Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1906-12-12


# Winslow. gave an xclamati ton Sc dis:
tressed annoyance, but. said nothing
3z Then you = recognize this ~ and.
there was naughty distrust1 again in
her manner. > - w. H.. zs$:z2 : Il
y am sorry to say I do. May + ask.
how came in your possession?'' g 4 *2{ j.
X His manner, too, was cold and per.
emptory. .,s ~ :-@s5 Us :.
She did not reply, and he continued:
"The abominable mystery-for me-
surrounding that letter is bad enough
without your being mixed up in 1t.
too; that cannot bear" ~
With flashing eyes she returned:
ut Is true that this letter is none of
my affair unless-unless we are to be
friends. If we are" her voice dropped
lower. then surely I have the right
to know why ~she-that ,half-breed
w0man-wrote this?" ~.,
She extended the letter toward him,
entreaty, reproach and scorn in her
look and tone.
Winslow took it calmly and, glanc-
ing it over with an Indifferent air,
said: "She did not write it."
"Did not write it?" she repeated,
vaguely. -:
"She did not. have the best proof
in the world. She cannot write at ALL"
Then, as she stared at him dunn
founded, he explained further "This
letter is forgery-written for what
purpose, Heaven alone knows. It's
only result was that, in total ignorance
of the reason for my summons, or
of whom I was going to meet, I came
to the place appointed time to re-
ceive stab in the dark. OF course,
I was a fool to go, but-well, you see
the note is urgent. For the sake of
one love- the writer says"
He ended with meaning look
straight into her eyes, which were
beginning to droop before the abso-
Lutte honesty in his.
1.-THE woman, Belle, has assured me
that she never sent me a message of
any sort; the question is-who did?"
Who, indeed? A dreadful doubt was
fomenting in Lavender's brain, but she
persevered falter1ngly: "But the girl
she who was in the woods that
night?"
He laughed. 'fWell, I suppose 1
must take everybody's word that there
was a girl there, but-well, did not
see her. It is plain did not have
my wits about mo. BY the way, have
met her since; our estates join;" he
added, with mock dignity.
Already penitent, ashamed of ques-
tions which might seem at best a low
curiosity, at worst foolish jealousy,
Lavender yet persisted: ''Then you
you did not know her before?"
"How could I have had that pleas
ure? You know that was my first ap"
pearance in st. Charles. Rather an
inauspicious debut, wasn't it?'
Quickly over the girls mind flashed
the conversation she had heard at the
frolic; the gossip OF the "branch-water
GIRL" and her "city beau
In an attempt to make the crooked
straight, she repeated the talk to him
now, concluding: "None of the gossip
Of the city cavalier impressed me at
the time, but later, when I heard Of
the meeting in the wood, it seemed rea-
sonable to think that-that you were
the man,
She faltered through this with an
apologize blush, and for moment
Winslow was silent.
Then: tReasonable?' he echoed.
my effort to please you has surely
been in vain if you think 1t reason
able that could stoop to secret trips
to St. Charles for the sly wooing of q
rustic maid"
Indignation rose with speech, and
he finished, sternly: -'You have done
not only me. but yourself-a great
injustice"
She was dumb; stricken with an over
whelming sense of loss-loss of the
man who was more than worthy of the
love which she now realized had al
ways been his--must ever be his.
And Winslow's manner softened as
she dropped before him in sweet con-
triton. "Never mind, sweetheart" he
said, tenderly; but she interrupted him
with sudden vehemence: 'Then why
did they remind me over and over
again that you killed her father,
and"
For a moment Charles forgot his
promise to Sue Miller, and burst out:
1T? Killed her father?"
Then with swift recollection Of his
bond Of silence: go on he said,
calmly.
II was going to say that the circum-
stances under which you took his life,
as have since learned them, make his
death appear in-well, In different
light"
"But still bad? You would think it
better. if no mans blood cried to me
from the ground?"
Unconsciously she sighed in consent,
but quickly answered.: 1T is so diff
ferent to me now. He was not the IA
Their protecting bis: child, but an an.
tagonist who sprang at you unawares.' -
He did not reply, and she went on:
But there must have been mistake;
the old man probably thought you
were another. Did not the girls lover
appear". .... n. 49,, - -.
F. II saw nobody" he declared. =.
''Does anyone know who he Is, OF
do they all think Of you as Izdid?'' - =;
He did not look at her. as he replied,
Indirectly: = 1T is matter Of indif-
ference to me what they think, so
long as am right in your eyes. : And
you-you believe in me, now e, -. >*s::*@=