Highland recorder. (Monterey, Highland County, Va.) 1877-1972, 1903-07-17

A CLEAN of something like comfort
comes into his eyes as he says this.
what did you dof" demands Dicky
Browne, in an agony Of hope and doubt
Cant you say it at once and be done
with 1t? Speak out, man--do"
Course me! Kill me IL you will" cries
Slyme with sudden vehemence, stretch
ing out his hands to Fabian, and still deaf
to any voice but his. "You have been de-
celved, falsely accused, most treacherous'
" dealt VITA. 1t was forged the check
not your
The miserable man, as he makes this
confession, falls upon his knees and COW
ers his face with his hands.
A terrible cry bursts from Dulce: she
springs to her feet, and would have rushed
TO Fabian but that Roger, catching her in
his arms, prevents her. And indeed 1t is
no time to approach Fabian. He has
Weakened at last into life out Of his curious
calm, and the transition from his extreme
lnietude of a moment since to the state
, of ungovernable passion in which he now
finds himself is as swift as it is danger
Gus.
"You." he says, staring at the abject
figure kneeling before him, in tone so
low as to be almost inaudible, yet with
such an amount of condensed fury In it
as terrifes the listeners. you" He
makes a step forward as though he would
verify fall upon his enemy and rend him
IL pieces end so annihilate him from the
face Of the earth; but before he can touch
! him. a blight body filings itself between
him and SLIME, and two small, white
hands are laid upon his breast. These lit
tIe hands, small and powerless as they
are. vet have trngth to force him back
ward.
Think" says Portia, in painful whis-
! .,er. "think! Fabian, you would not harm
| that old man."
"My dear fellow, don't touch him." says
Dicky Browne. "Don't. In your present
! frame of mind gentle push Of yours
| would be his death"
/ Death says old Slyme, In such q
strange voice that instinctively they all
listen to him. ut has no terrors for me"
He has raised his head from his hands,
and is now gazing again at Fabian, as
though fascinated, making q wretched
and withal piteous picture, as his thin,
white locks stream behind him. What
have l to live forT' he cries, miserably.
"The boy ! shaved for, sinned for, for
whom | ruined you and my own soul, is
dead. cold in his grave. Have pity on me,
therefore, and send me where l may reJolp
him."
Either the excitement Of his confession
or the nervous dread of the result Of II
has proved too much for him, because
lust as the last word passes his lips ne
aings his arms wildly into the air and with
muffied cry falls prone, senseless mass
upon the ground. When they lift him they
find clutched in his hand written state
ment Of all he has confessed so vaguely.
They are very gentle in their treatment Of
him. but when he has recovered conscious
ness and has been carried by the servants
to his room, II must be acknowledged tha'
they all breathe more freely.
Sir Christopher is crying like a chlldr
and so is Dcky Browne. Fabian, now
that his one burst of passion is at an end,
is again strangely silent. Mark Gore,
laying his hand upon his shoulder, says
something to him in low tone unheard
by the rest, who are all talking toge<heT
and so making a solitude for these two.
ut is too late" says Fabian, replying to
him, slowly: "too late" There is more OF
settled conviction than of bitterness in his
tone. which only renders it the more
melancholy. "He was right. He has
ruined my life. Were ! to live twice the
allotted time given to man / should never
forget these last five horrible years. Ihey
have killed me; that is, the best of me
tell you delverance has come too late!
do not say that-anything but that,
entreats Portia, in deep agitation. Once
more this evening she lays her small jew
eled hand upon his breast and looks into
his eyes. "Fabian, there is renewed hope
a fresh life before you: take courage. he
member Oh, Mark, speak to him
She Is trembling violently, and hel
breath is coming with suspicious difficulty
Her lips are Qnivering, and PAIN, actua
physical pain, dimming the luster of hel
violet eyes. The old ache is tugging an
grily at her heart-strings now. Sui Fa
ban does not relent
As vet the very salve that has cured hi
! hurt has only made the hurt more unen
lura BILE by dragging it into public notice
Now that he is Free emancpated from
the shadow of this crime that has encom
passed him as cloud for so long, its pro
portions seem to grow and increase unit
they reach mOnstrous size. 10 nav
been wounded in the body, or deprived o
all ones earthly goods at stroke, or be
rcaved of ones nearest and dearest woul
all have been sore trials, no doubt. But
a,asi to make him fixed Inquire Tor scorl
to point his low, unmovinS fnger at
What agony with misfortune, could cop
with that? And she. who had no. trust
ed him when she might, will he care tina
she should trust him now when she must
Slowly he lifts the pale, slender hand
and very gently let's it fall by her side
CHAPTER xxi.
: The night closes in, the rain has ceased