The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1904-06-17
when ne was released from prison? ''

months De1Ore Was UdheH SSIlOuoiy
i'll. For long lay between life and
death. | could not divulge to any one
who | was, that they might write to
him for me, and so he never knew.
When was better, and wrote, | got no
reply. Then l went to the prison my
self, to learn that he had been set
free. l learned later he had been max
ing inquiries for me, but, though | have
searched, l have7ne been able to find
him. For some time | was forced to
go abroad with a family"
"And you do not know if he is dead
or alive" he asked. in dry voice.
She shook her head sadly.
.'If you knew-but no, must not ask
you that" he said.
81 love him STILL" she said, "and
pray God every night that He will send
him back to me-"
DR.. Scott walked slowly back to the
hospital. What he had learned that
night had surprised him beyond words.
1t had brought him.. too, the deepest
pain, for he clearly saw that, as Miss
Graham had told him, his love was
hopeless.
"Unless," he said to himself-"unless
Fenton was dead"
He shuddered as the thought rushed
into his mind. Fenton was at his
mercy completely; the matter of the
mans life or death rested entirely in
his hands. A twist of the scalpel an
eighth of an inch from it's proper
course, and George Fenton could not
recover. And his death would only
mean that the operation had been un-
successful. No one would ever know
that DR.. Roland Scott was murderer.
Discovery was impossible.
And how he loved this woman! He
must possess her, for without her the
world would be black desolation. life
| unbearable to think of her ever as
the wife of another. He cursed aloud
the fates that juggled so with the hui
man toys; he cast from him the idea
of not doing his duty as it should be
done; he gave up the woman. Thus
| he condemned himself to lifelong
misery. That was one moment. The
| next the scalpel slipped, Fenton died
| the woman he loved was his, and the
world happiness.
1t was a horrible temptation. A
| hundred times he threw it from him
but it came rushing back again. He
paced the room through the hours OF
the night, and the way the devil point
ed out was the easiest. He could not
would not-give the woman up. His
head was splitting; his eyes burned as
though sand irritated them; his mouth
and throat were parched. But the time
slipped swiftly and found him unde'
| cided. He sank into chair and hello
his throbbing brain between his hands
The scalpel had slipped. That wa.
nine months ago. DR.. Scott had ex
planned it all to Mrs. Fenton, though
he never said that his was the hand
| that guided the keen edged knife. HI
| only found out an hour after the man:
death that George Fenton might b,
her husband, for it was not case il
which he had taken a great interest
He lied admirably, and his sympathy
with the young widow was most sin
cere
1t was at the end of nine month.
that he repeated his offer of marriage
to her. She accepted this time. Thre'
months passed and they were married
1t was then that George Fenton came
back! He was as dead and buried a.
man could be, but he came back thu
moment that Roland Scott put thu
wedding ring on Mrs. Fenton's finger
The doctor staggered, swept his hant
before his eyes, and turned ghastl!
white.
He had been seized with suddel
faintness, he said. And when n
looked it was, of course, his wife wit
stood where Fenton had been, and /
was her sweet face on which he gazed
1t was only hallucination, the awaken
ing of murderer's conscience.
George Fenton came every day. A
sure as the doctor sat before his wifi
at breakfast or dinner she faded away
and he dined and talked with the mai
he had killed. If he took her hand an
gazed upon it for minute it becam
the bloodless hand of Fenton. Late
it was Fenton's voice that spoke t
him when Millicent opened her lips.
Scott knew full well it was hi
mind he knew full well that other
were ignorant of Fentons presence
that his wife never suspected it.
He tried to fight it down, afraid h
might give away his secret. But it wa
impossible. Others saw terrihl
change in the doctor as the days an
weeks went; he grew pale, and thir
and nervous; he could not eat, no
drink, nor sleep. He, too, saw tn
change, and understood fully the pen
atty of his crime. He must leave hi
wife-there was nothing for it-bu
he loved her so!
The end came Unexpectedly, ant
luckily, it came in the presence
others, or it might have gone hard wit
Fenton and-Mrs. Scott. Some on
made some remark that caused ros
Of laughter. Above the roar rose tn
harsh rattle of a laugh, as it sounde
to SCOTS ears, that was Fenton's, an
: there, where his wife had been a me-
want haforo ctOOd tho man 12uQhin