The pioneer press. (Miller, Hand County, S.D.) 1893-190?, 1903-08-27
Barbara Bretton's
~~Ambit,ioneSs


|
lentless as his words.
A deathly faintness, which at any
cost she felt she must fight against,
seemed creeping over her. The beau
tiful face was CHASTITY in its pallor.
Have | not suffered enough" she
said, very gently, that you, who pro-
fess pity for me, should make me suf-
fer more. If you have--I will not say
Justice or even generosity-but one
pulse such as throbs in the bodies of
men, say you did but try me, and take
me, while may still hoard some of my
strength, to the refuge | came to
seek"
Through all his hardness, the quiv-
ering tones found their way. But il
was too late 20 turn back on the road
he had marked out for himself, or,
rather, that another had mapped out
for him.
Calm YOURSELF" he said, sternly.
"And listen, Avice: Do you know what
the world already thinks--your world
and miner"
! II do not understand you" she said,
bewildered, putting her hand to her
aching head, and wondering IL mad
ness, indeed, had oyertaken her.
ut says" he continued, brutally,
that you and / have run away togeth-
/ er. Your honor, your reputation are
at my mercy"
| Then If you have mercy, spare
mel" she cried throwing herself on
I her knees at his feet. Send for Tray-
is. He will forgive the share you have
taken in this work, If you will but re-
store me to his arms. II you would
not kill me, undo this most cruel, bit
ter wrong against an innocent grill"
ut is too late" he said, lifting her to
her feet. why need you care, Avice?
You surely had no love for Milton Len
no q"
mo love for him? No; none that I
need sully by mention within your
clearinghouse that your debased ma
ture could understand. Now-now
see it ALL" she cried, wringing her
hands. "All that you told me was
false, false! false! and I, foolish,
wretched girl that am, believed you!
You laid the trap, and my unwary feet
stumbled in; but, oh, there is a God
of mercy and God of vengeance!
May the one have pity upon me, and
the other avenge my wrongs! Leave
me, sir, and at least permit me the SOL
itude of my own Indebtedness"
81 will return in half an hour, Avice,
and trust to find you calmer."
She loked about her, when alone,
with wild. desnnirirs. nues
neutrality-suspicious. there might be
some chance of escape, but how far
could her trembling limbs carry her,
even If her jailers relaxed their vigil
lance?
She pressed her hot, burning fore
head against the window pane. Thees
waved their branches outside early
spring flowers bloomed in the paths;
birds sang in the boughs.
Was this the same world she had al
ways known? In all her life she had
never had a care. So she had told
Florence st. John. All, Florence, too,
would believe this cruel story-Flor-
ence, who once, she thought, had tast-
ed the full cup OF misery. She had
wondered how Florence had lived
through suffering, and now, beside her
own, how small it seemed. Love,
friends, protection, were Miss st,
Johns yet. OF these, in one fell swoop.
all had been taken from her and in
their stead came insult. and still more
cruel wrong. How could she bear Il?
She must make one more appeal to
M In
trate his armor.
AS if in answer to her thought, the
door opened and he entered
II am calm now" she said 81 have
thought, perhaps, DR.. Hayes, you might
have some motive for your conduct
a pricel am, as you know, a rich Girl.
lay my fortune at your feet, to dis !
pose Of as you will. ransom for my
freedom"
A smile glittered on the mans dark
face.
"a motive and a price? Yes. Miss
Meredith, + have both. We will be
frank with each other; it is rest so. I I
have uttered some few words of love
to you. They were false. All the love |
have Is another woman's. They but
served my purpose and the utter full |
fillment of my role. You shall, in fu- |
ture, be freed from them. AS said |
before, you shall be your own mistress
Il will even intrude myself upon you /
as little as possible; but my motive i
cannot as yet be unveiled My price
is one which all your fortune, thrice
and thrice again swelled, cannot reach.
IL Is price for which / have toiled
three long years and more. Judge,
then, If girls idle prayer will per-
suade me TO unclasp my hand and let
1t escape me, Just when my fingers are
closing upon x. You or | must pay
the forfeit, Ayice, anG the lot has fall
en- TO YOU"
Yes" she answered, "the lot of
DEATH" and she fell forward sense
less at his feet