The Chanute times. [volume] (Chanute, Kan.) 1897-1913, 1903-03-13

went down stairs. Soon she came
back slowly. with letter In her hand.
She was white, even to her lips. Fully
ten minutes elapsed ere she gathered
strength sufficient to break Its we'll
known seal, and take in the full mean
ing of words so full Of agony to her.
1T is midnight, beloved Katherine,
and in six hours | may be dead. Lord
Paget spoke of my cousin to me IN
such terms as leaves but one way out
Of the affront. I pray you. II you
can, to pardon me. You shall adore
with my last breath. Kate, my Kate,
forgive me. If this comes to you by
strange hands, shall be dead or
dying. Kiss my son for me and take
my last hope and thought"
These. words she read, then wrung
her hands and moaned like a creature
that had been wounded to death. Oh,
the shame! Oh, the wrong and sor-
row! How could she bear 1t? What
should she do? Capt. Lennox, who
had brought the letter. was waiting
for her decision. If she would go to
her husband, then he could rest and
return to London at his leisure. III
not, Hyde wanted his will, to add
codicil regarding the eight thousand
pounds left him by Lady Capel. For
he had been wounded in his side, and
a dangerous Inflammation having set
in, he had been warned Of a possible
fatal result.
Katherine was not rapid thinker.
She had little, either, of that instinct
which serves some women instead OF
all other prudences. The one thought
that dominated all others was that her
husband had fought and fallen for
Lady Suffolk. All these years she
had been a sighted and deceived
woman.
ITO London | will not co." she de-
cided. "There is some wicked plan
for me. The will and the papers are
wanted, that they may be altered to
suit it. will stay here with my child.
Even sorrow great as mine is best
borne in ones own home"
She went to the escritoire to get the
papers. When she opened the sense
less chamber of wood, she found her
self in the presence of many tortur-
ing, tender memory. In an open slide
there weA rude picture of horse.
1t was little Joris' first attempt to
draw Mephisto, and it had been care
fully put away. The place was full Of
such appeals. Among them was ring
that Hydes father had given him, his
mothers last letter, lock of his sons
hair, her own first letter-the shy,
anxious note that she wrote to Mrs.
Gordon. Then she began to arrange
the papers according to their size, and
a small sealed parcel slipped from
among them.
She turned II over and over in her
nand, and the temptation to see the
love-token inside became greater
every moment.
"If in this parcel there is some love-
pledge from Lady Suffolk, then l go
not; nothing shall make me go. If in
it there is no word of her, no mes
sage to her or from her; if her name
is not there, nor the letters of her
name-then | will go to my own. A
new love, one not year old, can put
aside. l will forgive every one but
my Lady Suffolk"
So Katherine decided as she broke
the seal with firmness and rapidly.
The first paper within the cover made
her tremble. 1t was half sheet
which she had taken one day from
Bram's hand, and it had Bram's name
across it. On it she had written the
first few lines which she had the right
to sign Katherine Hyde" 1t was,
indeed, her first wife" letter; and
within it was the precious love-token,
her own love-token-the bow of
orange ribbon.
She gave sharp cry as 1t fell upon
the desk; and then she lifted and
kissed it, and held it to her breast, as
she rocked herself to and fro in a
passionate transport Of triumphant
love.
ITO ha continued