Lincoln County leader. [volume] (Toledo, Lincoln County, Or.) 1893-1987, 1906-02-09
IA DEAD PAST
By MRS. LOvETT CAMERON q
o
By MRS. LOvETT CAMERON

81 have no idea to what you are allud-
ing" he answered her in calm surprise,
looking slightly puzzled and bewildered.
Where is Mrs DesmondT she asked
him almost in a whisper, so terrible was
her anxiety.
"What has that got to do with your
he answered her impatiently, almost
roughly.
"Ahw she cried, "then It is true what
everybody is saying? 1t was you who
took her away from her husbands house
you know where she is," she answered
recklessly.
Once before Margaret had seen that
wild blaze of anger in her young broth
er's face-once before, when she had
said things against Kitten. In one mo-
ment Roy was transformed, his eyes
flashed, his brow contracted, a storm OF
passion broke out all over the smooth,
young face. He reminded her of his
father.
How dare you," he said hoarsely,
''how dare you speak such a thing of
her, she who is as pure as an angel, as
holy as a saint. What can you be like
to venture to smirch the whiteness of her
name by your vile ISLANDERS"
Margaret fell back a step. Almost
it seemed to her as if Roy would have
struck her, the rage in his face was so
terrible. This boy-her boy, who had
been as Z child 10 her, was boy no
longer, but man, and a man with
whom it was not safe to meddle. He
frightened her.
White with anger, and incapable of
replying, save in blind torrent Of strong
and disjointed words, Roy broke away
and betook himself to Felicia. He sprang
upstairs three steps at time, and burst
into his cousins drawing room.
Mrs. Talbot was sitting with her. As
he entered Felicia uttered a cry of sur
prise and delight, and ran eagerly for
ward to meet him.
"Oh, Roy! Roy! how delighted am
why have you been away? But, of
course, now you will be able to explain
where you have been. How glad | am
that you have come back; now all these
horrid,. wicked scandals will be stopped
Did | not tell you, Gertrude, that it was
not truer'
well, that remains to be seen, my
dear Felicia" answered Gertrude airily.
''Sir Roy has not cleared himself yet
you see, to say the least, it Is unfortu-
nate that he and Mrs. Desmond should
have been both missing on the same
day. 1t remains to be explained, of
course"
why on earth should Roy's absence
be connected with Mrs. Desmond" cried
Felicia impatiently; ''or who indeed can
say that he has been away at all?'
why, my dear"-docking them off on
her fingers, three dinners to which he
was engaged, and at which he never turn
ed up nor even sent any excuse" remark
ed Gertrude. with a careless shrug of
her shoulders
This was true, and Roy for the first
time recollected these broken engage
ments, with a sort of horror at his own
other of the ladies in absolute dismay
he began to perceive in what light his
conduct appeared to the world.
at is not true" pleaded his cousin,
with wistful entreaty in her dark eyes.
mo, of course it is not true" he an
swered quickly How could it be true? ?
But every body seems to have gone mad.
For heavens sake tell me how this has
got about, and what | am to do to stop
itY He was no longer angry, only dis
mayed and distressed beyond measure.
"You have only to say You don't know
where Mrs. Desmond is" said Gertrude.
But l cannot say that. l do know
where she is" he answered gravely.
And then Mrs. Talbot laughed.