The Hood River glacier. (Hood River, Or.) 1889-1933, 1904-05-19
CHAPTER xxx.

There was another inmate Of the room
which Reuben and his cousin had enter
ed. Lucy Jennings was standing on the
hearth rug with her hands clasped to-
gother, and her grave white face turned
toward mother and child. She had reach
ed home before them, having better
! knowledge of the shortest cut to York
| Road than Reuben had.
Mary looked round as the cousins came
IN together, and a sad smile fiIckered ON
a face grown careworn with anxiety. She
did not raise her head from that Of her
child as Reuben and Sarah advanced,
and Reuben said;
MRS. Peterson, have brought an old
friend to shake hands with you--to ex-
press her regrets for al that past distrust
which she has had, as we'll ~ l."
Sarah had only heard the first two
words.
"Mrs. PetersonP' she exclaimed.
"Then you--you-"
II was Edward Peterson's wife," Ahe
added YEARLY and sadly--s'yes."
"But not In the plot against you,
Sarah," said Reuben; fighting for y, /
In the first Misunderstanding to me to
come to the rescue--kept forever In
doubt concerning you--held down at last
to silence by the awful threat of her
child's death--believing In your safety
through Il ALL and striving once more for
you and against her husband when she
feared his treachery had deceived her"
"And he was true to his word" Mary
added with sigh, "for the first time In
his life. II Ii long story; spare me
for a few days the history of school
girls secret marriage. a bitter repentance,
q husbands deserticn, long uphill fight
to forget a past that had become terri
bic and full Of humiliation. did not
know then that Bessie lived, and was one
link Of love that held me to my old life.
| have come to London for a few words
Of explanation, Sarah; they are made ut
sad tlme," Mary said, ''but | could
not rest, after Reuben's visit to me---not
even for an hour after my husbands
DEATH"
Edward Peterson Is dead!' exclalm-
ed Sarah Eastbell.
She was surprised--she hardly knew
why, but she was sorry for his death lie
had plotted against her--he would have
killed her rather than let her escape
without a ransom--but she did not he
grudge him his life, And It left Mary
a young and pretty widow, too--but what
had that to do with III"
"He died within an hour Of your cous-
in's visit this morning." said Mary.
"And you are here" replied Sarah
wonderingly.
"Ah! you cannot understand that"
said Mary, "you who will love your hus.
band all your life. But my love was
crushed out quickly, and only my duty
took me to his bedslde-my regret for
the last mistake which brought about his
death, and his last act of vengeance"
Ellis last act of vengcancem repeat
ed Sarah.
"Half an hour after Mr.. Culwick had
left me, my husband changed suddenly;
he wholly realized, and for the first time,
that there was no hope for him In his
world, and-what did he do?" she added
with shudder.
"IIe should have asked pardon Of you
for blighting your life," said Sarah.
"Ile should have sought pardon Of his
God" added Lucy Jennings.
"He tore the last will of Sumon Gull
wick into a hundred pieces. lest should
claim my right to riches by It," answer
ed Mary; "he cursed me, and left me
poor"
But"
"But have all the fragments" add.
ed Mary, opening purse heaped 20 the
clasp with small pieces Of paper; "see
there they are"
Sarah glanced at them, but did not
speak.
1T would be specimen Of patchwork
| that the law would hardly acknowledge"
said the widow, "bst you would not dis
pute the will, Sarah, If |, by patient
study and great care, render this testa-
ment complete againT
No" answered Sarah Eastbell.
"ln my husbands lifetime | dared not
make him rich; and now, In memory of
much kindness, of old true--of new con-
idence, may | sayf-I have the courage
to remain poor"
She held The open purse over the Ere.
and the fragments fell from II into the
red Goals, Reuben and Sarah started for
ward to arrest her hand, but ii was too
late.
you should not have done this,
Mary" cried Reuben.
ut was not Just will," answered the
widow; Il told your father so when he
placed It In my hands, although | did not
tell him that never In all my life should
! avail myself Of his munEaeence."
"He had wronged your father In some
manner which we canuet even guess ct