Rogue River courier. (Grants Pass, Or.) 1886-1927, 1902-07-24


pearance But he should pay the pric,
OF her youth and hope. 80 man shoul'
rob her Of both with reckless ham
and leave her TO bear the pain anl
| humiliation alone. Perhaps Dune ha'
wounded her above all else when j
said she had thrown herself at thi
! boy to win him, perhaps IL had helpe'
| to harden her into the stern, RELENTLESS
woman she had become. At any rate
| he had returned, he must pay thl
price.
II was almost dark when she aros
TO pull down the curtains, light th'
lamp and rekindle the fire, yet evei
in the semi-darlsness, the unwOnte,
brilianco OF her eyes, and the firm, Sc
curve OF the lips were perccptible, an'
they BODIED no good to Robert Halleck
Spring came and went, then sum
mer burst in full glory upon Dune, an'
still Robert Halleck fingered. A rumol
went over the town that Isabel liren
ner's face was the charm that chaine,
him there; later, their engagement
was announced.
Janet had aged perceptibly since hii
return, end she stnid away altOgethel
from the Aid Society, not even going
out upon the street except in the dusl
OF the evening. fearing, with some
thing Of a wild terror, that she NIGH
meet him, yet hungering for a sight OF
his face with passionate longing. Blu
face to face with him she might weak
en-, might turn from her purpose.
The golden summer weeks crepI
slowly by for her, so slowly that sh,
wondered how she could endure the
long "afterward,' if it crept like til,
time Of waiting. Nights, when III,
moon hung like silver bow in TIA,
sky, when the wind sighed softly
through the trees, and all else wa,
silent and hushed, she walked th,
length Of her room saying again ano
agnin to herself that he should pay
the price
The semi-madness that crept over
her weary brain while she waited and
brooded over her wrong seemed to her
like the spirit OF her ancestors hover
ing over her to arouse hrr TO action.
for the Wilson's had never died with
a wrong unavenged, and she was viii
son, with all their passionate blood
coursing through her veins.
The waiting came TO an end at last.
The announcement Of Robert Halleck's
engagement was the signal for Janet's
action. His happiness, now, depended
upon the beautiful girl he had chosen
from Dune, even as hers (Janet's) had
depended upon him. He had robbed
her, she would in turn rob him. If she
were bereft, so must he be; II the light
Of her life had gone out, even SO must
his. She thought OF it night and day
with thirst for revenge that knew no
bounds.
II was a moonlight night with gen
tie breeze stirring the trees, letting
the moonbeams ripple through them
inlittle dashes-an throwing shawl
around her, Janet stepped out into that
glory OF moonlight and ripping leaves.
casting long, dark shadow upon the
ground as she moved, Needless Of the
soft beauty around her. She had reck-
oned we'll, for when she stepped noise
lessly among the shadows of the trees
in the Brenuer grounds she saw Rob
ert and Isabel walking together little
way beyond her.
lsabels beauty was ten-fold in the
soft moonlight, yet the sight Of it did
not add a paug to the miserable woman
who watched it with wild bright eyes.
In the strange, mad passion Of lunct
Wilson, there was no jealousy of lsa-
bells fair, girlish face, The face would
he the means of her vengeance, for men
worship woman with face like that.
lsnbels voice reached her ears, clear
ly, distinctly, She was saying;
Are you sure you love me as much
as you did Janet WILSON,"
~ thousand times more" came Rob
ert's fervent reply.
Neither moonlight nor sunlight could
rival the light in Jnnet's Iuukcu eyes
AS she listened with hatcd breath to
what was bittcrest pain tohcar Some.
thing flashed like the simmer OF tenn
pered steel in her eager hand, but -
she waited, she knew not why.
"Did you really love her, Robert?"
Love her? Yes, with thcWild. head