Wausau pilot. [volume] (Wausau, Wis.) 1896-1940, 1902-10-14
4 SISTERS VENGEANCE !
BY GEORGE MANvILLE FENN
IIJID8D&D
CHAPTER XvII.-(Continued.l
BY GEORGE MANvILLE FEMN

ed. imperiously. Are you ashamed TO
speak!'
mo! What do you wantF''
The buccaneer started in surprise, and
faced round.
Are you there? Coward. Traitor.
This explains all. This is the meaning of
the naughty contempt-the miserable
GOODNESS Humphrey Armstrong
the brave oficerv'
Woman. are you madg'
YES! Mad.' cried the buccaneer,
fercely. Il scorn myself for my weak,
pjtiful fancy for so despicable creature
as you. So this is the brave captain,
holding nightly meetings with that wom-
ann
"As l would with anyone who rould
| help me to escape from this vile bond
age" said Humphrey.
vile! Who has made it vile!"
You" said Humphrey, sternly. "and
as il / were not degraded low enough,
you come here to insult me-
There was utter silence for few mo-
ments, and then a quick step forward,
and before Humphrey Armstrong could
realize the fact, Mary Dell had cast her
self down, thrown her arms around him,
and laid her cheek against his feet.
'Trample on me and crush me, or kill
me-" she moaned. II am mad. | did
not think it. Humphrey, have pity on
me. You do not know"
He trembled as she spoke, and clinched
his fists tightly; but making an effort
over himself, he said, coldly:
you have imprisoned the woman's low
er. and she says he is to die. She came
there, as she has come many times be-
fore, to plan escape with me and the man
l persuaded to be the partner Of my
fight For this he is to die"
1T is the mems will,' groaned the pros
trate woman.
"She has been praying to me TO save
her lover. / felt could not ask YOU but
and set hira free
do you wish it?"
'Yes."
be merciful. while you alone are stern
and cold. How long am to suffer this 2
How long will you keep me here
prisoner"
How long will you keep yourself
prisoner. you should say. 1t is for you
to be master here; for me to be your
slave. how eau L 0uIlDic
grade myself more?"
Humphrey drew his breath in an angry,
impatient hiss.
For heavens sake, rise. he cried.
"You lower yourself You humble me.
Come, let us talk sensibiy. do not want
to be hard upon you. l will not say bitter
things. Give me your hand"
He took the hand nearest him as he
bent down, and raised the PROSTATE wom-
an.
BE seated he said, gravely. LET me
talk to you as | would to someone who
can listen in an unprejudiced spirit"
go on. You torture me-"
II must torture you, for l have words
to speak that must be uttered"
H. paused for a few moments; and
then went on, speaking now quickly and
agitatedly, as if the words he uttered
gave him pain at the same time that they
inflicted it upon another.
when | was chosen 70 command this
expedition, against one who had made
the name of Commodore Junk a terror all
round the gulf and amid the isles, knew
not what my fate might be. There were
disease and death to combat, and | might
never return"
He paused again. Then more hurried
ly:
There was one to whom
Stop came in a quick, angry voice.
II know what you would say; but you
do not love another. 1t is not true"
Humphrey Armstrong paused again,
and then in low, husky voice:
Il babe farewell to one whom hoped
on my return to make my wife. 1t pains
me to say these words, but you force
them from me-"
Have | not degraded myself enough?
Have not suffered till l am nearly mad
that you tell me thisT' came in piteous
tones.
WAS l TO blameT
You? No. 1t was our fate. What a
triumph was mine, to find that l. the
master who had lived so long with my
secret known but to poor Bart. was now
beaten. humbled-to find that day by day
l was less powerful Of will-that my men
were beginning to lose confidence in me-
and were ready TO listen to the plots
and plans of one whom | had spared for
him to become a more deadly enemy day
by day. Humphrey Armstrong, have you
no return to offer me for all l have suf-
fered-all l have lost? Tell me this is
false You do not-you cannot-loye this
woman"
He was silent.
rs she so beautiful? Is she so true?
VIII she give you wealth and power?
Win she lay down her life for you?
Would she degrade herself for you as l
have DONE and kneel before you. saying.
Have pity on me- love your"
Hush. woman cried Humphrey.
hoarsely; "and for PHYS sake-the pity of
which you speak-let us part and meet no
more. cannot. | will not listen to
your words Give me my liberty, and let
me go"
$40 denounce me and mine?"
"Am | such coward, such a wretch
that l should do this:" he cried, passion
ately.
Then stay. Listen: l viii give ron
love such as woman never gave man he
fore l loved your cousin as a weak
foolish girl loves the first man who whis
pers compliments and sings her praises
1t is to her all new and strange. the re-
alization Of something OF which she had
dreamed. But as the veil fell from my
eyes. and | saw how eowardly end base
he was. that love withered away. and L
thought that love was dead. But when
you came my heart leaped, and l trem-
bled and wondered. l shrank from you.
telling myself that it was 4 momsn.ary
fancy; and ! lied for it was the first
strong love os 4 lonely woman thirsting
Tor the sympathy Of one who could love
her in return"
"Oh, hush-hush." cried Humphrey. II
told you that il can never be"
And she viii never love you as |
would -as ! DO" came in low. implor-
irT whisper.
Yes. yes. 4 thousand times yes cried
Humphrey. Even IL il were not 50. l
could not No. viii not speak. only
say. for PHYS sake let rs part"
He leaned forward with autstretehed
hand. and bending down Il touched the
cold stone ~ the altar
He swept his hand 10 left and right,
listening intentiy. but there was 10
sound.