The Miller sun. (Miller, Hand County, S.D.) 190?-19??, 1904-12-14
CHATTER XxIv.-fContinued.,

HeA ~ 40 ~ $1,000
.Moneyt' she cried. Money from
you! Look here and she tore open a
lady's reticule that lay upon the table;
there are the two hundred dollars you
sent me enclosed in your farewell letter;
look what | do with them And she
tore them into shreds. Here are the
presents you gave me; see what l do
with them!' And she took out some
trinkets, and crushed them beneath her
feet. Now will you ask me If it is
money / want of your
Her face was something awful to look
upon in it's deathly pallor, and convul-
sive quivering, and those glaring eyes.
That man, with all his iron will, quailed
before her.
What do you want, then?'
"Respect, and | will have it. Let me
refresh your memory. You found mo in
a travelling show. / was a mere child
then, possessed of a strange power over
certain minds-a power that To an ann
bilious, INSCRIPTIONS schemer like your
self, might one day prove invaluable.
You saw no way to use me mt the time,
out you were 10th to lose sight OF so adj
mirable an instrument. You woruned
yourself into my confidence, and got
from me that / was discontinued with
a mode Of life which gave me but a
bare living, and filed the pockets Of my
employer. | was vain of the attention Of
a fine gentleman-I who had been
brought UP in a back alley. You told
my father that if he liked to go TO Bury
ST. Edmund's you would help to set
him up in business-that You would rec
ommend him custom, as you possessed
some influence in the neighbornood.'
Have you ever had reason TO repent
taking my counsel?'
my father hit upon a more easy and
profitable trade than shoemaking," she
went on, not needing the interruption.
HAD we depended upon your promises,
we might have starved. You thought no
more of them, and years elapsed after
our parting at Spalding before | ever
heard anything of you again. One day
we met in the streets OF Bury. Although
years had elapsed, we recognized each
other instantly. You expressed great
delight at the meeting. which certainly
was not feigned. as it gave into your
hands the exact tool you required, to
fashion one of the most diabolical
schemes that was ever Matched in hui
man brains. But before YOU dared to
propose it to me il was necessary to
make me your slave. When you last
saw me | was an ungainly looking, ugly
girl; now j was n well-grown woman,
with good looks enough to have secured
several offers Of advantageous marriage.
But L was proud, ambitious; the life
l led, and all its associations, were hate
full to mel longed to be free of them
all, and | waited and waited. You, with
your fendish cunning, OWNED my secret;
professed love for me. Blinded by am
bition and vanity, l believed you-be-
lieyed that you, the fine gentleman,
would marry me-. But at that time you
simply lied, to serve your own purpose.
You were very cautious, too-you bound
me down to breathe no word of your
secrets to my father. You said, once
in his power, you would never be free
from his extortions."
"Silence" Numbered Rodwell. spring
ing to his feet.
well, enough of that for the pres
emit. After the girls fight, you left
Bury, and l did not see you again for a
long, long time. At last, you returned.
So you have got her into your clutch
again. What is it to be this time-mur-
der or marriageY
How my heart leaped. Could it be
Clara of whom she was speaking? TIL
portrait / had seen in his namesake's
~cottage--tIe likeness to her, forgotten
until that moment, flashed upon me with
the force of conviction. Oh, how eager
~, how breathlessly, | listened now,
"How dare you speak such words TO
me in the presence of a stranger?' he
cried. You are yenomous enough to en-
deavor to establish such a charge against
meY'
81 believe you to be capable OF any
crime. John Rodwell,' she answered, dis
painfully: although you would give the
preference to that which compromised
you least"
Suppose l admit that / intend to mar
ry her. what then?" he demanded, bold
ly. "You will seek to thwart met"
81 keep my intentions to myself. But
I aad forgotten; perhaps you are not
aware you have q rivai?" she said, mock
ingly. you would not imagine Mr.
Carston in the character of a gay de-
ceiver; yet, / can assure you that, dur
ing a short absence from his loving wife,
he was making violent love to Miss
Clara as a single gentleman, and not
unsuccessfully. / believe"
'This Is no subject to jest upon," he
said, ~haughtily. do you mean TO say
that this fellow has dared"
He advanced menacingly towards me-;
but, weak as | was. ] rose up, and CON
fronted him. / felt no fear OF him. al
though ! was too agitated to speak--too
overwhelmed by the thoughts OF my
worse than powerless position.
He paused: then. with a look of SUI
premc scorn. he turned apon his heel and
addressed Judith. ''Such an object IL too
coEtemptihle to excite anger. However,
PRESUME that for the future o will