The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1902-04-13


A quarter of an hour later Laurence Steer
walking down the avenue away from
the Hall. His face was gray and stern,
his gait uncertain. He had, indeed. ex-
perienced terrible shock. He had seen
Violet Carruthers, the girl he had loved
and loved still-apparently quite uncon-
scious of his presence, raging round the
room in a paroxysm of madness, with eyes
from which the childlike, trustful gaze
had gone, and instead a terrible fury
glared She had seized upon an ivory paper
cutter. and gone though a CHASTITY pre-
tense of killing herself. and then, with a
wild cry, had fallen senseless to the
ground. Mr.. Carruthers had administered
some sort of draught to her. saying to
Steer he did so: "She will now sleep
for some hours, and will awake herself
again. and quite unconscious of what has
passed. You see now Mr.. Steer, my words
were but too true. 1 have striven TO keep
my secret. and no one here knows of my
nieces affiiction. 1 know l need bind you
by no promise to keep it as sacred.
Upon leaving the lodge gates. Steer in
stinctively made his way to little wood
near the roadside, whose cool depths in
vited him to a sure retreat where he
might face this terrible trouble unseen
and undisturbed. He could not fully realize
this awful revelation, which had come as
a deadly blow TO all his hopes. Notwith-
standing the evidence of sight and hearing,
something more powerful than reason for
babe the belief that Violet Carruthers was
really insane. Her manner when with him
had been ohangeable-erratic even-but
nothing he had seen in her then had ever
led him to fear that her reason was un-
sound.
81 can't believe it, he said. doggedly. "I
mistrust that man still; there is something
about him that repels me, something in the
look in his eyes which forces me to hate
him. And yet / saw it all with my own eyes.
Oh. my little love. cannot believe it.'
Steer arrived home looking so white and
i'll that the quick eyes of his sister at once
detected that something was wrong with
him. When tea was over she drew him into
the garden.
Laurence" she said, whats the matter,
dear? You look simply awful "
He tried TO smile. do u" he said. well,
little girl, the truth is" He paused 1--WE
had blow.
You have proposed TO Miss Carruthers
and she has refused you?" cried his sister,
quickly.
Her brothers love for Violet Carruthers
was no secret TO her, and she had hoped,
for his sake, his wooing would be success
full.
mo, not exactly" he said. but you are
right-that is the trouble. Miss Carruthers
can never be my wife"
"Oh, Laurie cried Lucie Steer. "has that
horrid old guardian of hers refused to let
her marry your
What is your candid opinion of Mr. Car
ruthers?" said Steer, ignoring the ques-
tlon.
II don't like him at ALL" said Lucie land
/ think Violet would be ever so much nicer
If he would allow her to do as she likes.
Why does he keep her shut up in his old
laboratory; I'm sure she can't like living
in it at her age? Why, she is younger
than 1 am! But. Laurie, are you quite,
quite sure it is quite hopeless? Don't you
think in time-?''
Il fear Miss Carruthers andrI can never
be anything more than friends" said Steer.
I'VE won't talk any more about it just
now, dear"