Morris tribune., 1904-11-26

seeing the pass, led her to the prepared
room and showed her the door.
Much against her will, Armstrong in
him, although she protested she had no
appetite, and indeed sat opposite him
forlorn and could not touch morsel.
In vain he urged her to eat, but she
shook her head, avoiding his glance
and keeping her eyes downcast.
"My GIRL" he said anxiously, you
are completely tired. I see that you
are on the point of being i'll If better
care is not taken. Rest here few
days, I beg of you. Eager as I am
| to be forward, will stay If you wish
to have me near you, or will push
on and come back for you."
II shall be well enough in the morn
ing, most like. am tired tonight"
"And dispirited too"
eyes, and dispirited. You will ex-
cuse me, l know"
Frances rose to her feet, but seemed
SO faint that she leaned against the
table for support. He was by her side
at once.
"My sweet lass, l am so sorry for
you. Tell me what can do for you
and on my soul my life is yours if you
require it,"
"No, no! Heaven grant you take no
hurt for my sake"
He slipped his arm about her waist
and would have drawn her toward
him, but with more strength than he
had expected her to possess she held
away. His great love for her almost
overcame him and all the prudence he
had gathered was scattered suddenly
to the winds. "Dear, dear lass, one
touch Of our lips and see if all doubts
do not dissolve before the contact"
Now she wrenched herself free and
would have escaped but that he sprang
forward and caught her by the wrists,
a grip she was to remember later in
the night. In spite of this prisoning,
her hands were raised to the sides Of
her face and look of such terror shot
from her eyes that he feared some
madness had come upon her.
"Not that Not thatv' she shrieked.
1.-THE kiss of Judas! 1t would kill mev'
His arms dropped paralyzed to his
sides and he stepped back a pace,
amazed at the expression she had used
and the terror Of her utterance Next
instant be was alone and the closed
door between them. Still he stood
where she had left him.
Ii Of Ind ho
'The kiss of Judas! She loves him,
thinks me his friend, trying to take
Judas advantage Of him because we
are alone together. De Courcy spoke
truth. Woe is me, she loves him, and
l, blind fool o God, pity that poor
girl and this insanity Of passion wasted
on so rank a cur"
Frances fed to her room and threw
herself on the bed in an agony of tears.
This storm subsidized into gentle rain
of subdued weeping and finally ceased
as she heard the heavy tramp of riding
boots in the adjoining room. She sat
up in the darkness, listening intently.
He closed the wooden shutters Of the
window, shaking them to be sure that
their tastenings were secure. Then the
bolts of the outer door were thrust into
their places, but this apparently failing
to satisfy the doubts of the inmate,
there was a sound Of some heavy arti-
Gle of furniture being dragged across
the room; then the tramping ceased
and all was still. Unheeding she heard
the clock in a neighboring tower toll
the hour; now it struck again and she
counted the notes. Eleven! 1t was
still too early. People slept heavier as !
the night wore on. One, two, three, four,
five, six, seven! 1t must be midnight,
and the first five strokes had been on
Cromwell's breastplate. She reused !
herself and attempted to take off her
shoes, but her hands were trembling /
10 she was forced to desist. She sat
to wait until all effect CT the long :
Ginning had ceased, for the striking Of
Twelve sometimes disturbed or awak-
ened the soundest sleeper. The clock !
lower seemed dangerously near, as If it /
we're approaching her hour by hour.
stockinged feet she stood by the secret
loor, waiting till the frightfully rapid
oeating of her heart should moderate. j.
It threatened to choke her. Then she
lid back the bar and drew open the
loor, all so smoothly oiled that there
was not the whisper Of creak. She tip
toed into the cavern of blackness and
silence. holding her spread hands in
front Of her, moving slowly, with the
utmost caution, step by step.
In her mind she had estimated. from
her earlier survey Of the room, that
nine steps would take her to the bed.
Now she realized she had taken
dozen and yet had not come to it. She
stood bewildered and listened. The
helplessness Of a person in the pitch
lark thrilled her with a new fear, up
setting all her calculations. The panic
If pulsation in. her throat and in her
ears at first rendered any attempt at
listening futile, but at last she heard his
soo Ior hroo fIinp noooofYlI a that