Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-08-29

coming in.
Almost before she had had time to realize
her vague terror the first Stealthy
sound of the opening of the back door and
the signing OF the wind as it rushed through
the passage were succeeded by noise only
a little louder, but so horrible 50 suggestive
of sonnet hing uncanny, something wrong.
that in moment, as she listened to it. the
girl felt that she was wet and cold from
head to foot
For the sound she heard was the dragging
along the stone floor of the passage OF some
heavy burden, something that was pulled
in by main force of the straining OF strong
arms. something that blocked narrow
corner and got wedged and was moved
with difficulty. and that finally dropped
with a dull sound as it was moved along.
In spite of the pain in her ankle. Plety
sat up with moan on her lips. She
guessed what it was that was being brought
in. so quietly, so stealthlly, under cover OIL
the darkness.
A moment later she heard another door
open, the dragging sound continued for
few more minutes. then the door was shut
again and some on crept softly upstairs.
She could bear it no longer. Hardly con-
scous of the agony of moving. she sprang
I'D dragged herself to the table and thence
to the inner door of the kitchen. Opening
il sharply. she cried in a sharp voice.
which her agony, mental and physical,
rendered more like a scream than call:
Nigel! Oh. Nigel. Where are you? Is 1t
your
Then. overcome by her feelings much
as by the pain she staggered back into the
chair and chung to it trembling.
To her horror it was indeed the voice OF
Nigel that called out III answer in hoarse,
altered tones.
Yes, yes; it's me. I'm coming
In spite of all the compassion she had felt
for him. and although this feeling had
overw helmed her horror for the crime she
had discovered. Piety felt a sudden revul-
sion of terror and disgust on fading that it
was indeed her unhappy lover who had
brought, to hide in his own house, the body
Of the unhappy victim of his crime.
AS he came down the stairs she turned
her head away, not wishing to meet his
eyes. Before he had reached the door or
the room she had sprung up and made one
frantic effort to escape the now inevitable
meeting.
But her limbs refused to carry her; she
was staggering, blind and giddy in the
middle of the floor, when Nigel came in.
In an instant his arms We're round her,
and again her feeling changed. For in the
touch of his hands, the caress;ng, tender
support of his muscular arms she forgot
for the moment the horrible sight She had
seen, the terrible sounds she had heard.
and felt only that here was protection and
comfort and tender. undying love.
My darling, you are hurt-you have hurt
your footn'
His voice was quite low: his tender glow
ing black eyes were close TO her face. There
rushed into her mind. ii seemed in one
delicious crowd. memories of all the long
days of childhood in which he had been her
playfellow, her companion; of all the
golden hours they had spent together in
the fields and on the shore, side by side,
since childhood melted into adolescence.
And there came 20 her a great wonder that
she could ever have thought it possible that
any eyes but his should have the right to
look into hers as his were doing now that
any lips but his should have the right to
the kisses which at that moment he might
have taken uncountcd had he dared.