Twice-a-week plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1895-1913, 1907-09-27
CHAPTER xxx.

1T Is only your word that I ask
your solemn word to me that you are
innocent"
IF you don't believe in me, what's
the use of giving you my solemn word 2
can't prove 1t and never could. The
evidence was too strong"
ut would have been stronger stilP'-
The voice stopped short.
"Well?"
IF I had told them all you said to
ME that very night, that very hourr'
The voice was no longer scornful.
Even to Peggy 1t seemed to falter and
to tremble with the pent up agony of
years. But Toms tone did not change.
II know that" he said bitterly. 81
have always known that you had more
reason than anybody in the world to
think me guilty. Yet 1 would rather
you had thought me innocent and let
me die than saved my life to show me
| what you still think after all these
months. My cup has been pretty full,
but that's the bitterest drop"
"And still you won't deny It," per
sisted the girl Il am ready to take
your word, yet you will not give It"
whats the use?" he asked. "What
difference could it make, even suppos-
| ing you believed mel"
"All the difference to me-" was the
quick but low reply. ut would alter
every thing everything. Can't you see
that it mustY'
mo; it Is too late to alter anything
at ALL"
| Yet his voice shook In It's turn.
100 late? Too late2" 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 l cannoty' he cried out.
| Because II am not an innocent man.
am not-I am not-I am not! And
now leave me-leave mo, say, for
Gods sake! Never you pity me again"
Almost from shout his voice died
down to a whisper. The last words
were hardly audible outside. But they
were followed by 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 1t, 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 were
| still extended In some unfinished ges-
ture. A glimmer of sunshine glanced
off the waters and pointed the cruel
/ contrast between the lined face and
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 diff
ference to her. To Peggy 1t 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 IL she could not push the other
woman's nearer yet.
She reached the house, and nobody
was In the way. Lady Starkie was
1 Lott t,, o1.fo
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.
II beg pardon, miss, but was Thomas
not in the boat shed? It's sorry am
! If sent We on a FOOLS errand-savin'
your presence, miss!''
! mo; he was there"
"An' did he refuse ye?"
"No-I-changed my mind"
| "Glory be to God, miss! IT'S me-
self would let M know t II he gave
any Of his sauce to the masther's lady.
I'd have no more to do wild IN at ALL"
Claire turned pale.
you would have no more to do with
him?" said she very slowly. II don't
understand you.'
"Sure an how would your He
wouldn't be afther tellIn' lady like
you."
Telling me what, my good girl7"
She was trembling now.
"He came to the factory last week,
miss. Yell niyer guess why-to choose
q wife,"
"a wife!
can it's me he chose you ask the
masther 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
UNANIMOUSLY for the first time. He
could not understand 1t at NIL. She
had left the boat shed with a very DIFF
ferent mien. What could she have
found out since then? That he had
lpurposely misled her for her own
good? That was impossible. Yet he
knew SO we'll 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.