Condon globe. (Condon, Gilliam Co., Or.) 189?-1919, 1902-03-20
CIIAIsrnn ~

mans pale, earnest face.
CHAPTER Xxx.
With the fatal viii clasped In bis
hand, Dysart goeg straight TO the small
morning room. whore he knows he will
be sure 10 find Vera. Twilight IL begin.
ming to fall, and already the swift herald
OF night Is proclaImlng the approach OF
his king She starts slightly Ms he comes
In.
Il am sorry 10 disturb yon," says Dy.
sart, with an effort at ealmnesa, but II
was so necessary that | should come.
that"
II am glad you have come. I. too.
was anxious 10 see you." says Vera. a
touch Of nervousness In her tone. f.
you must know II Ii impossible that we
should stay here any longer. Our uncle,
who was our guardian. Is gone aud
she has risen to her feet aud Is looking
at him In sore distresh-"I have wanted
to speak to you about IL for a long time;
] thought. perhaps, you would help us
10 tind another home" lie can see that
she suffers terribly In having to throw
herself upon his good nature, TO openly
demand hls assistance. I'VE must leave
this, and at once" says she, stammcring
a little. and with slight miserable break
In her voice.
"You will not have TO look for another
home" says he. ''this IN your own
house"
"Oh, no." drawing back with naughty
gesture: II have told you II Is impossi-
BILE. shall certainly not stay here"
AS you will" quite as haughtily. 1T
will be In your power for the future to re.
side exactly where you please. but II the
fear OF seeing me here Is deciding you
against this place, pray be satisfied on
that point; have no longer the smallest
claim to consider myself master here"
Warned by Il change in his manner
Vera looks at him.
Something has happenedT' she says.
abruptly.
Yes; something find Il difficult to ex.
plain TO YOU"
Still he manages to tell her all and to
show her her grandfather's will-the will
which his father had suppressed nh these
years.
"But this Is horrible" she says, faint.
| ly, when he had finished, Il won't have
itr' She throws out her hands az though
In remuneration. why should deprive
you OF your houel Give me enough to
live on elsewhere with Griselda. but"
"YOu are quick TO fall into error" says
he, grimly. II have begged you already
to try to grasp the situation. II is /,
Il appears, | who'--he hesitates, and
after finding Il impossible to speak OF
4 his father. goes on--"who have deprived
you Of your home. You must see that. l
beg" slowly. that you viii not permit
| yourself any further foolish discussion
on this subject"
lie turns away abruptly. There Is
something so solitary, so utterly alone In
his whole air, that without giving her
self time for thought she springs to her
feet and calls to him.
where are you going1 To sit alone
To brood over all thisy Oh, DO not.
Why" going swiftly to him and standing
before him with downcast lips and trem.
bling fingers and quickened breath. why
not stay here with me for a little while
and let US discuss all this together and
try TO see = way out Of itg'
"My way Is plain before me; 1t wants
no discussion" says Dysart, resolutely
refusing to look at her.
You mean," TREMENDOUSLY, that you
will not stayT One white hand hanging
at her side closes upon Z fold of her sof,
black gown and crushes 1t convulsively
II mean," In an uncompromising tone
shat l fully understand your mistaken
kindness-the sacrifice of your inclina
tions you would make--and decline e
profit by it."
"You are disingenuous. What yol
really mean is, In low tone, that yor
will not forgive"
There is nothing to forgive, save my
presumption"
He opens the door deliberately ant
closes 1t with q firm hand behind him
Vera. left standing thus cavalierly in tn,
middle of the room, with the knowledg,
\ full upon her that she has been slighted
spurned, her kind Intentions ruthlessly
flung back upon her, lets the quick, pas
sIonate blood rise upward, until Il dyel
cheek and brow She presses her hant
upon her throbbing heart, and then all a
once 1t comes to her that she Ia no long
er poor, forlorn, but rich, one of the rich
est commoners in England. And Will
this comes, too, sense of deeper desc
lation than she has as yet known. Drop
ping into q chair, she covers her fac,
with her hands and cries as IL her hear
is broken.