Catoctin clarion. [volume] (Mechanicstown, Md.) 1871-1940, 1906-01-18

! or my heart spoke. But reason nnally
had its way, and went dressed in vel
vet, only to repent my decision SO bit
terly that, before I went within reach
of your glance, I stepped into Hilary's
dressing-room and put on one of her
cloth dresses. Love might mean self
denial and fearful complications with
my associates, to whom had not yet
paid the half that was due, but felt
ready to do and bear all, or rather, l
felt in that moment more ready to meet
the doubtful results Of abnegatlon,
than I did the withdrawal Of the hopes
which had made my summer so slori-
Gus. But, after l was dressed and be-
fore l could meet your appreciative
glance, some one brushed me in the
crowd and note vas put in my hands.
All, dearest, that note! 1t was sent by
the Portuguese, then sick unto death, II
seems; but 1t was not written by her,
but by Montelli, who had been dead
three months. AS 1 read 1t l knew
that my intentions had been foreseen
by her. That, although she was i'll. she
had wished to show me that she still
kept watch on my movements and n
hold upon my fate. 1t ran thus: and its
contents are as great n mystery to me
as they must be to .ou:
81 am discovered and must fly. You
are safe If you will but forget your
weakness for the artist. Cherish that
and you are lost. You cannot have love
and money both. SO choose but, in
choosing, remember that the P0rtu-
guese and I will have our money If we
have to ask your lover for it. We have
not run so many risks for nothing
This, at the moment was about to
commit myself to you irretrievably.
What If the writer was dead, the
sender was not, or so thought in that
moment of shock and terror. Pushed
by the crowd, trotured by my fears,
hesitated one instant, and then went
again to Hilary's closet and procured
me a cloak. Enveloping myself in this
1 went below. Did you recognize it ms
bespeaking the hesitation which 1t
really betrayed? Did your love take
alarm and cause you TO turn Il more
willing ear to the inslluntions Of the
detective? I shall never know, for l
have never dared to question you.
"But the developments were not at
an end. While | hunted for glimpse
of your face, Mr.. Byrd came-why Mr..
hnop n hln IN nn1nya-
Standard told me in the strange way
that he told me of MOntelli's death,
that. by another happy Providence, the
sender of this note had pershed also;
leaving my path clear Of enemies and
myself free to follow the dictates Of
my heart.
"You know what followed. How. IN
a rush of renewed hope l threw aside
my cloak, and called your heart to me
in a song. How looked for response,
and how it failed to come. Mr.. Byrd
was ut your ear and you listened to
doubts which held you back, and when
you did break away from him and seek
me, it was to find that l hearkened to
the voice Of another wooer, who asked
of me nothing, and promised me all
things.
"Can you not foresee the rest? How
the love which had succumbed to yoIt
Indifference rose triumphant again, at
this evidence of your continued a1fec'
ton. / had jeopardized my happiness,
but l determined to regain 1t at any
cost. Nothing should or could stand
In the way of what had now become
my one passionate desire. / wrote to
Mr.. Degraw. l took the one means
knew whereby not only would obtain
a full release from my engagement but
insure likewise his acceptance of the
gift which he never would have given
me had he recognized my real unworth'
mess. l confessed to him my love for
you, and l confessed, also, my share in
the plot.
at was a fatal act-how fatal i'm
mediately perceived when my impetu-
osity led me to your studio, and we had
that interview so unhappily interrupt
ed by Hilary. If the suspicious Of the
police had been aroused in regard to
me, how mad had been the impulse
which had led me to put upon paper
words that could justify their suspi-
cions and make possible the detection
Of my duplicity. Though it seemed too
late to profit by this discovery of my
FOLLY, made one frantic effort to do 50.
I rode back home and endeavored to
stop the delivery of my letter, but
failed in this, and Mr.. Degraw not only
read the story of my deception, but by
some treachery or some mischance
which he could not himself explain,
this letter was stolen from him almost
immediately after his reading 1t, so
that my secret was no longer at his
mercy only, but at the mercy Of the
world, and, what was worse, Of you.
"Do you understand now the frenzy
which drove me into asking You to
marry me that night, or how l could
hardly subdue my fears when you re-
quested time to notify your mother?
Detection lay before me, and l had
neither the strength to meet 1t nor the
courage to forestall it by telling you
what would shatter your love at a
blow. For though Mr.. Degraw urged
me to this course, measuring your ma
ture, perhaps, by his own, which is af-
fectionate rather than passionate, and
tenacious rather than proud, I, who
knew you better than he, felt that
death must precede any confession OF
my past deception to you.