The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1906-09-22


sitting room at the end of the house.
He was sitting at his table in the win
dow, and with his usual courtesy got up
as they entered. On the table in front
Of him was package containing bot
tie. of dark blue glass. He had just
finished undoing this when they came
"a cigaret, Lily?'' he said. IT
want ten minutes talk. -
She took one; he waited till she had
lit it. 49,
"Maud tells me that you and she I'M
did package that arrived here this af-
ternoon, addressed to me, and threw it
away. Are either of you in the habit
of doing such things, may l ask? Do
you open other peoples letters?'
"Thurso, don It be fool,' said
Maud M;a q quietly L,c,+ ,o,1, ,.h;+o Co.. ,o-
ment.
"!Maud, 1 am trying to be courteous.
e You might 1t make an effort to follow my
Is it courteous to ask Lily and me
If we open other people s letters?' she
asked.
|tIt seems to me that your behavior
this afternoon warrants my question:,
emo, Thurso, it does not,' said
Lily, "and you know it.
j., He looked first at one, then at the
other, and his hand moved slowly to-
wards the bottle on the table.
~ don It want to make a scene with
either of you,' he said, "and I don It
want to detain you. But require you
both to promise never again to act in
such way. You are absolutely UNI us
titled in touching or interfering with
my things in this way, from whatever
motive. And your interference has
done no good, as you see, in this in
stance. and will do no good in any
10
adopt methods as underhand as your
own
said Lily; eve were going to tell you
what we had done. Maud did tell YOU
"it was inevitable that l should find
out,' said he.
"That was immaterial," said Maud.
"Even if you could never have found
out otherwise, we should have told
you.'
"Ah!' said he
Maud looked at him with amazement.
She had been told by Lily this after
noon that there were two Mauds; here
indeed was Thurso whom she would
scarcely have known for her brother.
He was fundamentally different, while
his quiet manner and superficial con-
duct were the same. But this new Thur
50 was as if devil possessed him; she
felt, too. that he hated her.
In his one word Of reply there was
an ocean Of incredulity.
"You don It believe what I say?"
she asked.
He was silent, he smiled a little, and
raised his eyebrows. There was no
need for him to speak; his meaning was
perfectly clear.
you any promise for the future, if you
den't believe what we says'' she
asked.
""I ask for your promise, however, !"
"And if we don It give it to yous"
asked Lily.
''I shall merely have to find some
other way Of getting things delivered.
so that you do not intercept them,'
he said.
There was nothing more to be said
on the subject, and they sat in silence
a moment. Then Maud spoke.
81 PROMISE she said. "It's no
good refusing''
"And IT, said Lily.
Thurso put his hand to his head sud
denly with a gesture he could not con-
troll 49,. -.
'1Then shall we agree never to say a
word more on this very unpleasant sub
| ject?'' he said. "And now, Lily, and
you, Maud, listen. I am suffering so
| hideously at this present moment that 1
| hardly know what am saying-agita
| ton, anger. and SO on brought On this
afternoon the worst pain have ever
had. I very likely should not have
taken laudanum from that bottle you
threw away; anyhow, I should have
struggled hard not to. I struggled yes
terday, with the result that I allowed
! Lily to pour away all I had in the
| house. But am not going to struggle
| now; the pain is absolutely intolerable.
| and it was brought on, as far as l
know, by what you did. Your interfer-
! ence has not done the slightest good:
it has only given me an hour Of hell. I
have thought and said abominable
| things of you both in this last hour.
| My only excuse is that I am in tor
| ments. I beg the forgiveness of both
| Of YOU
/ Here was the real Thurso again. look
| ing out like soul in prison, trying tc
burst thru the bars, and it was indie
| scribably pathetic. Both women were
| melted with pity for him; and Lily got