.
1 believe I Il had fallen asleep in the arm
chair here, and do you know. for a
moment. as you fitted so noiselessly
across the room, I held my breath. i'm
agining you a yisitant from another
sphere?"
81 am" she answered, icily-'a
sphere unknown to you. Randolph
Chester.-a sphere whose atmosphere is
honor, loyalty and truth. Therefore.
let me pass, and pray. as I shall pray,
that our two paths may never meet
again"
Rather, my dear Beatrice. I intend
that they shall never again divide. II
was a fatal mistake, your leaving Grey
~@-~
ment. and caused me the grayest anxi-
| ETY. concerning you OF your own free
will you have returned here. and here
you must remain!"
Must remain, You are mad to use
such terms! You speak as IL compul-
sion would be used"
He smiled, i~ndulgently.
did you know. Beatrice" he said,
that one of the strangest freaks OF the
insane is to imagine that all the rest
of the world are mad? My child, don't
include me in your category, / beg
you!"
"A freak of the ~insane!" she muir
INJURED after him, with whitening lips,
and gathering a sickening precedence
of his meaning. For Gods sake, what
do you mean?'
"Only, my child, that your brain has
not been strong enough to Deal these
cruel shocks from which you rave
suffered. and has given way beneath
them. Time and care will. / trust. en-
tirely restore you. When you shah
look upon Bertram Talbot not as a
hero. but the thief he is-when you
shall regard me, not as your enemy.
but your friend, lover n husband
when you shall give you free will and
consent to granting me the latter title.
7 shall deem the cure complete. Until
then. Beatrice. you force me into plac-
ing you under surveillance BETTING so
sad a case"
Fear-absolute physical fear-entered
the girls soul as she grasped the full
purport of his words. Her lovely face.
pale before, blanched to marble white
ness. The gray eyes dilated until they
were black with the awful horror in
their depths, She shivered as II a
blast OF winter had struck her.
Instinctively she stretched out her
arms and grasped the back OF a chair
for support. lest her trembling limbs
should refuse to sustain her.
you call me made" h said. the