Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1902-05-14

CHAPTER xIII.-(Continued.)

CHATTER AllI.-tCOnInueu.b
He turned it over ard over, maryeling
for whom it was intended. At last ne
brekc the seal, meaning only to read the
first line, as a clew to whom it was writ
ten. But it commenced without any form
or preamble. and instinctiyely he read on.
Something warns me that my time on
earth is drawing to an end. You have
broken my heart, and You know it.
might have expected no mercy. for has
not my past shown me what mercy your
race are alone capable of showing! And
yet, as you know what / suffered at other
hands, you at least might have spared
me now. / am glad that death is APP
prOachng; it viii be kinder than you
have been, and as my secret dies with
me. so also dies your power. DO not at
tempt to threaten my son as you have
Threatened me-dO not for one instant
Halter yourself that he viii buy your
silence, or preserve the secret of your
pol err as l. his weak aud most unhappy
mother. have done. You have sown dis
trust and GOODNESS between me and the
snly thing | loved cannot lind 1t IN my
heart to forgive you, but do say, heaven
deal with you as no human la = or human
Justice can. Sometimes | think | have
been wrong to believe yOu-that should
haYe fought you on your own ground, or
confessed the truth to one better able
TO deal with your cunning and your pow
er. But il is toe late now. / was weak
enough TO yield once. and that once was
all you needed II death releases me from
any bargain, il will be kinder than any
human friend can be. One thing more
i must say, Ivor has forbidden your pres
enCe here. Do not, therefore, force your
self upon me. Remember that tiesh and
blood cannot always stand such tyranny
as yours. and one day I-eyen Knight
be weak enough to repent and confess
all. You best know how IA. such con-
fession would serve your ends. Do not
try ny strength TOO severely. The check
Is inelosed as usual, and, as usual, l
must request the form Of receipt. The
total is nearly reached nowat what cost
you know as web as | myself.
That was all. As Ivor Grant reached
the last line his face turned ashy pale;
yet even now he was as far as ever from
Solving the mystery that had placed his
mother in the power Of this man. He
dropped the paper on the table. and his
hand. as it rested on the margin Of the
drawer. inyoluntarily grasped the wood
with fierce. nervous pressure. AS he
did so, faint click" caught his ear
The wooden panel at the back Of the
drawer fell open suddenly, revealing an
aperture containing some papers. He
started to ais feel; cold sweat bathed
his brow. Swift as thought his hands
seized the doc ments and dragged them
from their hiding place.
Nhs.a. he RnI md ssaRaA
One by one theY brought to him at last
the revelation Oh that secret to which ne
would have given any history, any name,
save this This What was it that
aamed and burnt before his eyes-a truth
too plain, too terrible for doubt-a truth
that framed itself into one bitter word.
and so faced him there in very n Ary
OF that dead woman's love, and weak
ness. Ay, and wOrse-dishonor. beggary,
ruin. a lasting shame, a lost inheritance
Ia very earthquake of desolation that IN
one second Of time blasted and laid low
his whole life.
The papers fell from hrs nerveless
hand-fell one by one ike the hopes they
had slain, the memories they lad poison
ed One great fearless sob heaYed his
chest; he sank slowly down. and his head
9eE foreward on his arms. There was a
great silence in the room-a silence as'of
death.
For il was worse than any death blow
that had struck Ivor Grant down now to
the very dust Of agony and shame; and
he met il without a moan, without a
word of reproach against the woman
whose hand had dealt itbhndly. ignor-
antly. perehance. but only too surely and
fatally for all that.