The Richmond palladium. (Richmond, Ind.) 1906-1907, 1907-01-14

r1.~-.-.G-s-.-css-e-.-a< s-.-s-ss.-s-..ess-. $500.
| night he had never thought o. Comp
| ing them. Indeed the fascination which
| beamed from Amabel Pages far from
regular countenance had put all other
faces out of his mind. but now as he
surveyed the two the candor and puri-
ty which marked Agnes features came
out SO strongly under his glance that
| the countenance of Amabel lost its
| charms. and he hastily drew his young
neighbor away.
Amabel noted the movement and
| smiled. She had no fears of Agnes
Halliday.
Perhaps she might have felt less con-
fidence if she could have seen the short
glances he cast his old playmate as
they proceeded slowly down the road.
Not that there was any passion in
them. He was too full of care for
that, but the curiosity which could
prompt him to turn his head a dozen
times in the course of so short walk
to see why Agnes Halliday held her
face so persistently away from him
had an element of feeling in it that
was more or less significant. AS FOR
Agnes, she was so unlike her accus-
toned self as to astonish even herself.
Whereas she had never before walked
dozen steps with him without in
dulging in some sharp saying, she
found herself disinclined to speak at
ALL much less speak lightly. In mu-
tual silence, then, they reached the
gateway leading into the Halliday
grounds. But Agnes. having passed In.
they both stopped and for the first
time looked squarely at each other.
Her eyes fell first perhaps because his
had changed In his contemplation Of
her. He smiled as he saw this and in
a half careless, half wistful tone said
quietly:
agnes, what would you think Of
man who. after having committed lit
tie else but folly all his life, suddenly
made up his mind to turn absolutely
toward the right and to pursue it in
face Of every obstacle and every dis
couragementY
'I should think" she slowly replied,
with one quick lift of her eyes toward
his face, that he had entered upon
the noblest effort Of which man is ca
pable and-the hardest l should have
great sympathy for that man, Fred
erick."
would your" he said. recalling ANA
bells face with bitter aversion as he
gazed into the womanly countenance
he had hitherto sighted as uninterest-
ing. "It is the first kind word you
have ever given me, Agnes. Possibly
1t is the first I have ever deserved"
And without another word he doffed
his hat, saluted her and vanished down
the hillside.
She remained, remained SO long that
1t was nearly 8 o'clock when she en-
tered the family parlor. AS she came
in her mother looked up and was star
tied at her unaccustomed pallor.
why, Agnes" cried her mother,
what is the matter?"
Her answer was inaudible. What
was the matter? She dreaded, even
feared. to ask herself.
Meantime strange scene was taking
place in the woods toward which she
had seen Frederick go. The moon.
which was particularly bright that
night, shone upon a certain hollow
where a huge tree lay. Around it the
underbrush was thick and the shadow
dark, but in this especial place the
opening was large enough for the rays
to enter freely. Into this circlet Of
light Frederick Sutherland had come.
Alone and without the restraint i'm
posed upon him by watching eyes he
showed a countenance so wan and full
of trouble that it was well it could not
be seen by either of the two women
whose thoughts were at that moment
fixed upon him. To Amabel it would
have given throb of selfish hope,
while to Agnes it would have brought
a pang of despair which might have
somewhat too suddenly interpreted to
her the mystery of her own sensations.
He had bent at once to the hollow
space made by the outspreading roots
just mentioned and was feeling with
an air Of confidence along the ground
for something he had every reason to
expect to find when the shock of sud-
den distrust seized him. and he flung
himself down in terror, feeling and
and broken twigs until full realiza-
ton Of his misfortune reached him,
and he was obliged to acknowledge
that the place was empty.
Overwhelmed at his loss, aghast at
the consequences it must entail upon
him, he rose in a trembling sweat,
crying out in his anger and dismay:
"She has been here! She has taken
it!' And realizing for the first time
the subtlety and strength of the an
pitted against him he forgot
his new resolutions and even that old
promise to Agatha Webb and uttered
oath after oath, cursing himself, the
woman and what she had done until
a casual glance at the heavens over
head, in which the liquid moon hung
calm and beautiful, recalled him to
himself. Ceasing his vain repinings
and silenciHg with a fierce but de-
termined effort the fierce demon in his
breast he turned from the unhallowed
spot and made his way with deeper
and deeper misgivings toward a home
made hateful to him now by the pres |
ence of the woman who was thus bent |
upon his ruin.
He understood her now. He rated at |
Its full value both her determination |
and her power, and had she been SO |
as to have carried her i'm /
prudence to the point of surprising him |
at thar moment in one of the hOlIoxvS /