Reporter and farmer. [volume] (Webster, Day County, Dakota [S.D.]) 188?-1946, 1904-01-14

not, by that shameful and most un.
love, and %profaned with common touch
the name Of the IN he honored!"
"Yon have very high notions of hon.
or, Cynthia!"
az have!" the girl answered, almost
~passlonately. 81 am faulty and rebel
lious, but am honorable, and ! think
that which was sacred to me should be
sacred to us!"
She had begun to walk rapidly up
and down the room, as was her habit
when excited, her white neglige, bor-
dered with darkest fur. sweeping
around her. Her handsome. high-bred
face was all aglow.
"If this is the end, IL this Is the eli
max" she went on rapidly, cit is wen.
But / doubt il. / feel that there is
more evil. deeper sorrow, lurking In
the future!"
"Cynthia!" my lady cried in alarm,
and rose from her seat, 81 cannot
imagine what has come to you! You
who are always so confident, so firm,
SO cold-to babble of fear like a ner-
vous child! You are not yourself at
ALI"
moi" she cried, and flashed the
dark splendor of her eyes upon my
lady so suddenly that she started; IL
am not myself! OF many reasons,
here is one: have not been my old
self since that night In the avenue OF
the eastern tower, when that fearful
laugh first smote my ears. oh, | have
argued with my convictioni | have
given full credit to all strange posi-
bilitiss! I have thought II over and
over and over! But | am not deafl |
am not a child, to believe a ghost
story! 7 am not a fool, to give the lie
TO my W senses! For | knew then,
as / know now, that that laugh, how
ever wierd II sounded, was human! 1t
vast wasi"
A CLEAN OF my lady's old, dominant
%self-control came back to her.
my child" she said, her tones as
tonished and positive, you don't real
ly mean what you say! You had been
telling the story OF the eastern tower
on the evening In question. / heard
your last words as ! entered. The le-
gend had fired your brain. The excite.
ment produced by 1t was still vivid and
intense when you passed the spot.
Naturally. your imagination played you
a tricki"
DON'T" she exclaimed. with incred.
ulous brevity.
She walked once up the room and
back to where Lady Carrington was
standing.
did we all imagine it?" she ques-
| toned, with forced calmness. did
| Cyril Carrlpgton, who had never heard
the tradition, imagine 1t? Did the girl.
who was e total stranger to Black
castle, imagine it?"
They heard it?"
The words were surprised from her
In spite of herself.
AYE, they heard It.! Since you have
confessed Its existence. confess more!
Who Is thcro-wnat ia there In the
eastern tower?"
Before the gaze of those clear, bright
eyes. her semblance Of defiance van
ished.
She sat down suddenly, very pale
and trembling.
Cynthia" she pleaded, her voice
quite low and tremulous, "don't ask
me- now! l am not strong enough to-
night. am most miserably i'll and
weak. I will tell you another time"
"When?" ..t4. ..
My lady put n thin hand to her
head in troubled reflection.
"One week from tonight" she an
swered, slowly. "Dear one, do not
press me-not before!"
"As you WILL" Miss Lennox an
swcred her, and bent and kissed her.
Then she went slowly across the
soft. dull carpet, q white, majestic
vision.
And when the door had closed be
hind her. my lady slipped to the floor,
and, leaning on her chair, buried her
face within 1t.
And so Cynthia found her when, a
few minutes later. she flung wide the
door and hs=r:caai.TT Teentefei.
My lady started to her feet.
"What has happened?" she cried.
For the girls face was full Of agita-
ton and dismay.
|, "She Is gone!"
"Who Is gone?"
The first name she remembered she
said:
Laurence Llsle!"