Omaha daily bee., 1905-06-25

o. u. granted that the uatt,r sell evident And
his friend knowing him therefore that his be-
hayor abnormal said nothing, though later he
preached himself for acquesccnce tnat seemed inde
f,nslbe
at all each morning descending tu breakfast there
would be message brief mssive that Godfrey
d1 feel the bcy,l, arrangement for that day
and would loaf about white his friend kept up to the
original plan. urging that would be pity FOR both 10
miss seeing the various places OF ntores that within
riding distance Conduct uexpicahe other time,
but that seemed strangely enough natural
uf what lad gone before
Hope. putting re.olutely aside a dawning misgivi1s
carried out the written unwren Of his default
ing friend and went on alone the on expeditions that
occupied him from morning until accepting without
comment the reticenoe Of Geonrey his manner
Of spending the day. It seemed impossible t much harm
could result from woeks unsatisacorinoss in any
Yet when owing to accident to his wheel Hope found
himself later by three hours in getting back than he had
intended, he straight 90 Geofrey
anxiety Fastening his steps.
GeoTroy there had any ,ne at the inn seen
linn since the morning Their usual dinner hour past:
1t beginning to dark BASH felt his unoasncss
deepen. lie decided 20 and look FOR eorrey,
voluntarily turned his steps the hollow between Riddle
Mount and the road Even before he up them Ie
knew he should find together he guessed thai
there would he something startling 10 learn
They absorbed in each other that they never
even heard his approach and being within
he perceived this Basil halted to make
bis presence known retire. he was assured
OF GCoTs safety She had cloak her slender
figure and while with held it together the
other was yielded to Geonrey. who pressing his
lips.
Il could not sooner" she saying breath
lessly; unG, o. Gcoh I ought have come at all,
II missed-but will think The one rea-
son IL sufficient. GooT-I must more"
" Gcof already Those Ave days might well have
been fv" w,,ka.
Natalie my little love" Gcon made answer with
subduod emphasis the great none at all. It
does not exist for hundred such reasons would
part us"
neck the cloak slipped down unheedod she in his
Of the trees Basil crept slowly away and
retacd his steps. running road
again. in order to outdstance Geof. When Geof came
in there "A light his eyes that transhgured him
The hour had transformed him. he god who had
wrestled with fate and gained the mastery. He came
straight up to Hope and said "I you to do two
things, Old man. forgive and congratulate Natalie
Treherne has promised marry
Hope held ont his hand. GeofT gripped it, then he
away his room They knew each other well
those words wasted them. What
shadow of evil it that haunted Basil that night
and turned his mind into abyss doubts fears
questions? He vain off and stll
strong was its upon his soul that when a glimpse,
of dawn came he got with feverish haste and
Geonrey's The door ajar. he could see
his friend lying asleep, happy smile his lips; and
his side set in glass poppy, limp and dropping, its
Haunting freshness vanished
The sight reassured him time; yet sl thought
urgent that seemed mpolling him to seek for
swer to his problems and as the day broadened he
dered down the garden path, where first they
herand to the bend of the road where he lotered
a space trying to balance his mental attitude
Useess The impulse sent him and presently he
found himself near the place where they had met the
night before
MY God!' The words escaped him unconsciously
while hurried forward
lay just within the fence that bordered a garden
and had evidently been about to climb 1t when a
hand from the back had struck her down. The rainbow
of sunrise touched her here and there bringing
the whteness of her dress in the the folds
her cloak and the duh crimson poppes still
claspcd in her hand snatchod she fe but in heI
white. sll face light Of life an an
swering only the pale ashes of spent
Her auburn hair clung dnmply throat
and Basil STOPPING put under to raise her ht
found that it wet with blood. at the
sight He noticed unconsCouslN takes in small
details at crisis that on the hand which held the pop
pies Geoffrey's signet ring. him tina
it would be best for assistance before moving her
and vaulting the fence he made his way through
the garden towards house that buried II
thick
An old lesurely doing garden stopped
aghast at his appearance, and Basil said: