The Cook County herald. [volume] (Grand Marais, Minn.) 1893-1909, 1904-02-20

Cost she lett she must uSnC' against
seemed creeping over her. The. beau.
tiful face was CHASTITY in it's pallor.
'*Have l not suffered enough she
said, very gently, that you, who pro-
TESS pity for me, should make me SUI
fer more. If you. have-I will not say
justice or even nerosity-but one
pulse such as throbs in the bodies of
men, say you did but try me, and take
me, while may still hoard some of my
strength, to the refuge I came to
seek"
Through all his hardness, the quiv-
ering tones found their way. But it
was too late to turn back on the road
he had marked out for himself, or,
rather, that another had mapped out
for him.
Calm yourself!" he said, sternly.
"And listen Avice: Do you know what
the world already thinks-your world
and mine?"
II do not understand you," she said,
bewildered, putting her hand to her
aching head, and wondering if mad
ness, indeed,> had oveEtaken her.
1T says" he continued, brutally,
that you and l have run away togeth-
er. Your honor, your reputation are
at my mercy"
Then if you have mercy, spare
me-" she cried, throwing, herself on
her knees at his feet. "Send for TRAY
is. He will forgive the share you have
taken in this work, if you will but re-
store me to his arms. : If you would
NOT kill me, undo this most cruel, bit
ter wrong against an innocent girl"
'''It is too late" he said, lifting her to
her feet. why need you care, Avice?
You surely had no love for Milton Len
nox?"
mo love for him? No; none that l
need sully by mention within your
clearinghouse that your debased ma
ture could understand. Now-now I
see it all!" she cried, wringing her
hands "All that you told me was
false. false! false! and 1, foolish,
wretched girl that l am, believed you!
You laid the trap, and my unwary feet
stumbled in; but, oh, there is a God
Of mercy and God of vengeance!
May the one have pity upon me, and
the other avenge my wrongs! Leave
me, sir and at least permit me the SOL
itude of my own wretchedness.'
Il will return in half an hour, Avice,
and trust to. find you calmer."
She loked about her, when alone,
with wild, despairing eyes.
Perhaps-perhaps there might be
some chance of escape, but how far
could her trembling limbs carry her,
even If her jailers relaxed their vigi-
lance?
She pressed her hot, burning FORE
head against the window pane. = Thees
waved their branches outside; early
birds sang in the boughs.
Was this the same world she had al
ways known? In all her life she had
never had care. So she had told
Florence st. John. All. Florence, too,
would believe this cruel story-Flor-
ence, who once, she thought, had tast-
ed the full cup of misery She had
wondered how Florence had lived
through suffering, and now. beside her
own, how small it seemed. Love.
friends, protection, were Miss St.
Johns yet. OF these, in one fell swoop,
all had been taken from her and in
their stead came insult. and still more
cruel wrong. How could she bear il?
She must make one more appeal to
this man-must, in some way, peue.
trate his armor.
AS if in answer to her thought, the
door opened and he entered.
II am calm now" she said. "I haye
thought, perhaps, DR.. Hayes. you might
have some motive for your conduct
price! lam, as you know, a rich girl.
lay my fortune at your feet, to dis
pose Of as you will. a ransom for my
freedom"
A smile glittered on the mans dark
face.
"A motive and a price? Yes, Miss
Meredith, + have both. We will be
frank with each other; it is best so. I
have uttered some few words of love
to you. They were false. All the love
have is another woman's. They, but
served my purpose and the utter full
fillment of my role. You shall, IN fu-
ture, be freed from them. AS I said
before, you shall be your own mistress
Il will even intrude myself upon you
as little as possible; but my motive
cannot as yet be unveiled. My price
is one which all your fortune, thrice
and thrice again swelled, cannot reach.
1t is price for which l have toiled
three. long years and more. Judge,
then, if girls idle prayer will per.
suade me to unclasp my hand and let
it escape me, just when my fingers are
closing upon it. You or must pay
the forfeit, Avice, and the lot has fall
en- to YOU"
"Yes," she answered, "the lot of
DEATH" and she fell forward sense.
less at his feet.
CHAPTER XIV.
unrelentinq.