The Washburn leader. [volume] (Washburn, McLean County, N.D.) 1890-1986, 1902-04-05

girl you thought to hnd here, not the
baby FOR whom you have cast me aside;
but Ursula sewell, the woman you
called your wife a long time ago.; the
woman to whom you made promises
that were never to be broken. Do you
remember? I expect you do; at any
rate, here in the darkness, you and !
have a reckoning to make, an account
to settle, for -he last time in life"
He could not see her face. but he had
a picture in his mind Of the resolute
figure standing before the door; he had
another picture in his mind of the roar
ing furnace he had started down below
them. Time was precious, and his very
life depended upon what he said and
what he did. Slowly, in the darkness,
he crept nearer to her. !
Ursula, don't be a fool. You know
perfectly well that I was not seeking
the girl; that l."
Don't die to mel" came her voice,
fercely, out Of the darkness.
I'm not lying; I swear I'm not he
pACduCN, AACA OuoAy = N0AAAS -SoAAAC All
search of you; I wanted to warn you
that the house was on fire, that here Is
not a moment to lose IL you would es-
cape. For Heavens sake, be reason
able, and come away from that door,"
"No; it's too late for you and I to
escape; you'd better think Of yourself,
and make your peace with whatever
Power you believe in, while there Is
time. Don't come near me. You shall
not pass this door while I nave he
power to cling to you and drag you
from 1t. Stand back!" a
The man knew only too well what
raging fury he had to deal with in this
wronged woman: knew that he would
stand a greater chance for life against
the flames thar against her. It was
horrible to stand there in the black
darkness, hearing that steady roar be-
low him and facing this resolute crea-
ture without, the power to move her.
"Ursula-for the love of the old days
listen to me. I have been mad-des-
perateily mad-ever to turn away from
you; but I will atone. Don't carry
this thing too far; you don't know the
danger in which you stand-the danger
that threatens us both. Listen to the
roar of the fret" !
Eyes, I hear it," she replied, calmly.
There's plenty of time for us to dis
cuss matters: it'll teke a long while for
the fire to reach us-and then the end
will be swift"
"The end!" he gasped. "You, surely,
don't mean"
"oh, yes, I do. Nugent Leathwood,
If you had given me one word Of tend
erness-one word which showed me
that the old things you whispered to
me when I was an innocent girl had a
spark Of truth in them-I would have
lone anything to w you. Hush! do
not speak now. It's too late to say
what you might have said; you, would
only say it because the fear Of death Is
on you. Think what you've lost, for
the want Of n word!"
In the darkness the man was creep
ing nearer to her, although she did not.
know it; his hands were stretched out
to grapple with her when h least
r.ected it. Yet all the while, he spoke
as gently and as p%leadingly as rel
$50 you won't give me the chance I
asked for? Why, my dear girl, you,
surely don't think that the mad feeling
that I had for that child had anything
permanent about it, do you? I wanted
to see what stuff you were made Of. I
coming back 20 you. Ursula. as
surely as I stand here before you.
come-let us escaped"
mo, it's too late" she said again.
''You are are lying to me, as you have
always lied. You were seeking me,
were you?-yet you a like a mailman
up here, crying the name of that girl.
That was seeking me, was it? Try an
other story, Nugent Leathwood, for
that one won't serve"
"TEen, perhaps this will serve" he
cried. and darted straight at her. She
caught him as they met, and held him,
for a moment, at bay; then his supe-
rior strength bore down her arms and
swung her away from the door. He
tore it open and sprang out-only to
dart back again, a moment later, with
roaring e of flame behind him.
lighting up the room and licking in at
the door and along the boards Of the
floor. Even then, in the supreme mo-
ment of danger, he turned on the wo-
man and cursed her for the thing he
had done himself.
"See what o We done!" he cried,
half whimpering in terror. No chance
of getting down that way. I must try
another"
He made a dash for the window; but
she caught him around the arms and
held him tightly; almost shouted in
his ear; for h roar of the flames made
it difficult for any words to be heard:
"You shan't go-I'n hold you to the
last. You think you're going to escape
think you're going to find
that girl. Shall I tell you where she
is?' wi,
LET me go! I won't roast alive like
this; let me go!" He struggled fierce
ly, twisting about in her strong grip;
but the mere brute courage had gone
out Of the man. and she held him, east
ly. 'where is she?''
"Gone-with her lover-with Gilbert
Rickerby!" she cried, with her lips
close to his ear.
He twisted out of her grasp then and
staggered back, staring al her with
wild eyes. He saw in a moment that
she SPOKE the truth; that this last. d.
abolical plan Of his had come to naught
and that the very thing he had plot
ted so long to bring about had been
frustrated, and that the lovers had
escaped, while he was left to face the
death he had prepared for Gilbert
Rickerby. III
"How do you know this?.' he gasped.
HE couldn't possibly have got away
unless S8s
yes. unless. You forgot to make