The San Juan islander. [volume] (Friday Harbor, Wash.) 1898-1914, 1905-04-01

Of calm sternness, there was an anxious
troubled ring in her voice, and an anx-
ious look in her face. az she waited his
answer.
Now that the Ice was broken, all his
nervousness vanished. Fearless and bitter
az herself, he confronted her. For a mo-
ment they stood eying each other, like
two wrestlers about to engage In dead
intense loathing; in his, look Of tgrish
hatred.
'Why have you come here ?" she stern
ly asked.
Il have told you, to inquire, on behalf
of Silas Carston, the meaning Of this ad-
vertisement"
what is Silas Carston to you, that
you should come here upon such an er-
rand? refuse to make any communi-
cation to you. Let him come himself il
he wishes to know anything. This IL
presence in 1t"
Suppose insist upon remaining until
you answer my questionsF
Il shall have you expelled by con-
stable. and sworn over to keep the peace
towards me-"
''It would scarcely be agreeable to my
father. outcast as I am, to have his
name branded in a police court, even to
secure your safety"
He spoke in a voice Of cold irony; Tut
the blood was singing in his ears, and
seething in his veins with passion.
what have the dead to 10 with the
petty vanities of earthly fameT she
asked, sternly.
1.-THE deadv' he whispered: the hot
blood changed to a stream Of Ice, and
rushed back upon his heart, and he
stared at her, pale and aghast.
1.-THE dead" she reiterated, In the
same tone. She looked steadily in his
face, as though doubling the truth Of
his establishment. It was too terribly
it could not excite one touch Of pity In
her stony heart; for she added, In
voice Of bitter irony, "A terrible COM
mentary upon your life, Edward Mo-
rant Your father has been dead three
months, and you do not know It,"
He had sunk into a chair, and was
staring into vacancy, repeating the wcrd
dead" over and over again. Sudden
ly he asked. in a low, anxious tone,
did he ask for me? Did he wish to see
me before he died?'
"He had broken with all earthly ties
months before he died; his thoughts and
words were given to heaven alone"
Eagerly the man waited for the cruel
answer; and when it came, he covered
his face with his hands and sobbed until
the tears dropped between his fingers on
to the ground.
Still cold and pitifess rs an iron statue,
the woman looked down upon him with
out a shadow of sympathy In her rigid
face. After a minutes pause, she sid,
cit is useless to prolong this scene.
You can now see that all ties are brok
en- between us. l trust I shall never
look upon your face again. Az for Silas
Carston, il he wishes to know anything,
l repeat. he must come to me himself. l
take no interest in him. 1 simply desire
to do a duty which I have pledged
myself to perform"
"Why, then, was he sent to such
place az Tabernacle House7" he de-
manded. Kept in ignorance Of his par
ents-put to mental work. Do you know
into what keeping you consigned him?
This man-this Rev. Mr.. Porter, as he
calls himself" he went on-'I remcm-
Der as a vagabond-a companion Of
mine. You will say he is a converted
sinner. tell you this man is the vilcst
OF hypocrites; trader upon cant, whom
tomorrow 1 will expose in the midst Of
his congregation, and drive out Of the
town. His daughter was once for two
years clairvoyant in a travelling mes
merism show. What do you think now
of the guardian Of your precious
charger
Leave this house, and never darken
it with your presence again."
The weapons had pierced deep, and
her voice was faint and husky.
Although you may never see me
again. you shall feel me-" he went on,
| with momentary increasing passion.
Listen, woman, to the last words you
may ever hear me speak! I have never
injured. nor sought to injure you. From
the moment you first saw me, you h,,ed
me because / would not cant and whine;
and because l passed few boyish tests
| upon your doctrines, you vowed my de-
struction; you turned my fathers heart
against me, and had me expelled from
my uOIue, luTucO HOr1IC upon the world.
That act fell back upon yourself in a
terrible retribution; but while its conse.
quences glanced off your steel heart and
left no lasting wound. they handed me
over body and soul to Satan himself
When, homeless and starving, have
written to my father for money to l.uy
bread, the letters were returned unopened
not by his hands, but by yours; and
even on his deathbed you embittered his
| heart with enmity against his only child!
For the sake of one dear memory, have
| borne all this. But there il q limit to
| all human endurance, and that limit Is
passed with me. 1t seems you have
one being still in whom you take some
| interest-that you have one vulnerable
| point. and through that I'll strike you!
There is no revenge, however fendish,
| that | will pause at. will never cross
your threshold again, but my shadow
shall be upon you to the last hour Of
your ifer'
As he spoke, he drew close to her,
foaming with passion, and wildly gesticu-
lating, as though he would strike her.
But not one step did she move, but
looked him full and fearlessly In the face,