The Chickasha daily express. (Chickasha, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1899-current, 1905-05-23


when there came to her the thought
that he would leave her she put it
away with a dread and a chill at her
! heart. And when eventually he de-
clared his love for her, surely no hap
pier maiden lived.
1t was the night before he was to
leave for London. and she was strange
ly restless. The little clock had chimed
the midnight hour but she could not
sleep. She heard the rustic Of the au-
tumn breeze in the ivy ON the house,
the chirp-chirp of a cricket and the
sough of the wind in the tree tops.
But to her acute ears there came an
other sound; the creak Of a stealthy
footstep on the landing outside her
door, and the just perceptible sound Of
some one breathing hard. She could
indistinctly hear the footsteps recede.
Then. urged by some strange impulse.
she threw on her dressing gown, softly
opened her bedroom door, and looked
without All was dark, save where,
down on the next landing. pencil of
light stole out into the passage. 1t
came from the door of what was
known as her fathers office. and with
soft, light footsteps she crept down
the few stairs to the chink of light and
gazed in through the doorway.
She saw enough to make her heart
stand still with fright, and to cause
her brain to reel for a moment Theo-
dore Crossley was there, his pale, intel
lectual face drawn into smile, his
brow puckered as it were in perplex-
ity, meanwhile that he was hastily ex-
amining and hastily selecting papers
from her fathers desk. He found
what he evidently wanted, for he ut
tered n chuckle of satisfaction and
thrust the paper in his pocket, even as
the hand Of Lily Asbury fell upon his
shoulder and caused him to fall back
In dismay. The look on her face was
enough. and he could not speak.
"Robberr' she said. quietly. Sob
Der. have discovered your
He recovered himself and faced her
resolutely.
"LiIyw he said. "You here? What
-w
Il heard you" she said quietly. II
followed you. What have you stolen?"
Calm and unbroken as was her voice,
yet she felt as If her heart were break
ing, for in such a brief space of time
had there been shattered at her feet
the idol Of her life. His face, pale as
it habltually was, seemed ashen in the
cold glare Of the lamp.
Il would prefer not to say, Lily"
She sprang to the bell rope and laid
her hand upon it. Tell me-" she said,
'or I ring for assistance" LIZ
He faced her
Don't ring that bell" he said quiet
ly, ''for il you do It win mean greater
misery for you than you can bear.
Listenw He went to her and caught
her arm. Listen. In my pocket
have proofs which mean the ruin of
your father--your father-trustee of
the Brackley estates, who, for years,
has been swindling. and swindling,
and swindling Oh. Lilyl you think
that am Theodore Crossley, the anti
quarian. am not. My name is not
Crossley; l am not an antiquarian. |
am police officer, one whom they call
a detective, who has been sent here for
a purpose" He laughed rather bitter
ly. "Three days ago l had collected
all the material for my purpose and
proof OF the guilt Of your father. The
proof is here in this paper, and to-
morrow It had been my intention to
formally seize his papers and to bring
about his condemnation"
"Well,' said Lily calmly, "how do
know that what you are saying is
truey"
He handed her the paper and she
read it.
Her eyes were wild, and her breath
came thick and fast when she handed
it back TO him.
1T is true" she said hollowly. ut
is true. Oh! my poor fatherr'
He caught her as she staggered back.
Listen, Lllym he gasped, rather
than said. Il came here not to steal
this paper. but l came for something
else. came to save your father at
the risk Of my own reputation l came