The herald-advance. (Milbank, S.D.) 1890-1922, 1904-09-09
CHAPTER TX.
Misdirected Letters.

The night SO unhappy to Cornelia
was very much more unhappy to
Hyde. He had sent his letter to her
before eleven in the morning, and II
Fortune were kind to him, he expect
ed an answer soon after leaving
Madame Jacobus. When noon passed
and n o'clock struck, he rang for
some refreshments.
At 3 there was a knock at his door
and he went hastily to answer it. Bal
thazar stood there with the longed-
for letter in his hand. He felt that he
must be quite alone with it. So he
turned the key and then stood a mo-
ment to examine the outside. He
kissed the superscription and kissed
the white seal, and sank into his
chair with a sigh of delight to read it.
In a few moments a change beyond
all expression came owe his face
p~erplexity, anger, despair cruelty as
sailed him. 1t was evident that some
~irreparable thing had ruined all his
hopes. He was for some moments
dumb. This trance of grief was fol
lowed by passionate imprecations and
reproaches, wearing themselves away
to an utter amazement and incredul-
ity. He had flung the letter to the
floor, but he lifted it again and went
over the cruel words, forcing himself
to read them slowly and aloud.
"'Your letter has given me very
great sorrow; let me die if that is
not what she says; very great sor-
rOw. You must have known for
weeks, even months, that marriage
between us was impossible; am l
perfectly in my senses? 1t always
has been and always will be';why, tbs
heart treason of the worst kind. Oh,
Cornelia! Cornelia! And she 'grieves
at my going away and bids me on
no account call on her father'-and
takes pains to tell me the No is alb
solute-and | am not to blame her
Oh this is the vilest treachery! 1t is
Rem Van Ariens who is at the bottom
Of it. May the devil take the fellow!
| shall need some heavenly power to
keep my hands off him. will never
wonder again at anything a woman
does Was ever a lover SO be-
trayed?"
Thus his passionate grief and an
ger tortured him until midnight.
Then lie threw himself upon his bed,
and his craving, suffering heart at
length found rest in sleep from the
terrible egotism of it's sorrow.
Never for one instant did he i'm
agine this sorrow to be a mistaken
and quite unnecessary one. Not
/ 70 & cn-Do ~, Won ArinnC cnr;Cr,C1xy ;ptO
his consideration, and not fearing his
rival in any way, it was beyond all
his suspicious that Rem should write
to Cornelia in the same hour, and for
the same purpose as himself And
that she should be forced by circum-
stances to answer both Rem and him
self in the same hour, and in the very
stress Ind hurry of her great love
and anxiety should misdirect the let
tiers, were likelihoods outside his
consciousness.
It was far otherwise with Rem. The
moment he opened the letter brought
him by Cornelia's messenger, in that
very moment he knew that it vas not
his letter. He understood at once the
position, and perceived that he held
in his hand an instrument, which ii
affairs went as he desired, was likely
TO make trouble he could ~perchance
turn to his own advantage. These
thoughts sprang at Once into his re-
1ections, but were barely enter
tanned before nobler ones displaced
them. AS a Christian gentleman he
knew what he ought to do without
cavil and without delay, and he rose
to follow the benignant justice of his
conscience. Into this obedience, how
ever. there entered an hesitation Of a
second of time, and that infinitesimal
period was sufficient for his evil
genius.
.Why will you meddle?" it asked.
ut will be far wiser to let Hyde take
the first step. If the letter he has
received is so worded that he knows
it is your letter, it is his place to
make the transfer-and he will be
sure to do It"
And he hesitated and then sat
down. and as there is wickedness
even in ~hesitating about a wicked act,
Rem easily drifted from the negative
to the positive of the crime contem-
plated.
II had better keep it," he unused,
.and see what will come OF the keep
ing"
He suffered In this decision. suf-
| fered IN his w way quite as much
as Hyde did. He saw clearly that
Cornelia had eve loved him, that
his hopes had always been vain, and
he experienced all the bitterness OF
being sighted and humbled for an
enemy.
He felt . sudden haste to escape
himself, and selling his hat walked
rapidly to his fathers Office. Peter
looked up . he entered. and the
question IN his ayes hardly needed
the simple interrogatory-