Pierre weekly free press. (Pierre, S.D.) 1889-19??, 1906-02-22
FALSELY ~ *
CONDEMNED
Mrs. E. Bagot Harte
CHAPTER xxv-continued.
Mrs. E. Bagot Harte.

L am Ill Any way d0SWeFdDle LOT Inc
death of the woman's father, / will
tell you that the news of IL came as a
great shock to me- He called to see
me and to ask If | knew what had be-
come of bis daughter. / gave him
some money--three ten-pound notes
AS the money was not found on him,
he was probably murdered for it by
some one who discovered he had it on
him"
"And what did you tell him about
his daughter THAT you knew moth
ing?"
"Yes."
Silence followed dark, ominous
silence, during which Sir Georges
hand stole down to her shoulder and
rested there, yearning to comfort,
yearning to soothe. His heart ached
for the woman whose life he had ut
terly ruined. Cosufferers they were
in bitter trouble, co-sufferers they
must ever remain in all that pertained
to their false union. Wife-yet not
his wife-she must share the crushing
burden of his awful crime To ever
forget that her existence had led to
that crime was impossible Both knew
1t. Both realized it.
Sharply she raised her face and
looked at him: this man who had sud
denly taken to himself the guise of a
fiend. She shranll away from the
touch of his hand-shrank away from
his proximity
"Hilda! Hilda! Don't look like that;
oh, don't, don't!" Now he had seized
both of her hands and was clasping
them fmploringly. Don't turn from
me, but forgive me. Can't you guess
the terrors of my temptation? The
woman was in the wood alone and she
was dying, only short time longer
could she have lived, and demon of
utter recklessness seized me, seized
me for your sake. Hilda. If she lived
OUR lives would have been accursed,
SO voice whispered to me, and if she
died all would be righted--the secret
of my marriage with her would be
buried forever. Our lives-yours, dar-
ling, and mine--Would continue to
drift on happily side by side, so told
myself. The deed Fastening her death
was a moments work, and my hands
had wrought that moments work al
most before | knew it. Five minutes
after was frantic with terror and re-
morse at the iniquity of my action.
my victim! But | will not harrow
your feelings by telling you more. Not
withstanding the almost certain dis
covery that has logged my footsteps
since that awful hour, the fact that
committed the crime remains hidden"
As he said the last word his eyes
sought hers with look of anxious in
terrogation. Would she be willing to
condone his. crime with silence, now
that she knew that publicity meant
everlasting disgrace and ruin to their
child? Would she consent to take up
the tainted threads of her life and try
to weave with them happy future?
Years seemed to rush by as he waited
for her to speak
But could the hard, unloving face
into which he was now looking be
that of the woman who had always
been to him the tenderest, most loving
and heroically devoted OF wives?
Those lines of care, that look of hope
less agony could they be the work of
a few short minutes only?
q
She was turning towards him now,
and trembling lips were framing words
that would seal his fate.
George, when will you confess your
crime?" She said it quietly. as if no
other course were possible.
But:
"Don't finish that sentence.." she
swiftly interrupted. Don't make me
hate you more than do now. And
don't touch me! Take your hands
away"
He jumped to his feet and strobe
away from her, the woman for whose
sake his hands were blood-stained.
A moment later he was facing her
with flashing eyes. Hilda!' he cried,
passionately,, is it nothing to you that
your child's life is blighted forever?
Think of all 1t means when you speak
SO calmly OF my confessing"'
If you do not confess your crime, !
shall denounce you,
You denounce me? You?'
Yes; heaven help ME to do it! But,
remember, small mercy will be yours
unless you hasten to confess all your
self This very day I must leave this
house your home. Before the mo-
ment that we part for life comes, let
me know that you have nobly faced
the work Of self.dennnciation. "
Curse my folly for having told you
the TRUTH he cried. bitterly Curse
my folly for having put any faith in a
woman's fidelity was fool enough
to believe that you loved me, that you
would he true to me- lat--=''
That would share the wickedness
OF your crime !! L, she exclaimed, inter.
rupting him. .How little you seem to
understand my character. Please tell
me now, at once. that you will give
yourself up to the police this very
day.
81 will not promise :
Then you viii force me to de