The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1903-09-14
CHAPTER vll.--contlnued.
On ST. Marks Eve.

On ST. Marks Eve.
II am free!' she echoed. What do
you mean? How do you know that you
can save me? You speak as If it had
happoS.od and were all over, II you al
ready knew-the end"
The man she called Michael was silent,
standing before her abashed, his face
white as death.
What do you mean?" she repeated.
'You must answer You look-oh.
Michael your eyes brighten me-
They need not" he answered, moisten-
Ing dry lips. II spoke impulsively.
would have broken 1t to you. You
ought to have waited trusting me, and let
told you quietly that the man was here
before his time. He-no doubt intended
to spy about the neighborhood, and know
for certain where you were living. so that
he could use his knowledge for evil if he
chose. I thought of that, and I, too, came
early in the case
He has been, then? You have seen
him?' -
Yes. He has been. We've talked to-
gether for some time. Now he has gone,
and l swear to you he will never trouble
you again. Maya, my own, my beautiful
one-you'll keep your promise as I have
kept mine?"
He took step towards her. holding out
his hands, his young face pale with pas
sion. But the girl shrank away with a
cry Michael, there is blood on your
sleeve!'
He drew back his hands, and his eyes
followed the direction Of hers. searching
for an instant, then found the red stain
that held her gaze
That's nothing" he said faltering. IT
fell and hurt myself this morning,
stumbled In the heather I am not used
to your moor
What Is that over there on the ground
where the heather has been cut close?'
She pointed to some small white object,
and then running towards it, stopped. 'It
Is my letter, the letter gave to you-for
him! There's blood on 1t, too-Oh,
heaven! fresh blood, scarcely dry. And
the ground Is stamped as If with feet
Of men struggling. The tracks go on and
on; Michael. they go as far this place,
this hole in the earth you have been filling
up. there they stop. What horrible thing
has happened that you would not leave
1t to me. You are free. You can live a
new life-a life in the world. For your
own sake, for my sake, ask no more ques-
tons"
The girl sank down upon the ground
on her knees, her hands covering her face.
Questions" she repeated, in an an
questions. You have murdered him-you
have buried him-there!' And she
pointed, still covering her face with one
little white hand.
TT was fair fight between u.s."
Michael answered. II won. Yet would
have murdered him, as you call it, to
save you from the torture that Is killing
you. Your life or his. Was 1t hard to
choose?"
You meant this from the first" she
whispered. You knew the truth too late
yesterday to-come here. You had to
wait till the light Then you stole out
and-dug grave. Oh heaven! It Is I
who am a. nurdereressI You did this for
me-" y t
II tell you we fought" persisted
Michael, doggedly. "And If we had not,
1t would not have been murder to put
tiend like that out Of the world" -
You shot him." the girl went on, still
Whispering II thought-now I know that
I heard the shot"
well, II did? I have no remorse-l
never shall have. There Is nothing on
earth I would not do for you, Maya. You
promised that, If I succeeded in saving
you, you would be my wife. Now that
I've kept my word, do you mean to break
yours, simply because, thru my great. my
mad love for you, I've risked losing my
soul?"
''Y on said that you would not harm the
man. I believed YOU
when I said would not harm him.
made a mental reservation. It was fol-
your sake, too. Is it harming creature
like that to put him beyond doing harm
to others? Maya, do you hate me be.
cause that viper's blood is on my hands
hands stained for you? Are you going tt
throw me over, after all-after all?'
Heaven help mel" sobbed the girl. &c
know not what to do. If I could only die
Yet must not die. My life is dedicated
1t Is not my own"
1T Is mine. 1t Is a debt, Maya. low
you so.''
"And 10, Michael, it is as If you hat
killed me! But am guilty too. SHOULD
have remembered that you were younl
and your blood hot. I should have KEEP
the secret. should not have let 70,
meet him."
TT was Kismet," said the man. Hence
forth. Maya, you and I belong to eacl
other. I have robbed man of his lif
that he should not rob you of yours.
dug grave for his body where l mean
that he should lie when I had killed hin
Gas knew I should -because of Kismet
If all had gone well, no one would eve
have guessed-you least of all. Now W
Must keep the secret together, as we sha
well know how"
What a fate!' murnured the girl g
dare not Think"
"a worse fate than that which has beel