Dakota farmers' leader. (Canton, S.D.) 1890-19??, 1907-04-05

you are nervous it will not make you feel
safe"
Madame Midas glanced at the window.
ITS so hot" she said, plaintiyely, Il
will get no sleep. Can't you manage to
fix it up, so that I can leave it open?"
I'll try" answered Selma, and she un-
dressed her mistress and put her to bed,
then proceeded to fix up n kind of burglar
trap The bed was a four-poster, with
heavy crimson curtains, and the top was
pushed against the wall, near the window.
The curtains of the window and those of
the bed prevented any draught blowing
in; and directly in front of the window
Selma set n small wood table, so that any
one who tried to enter would throw 1t
over, and thus put the sleeper on the alert.
On this she put a night light, a book, in
case Madame should wake up and want to
read, and n glass of homemade lemonade.
for a night drink. Then she locked the
other window and drew the curtains and,
after going into Kitty's room. which open
ed off the larger one, and fixing up the
one window there in the same way, she
prepared to retire, but Madame stopped
her.
you must stay all night with me, Sc
lima she said, irritably. II can't be left
alone"
Selma slept on the outside Of the bed,
and Madame having a sense of security
from being with some one, slumbered
calmly; so the night wore drowsily on,
and nothing could be heard but the
steady ticking of the clock and the heavy
breathing of the two women.
A sleepy servant admitted Kitty when
she came home from the ball. Kitty found
Madame's door ajar, and went in softly,
fearful lest she might wake her. She
did not know that Selma was in the room,
and as she heard the steady breathing Of
the sleepers, she concluded that Madame
was asleep, and resolved to go quietly
into her own room without disturbing the
sleeper. Just near the door was a long
chevral glass, and Kitty caught sight of
herself in it, wan and spectral-looking in
her white dress, and, as she let the heavy
blue cloak fall from her shoulders, a per-
feet shower Of apple blossoms were shaken
on to the floor. Her hair had come un-
done from it's sleek, smooth plaits. and
now hung like a veil over her shoulders.
She looked closely Mt herself in the glass,
and her face looked worn and haggard
in the din light.
He was going to marry Madame Midas
the man who had ruined her life; he
would tell her all the false tales he had
told her. He would look into her eyes
with his own, and she would be unable to
see the treachery and guile hidden in their
depths. She could not stand it. False
friend, false husband, he had been, but
to see him married to another-no, it
was too much. And yet what could she
do? A woman in love believes no i'll of
the man she adores, and If she was to
fnl1 N1oIar, ATf1ne al .h- ,ua-Jl - -
believed. All! it was useless to fight
against fate, it was too strong for her,
so she would nave to suffer in silence, and
see them happy.
How still the house was; not a sound
but the ticking of the clock in the hall.
The dawn reddens family in the east and
the chill morning breeze comes up from
the south, salt with the odors of the
ocean. All what is that? a scream-a
womnn's voice-then another, and the bell
rings furiously. The frightened servants
collect from all parts of the house. The
bell sounds from the bedroom of Mrs.
Villiers, and having ascertained this they
all rush in. What a sight meets their
eyes. Kitty Marehrust, still in her bali
dress, ~clinging convulsively to the chair
Madame Midas, pale but calm, ringing
the bell and on the bed, with one arm
hanging over, lies Selma Sprotts-dead
The table near the bed was overturned on
the floor, and the glass and the night lamp
both lie smashed to pieces on the carpet.
"Send for q doctor at once" cried Mad
anne, letting go the bell rope and crossing
to the window "Selina has had a fit of
some sort.
Startled servant goes out to stables and
wa kaS I'M tho proppnS ono IF 1yhnp, 10 coor
on horseback riding for dear life to DIR.
Chinston. Clatter-clatter along in the
keen morning air; a few workmen on
their way to work gaze in surprise at this
furious rider. Luckily, the doctor lives in
st. Kilda, and being awakened out of his
sleep, dresses himself quickly, and taking
the groom's horse, rides back to Mrs. VII
liers' house. He dismounts, enters the
house, then the bedroom. Kitty, pale
inc wan, is seated in the chair; the win
dow curtains are drawn, and the cold
light of day pours into the room, while
Madame Midas is kneeling beside the
corpse, with all the servants around her.
DIR. Chinston lifts the arm it falls Imply
down. The face is CHASTITY white, the
eyes staring there is a streak of foam on
the tightly clenched mouth. The doctor
puts his land on the heart-not a throb
he closes the staring eyes reverently and
turns to the kneeling woman and the
frightened servants.
"She is dead" he says briefly, and or
ders them to leave the room. ."vhen did
this occur, Mrs. Villiers? 2" he asked, when
the room had been cleared and only him
self, Madame and Kitty remained.
II can't tell YOU" replied Madame,
weeping; 'she was all right last night
when we went to bed, and she stayed all
night with me because l was nervous. /
slept sound!y, when 1 was awakened by n
cry and saw Kitty standing beside the bed
and Selma in commissions; then she be-
came quite still and lay like that till you
came. What is the cause ~
"Apoplexy," replied the doctor, doubt
fully; "at least, Judging from the symp-
toms but perhaps Miss Marchurst can
tell us when the attack came on"
He turned to Kitty, who was SILVER
ing in the chair and looked so pale that
Madame Midas went over to her to see
what was the matter. The girl, however,
shrank away with a cry as the elder wom-
an approached, and rising to her feet
moved unsteadily toward the doctor.
You say She" pointing to the body,
died Of apoplexy?"
EYES," ne answered, CURLY. 'all the
symptoms of apoplexy are there"
you are wrong!v' gasped Kitty, laying
her hand on his arm, sit is poison ~
Poison ~ echoed Madame and the doc
tor in surprise.
sListen." said Kitty. quickly. ~nul,;nr