The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1907-05-27

ing you believed me?
All the difference to me- was the
quick but low reply. 1T would alter
everything everything. Can't you see
that it mustT'
NO: it is too late to alter anything
at ALL
Yet his voice shook in its turn.
.'Too late: Too late?" cried the girl
wildly. Nothing is too late If you are
innocent. Speak, Tom. Why don't
You speak: Oh, Tom, 1t would alter
all our lives. yet you will not speak
Because / cannot he cried out.
Because IL am not an innocent man.
I am mott am mott am not, And
now leave me-Ieave me, I say, for
Gods sake, Never you pity me again
Almost from a shout his voice died
down to a whisper. The last words
were hardly audible outside. But they
were followed by a silence so heavy
that Peggy O'Brien heard herself
breathing and thought she must be
heard within. And then came the
sound of light. unsteady steps retreat
ing, and nothing more-not another
sound within.
The silence appalled, Peggy. At last,
when she could no longer bear it, she
crept over the soft sand to the mouth
of the shed and peered round the cor
ner He was standing within as the
other woman had left him. He had
never stirred. His open hands We're
still extended in some unfinished ges-
ture. A glimmer of sunshine glanced
off the waters and pointed the cruel
nd
the yellow hair thrown proudly back
from 1.-THE one SO aged, the other so
boyish. And his eyes-they seemed
still to be pouring tenderness and
strength upon the other woman. They
never saw this one at all.
She stole away, loving him more
than ever But must not the other one
too? She had seen the same look
had won it-but his crime made a diff
ference to her. To Peggy it made
none She neither knew nor cared
what it was, and there lay her slight
advantage. 1t was too slight. She
loved him, but so much the other.
Her love lay near to hate. She would
see If she could not push the other
woman's nearer yet.
She reached the house, and nobody
was in the way Lady Starkie was
writing letters in the breakfast room.
Peggy was soon listening at the other
woman's door-listening to her sobs.
She compressed her lips and nodded
to herself with splendid confidence. At
length there fell silence, in which
Peggy knocked and entered.
Il beg pardon, miss, but was Thomas
not IN the boat shed? It's sorry 1 am
If I sent We On a FOOLS errand-savin'
your presence, missi'
mo; he was there"
can did he refuse yep
"No-I-changed my mind"
GLORY be to God, miss! It's me-
self would let m know t IL he gave
any of his sauce to the masther's lady.
I'd have no more to do wild m at ALL"
Claire turned pale.
''You would have no more to do with
him." said she very slowly. Il don't
you"
''Sure an how would you? He
wouldn't be afther tellin' a lady like
you"
'TeIling me what, my good girl?"
She was trembling now.
HE came to the factory last week,
miss. Yell niver guess why-to choose
a wife,
"a wife,
"An' it's me he chose-you ask the
when he comes back
The master came back in time for
lunch. He found Claire on the veran
da with white face and an angry
eye. loudly declaring she felt another
being
Tom heard and saw her and waited
for the first time. He
could not understand it at all. She
had left the boat shed with a very diff
ferent mien. What could she have
found out since then? That he had
fnisled her for her own
good? That was impossible. Yet he
knew so well from her proud. averted
face that Claire had discovered some
thing fresh against him. Whatever
that discovery might be, however. it
was destined not to be her last that
day.
They were still at luncheon when
Peggy burst into the room.
NAT Sullivan an the thrapsr' she
gasped. Its afther Tom they are an
1 tould IN he absconded last night.
Oh, sir, say that same, for Ginger's
there, too, an there's the blood in their
eyesr'
Here was a bombshell from the least
quarter. at the least expected
time. Tom felt the blood rush to his
face, draining his heart, but he stood
his ground until Daintree ordered him
put of the way of the windows. Claire
sat motionless. Lady Starkie was less
calm. But Daintree rose up from the
table with perfect but ostentatious
and he patted Peggy on the
back as a party of horsemen rode in
front of the veranda.
'Quite right. my girl" cried he
They shall not lay finger on him.
Never you fear. He has me at his
back, and so have you" With that he
strutted through the French windows,
his napkin and quite de-
lighted at the prospect of little 81
display of power, gener-
,sity and laudable cunning before so
select an audience.
'Sorry to trouble you, SIR" said
7oice. but I believe you have an as
signed convict here Of the name OF