Reporter and farmer. [volume] (Webster, Day County, Dakota [S.D.]) 188?-1946, 1902-04-24
III.

aDavidswas SILENT feF a long dime The
strangeaess Of athe situation had shut
down on him again. and he Was think
ing of nothing else for the mpflent. In
the dead stiffness Of the place he 4 uld
hear. Che quick breathing ofthfs com
panion: athe rustic of her dress seemed
near to him and then to be very far on.
Nor did the pitchy darkness yiead a jot
to his now accustomed eyes. He held a
hand6e.ose to his eyes. batTh ID could see
nothing. II I!il
ksweil?' 1.-THE sweet voice in the dark
ness said. impatiently. "Wen?" =.
8 Belieye me, / will give you all the
assistance possible. If you would only
turn .np- the light 1rr- e.,
R'Dh. II dare not. I have given my
Kor3eGcf honor not to violate the seal of
SECRECY. You may say that we have
been absurdly cautious in this matter,
but You would not think so IL you knew
everything, Evenrpow the wrsteA who
pholds meH in-hiss power-may have
gaessedsmy strategy and be laughing at
md. hSofnezdaE, S~peKhaps2A'sS NS
The speaker stopped. with something
pEsEa@soblfnh her throat.
I'VE are wasting precious time" she
went on. more calmly. II had better
tell youS my history. In your story a
woman commits. a. criDsa she is guilty
OF a serious breach OF trust to save the
life of the ms she loves. BY doing so
she placessthe future and the happiness
OF many people IN the hands of an
abandoned scoandreE II she can only
manage. to- regain the. thing sheahas
parted ffpm the situation IS saved. Is
hot that so?'sEHEH rSkff''1
$50 far YOU have-stated the case cor
rectly." David murmuredn 14-gss
= rssI said before..I arttt IA pfactically
a similar case, Only. In my sitution, I
hastened everything and risked the
happiness OF many people for the sake
-rf little child
"Ahp David cried. Your own child?
Not The child Of one very, near and
dear TO you, then. From the mere nov
elist point of view, that Is a far more
artistic idea than mine. / see that /
shall hayeto amend my story before it
ia published. W ia sT
a ripping little laugh came like the
song of q bird IN the darkness4I
"DeatsMr. Steel" thelvoice said. 'I
implore you to do nothing OF the kind.
You are afmap of fertile im~agination-a
plot more or less makes no difference to
Eybu., II you publish that story you go
far D n the way to ruin me.
II am afraid that 4 am in the dark in
more senses than one" David MUIR
INJURED. !
::F'Thep, Jet me .enBghten you. Daily
your books are more widely read. NY
enemy Is a great novel-reader You
publish that story, and what results?
You not only tell that enemy my story,
but you show him my way out of the
difficulty. n show him how he can
eheGalmate my every move. Perhaps,
sftef / have escaped from the net"
.yoa aRe-sightys SteeE-said; promptly,
From a professional point of view. the
story is abandoned. LAND NOW you want
the to show YOU a ,rationaliafr3 logical, a
human, way out?"r,8zY 3hofr-s ,sgsqa
IF you car do so, you have my ever
lasting gratitude
Then you must tell me, IN detail,
what IL Is you want to- recover My
heroine, parts with a document which
the villain knows 10 be a forgery. Mon
ey can not buy II back. because the VIII
lain can make as much money as he
likes hy retaining It.. He does as he
likes with the family property: he keeps
my heroine's husband out Of England
by dangling the forgery and it's conse-
quences oye r his head. What Is to be
done? How Is the ruffian to be lulled
into q false serse OF security by the n