Northern Wisconsin advertiser. [volume] (Wabeno, Wis.) 1898-1925, 1907-03-07
CHAPTER xxi.

CHAPTER xxi.
In the first moment of the dis
coyery the sensation of horror seem
ed to turn Guilford Berton to stone,
and as he knelt leaning shrinking as
far back as he could from the still
body, 1t almost looked as if the hand
OF death had touched him too.
The silence was terrible; the very
dimness of the room. in which the
only light was that of the murky lam
tern, lent an additional terror to the
moment.
He had not intended to murd ar
her; ne told himself so over and over
again in those dreadful minutes. He
had intended supplying her only. and
SO preventing her leaving the house
until he had hit upon some plan for
stopping her from carrying out her
threat OF denouncing him. At college
he had dabbed in chemistry. and the
science, especially in its relations to
subtle poisons. mad a strange fascina-
ton for him. He loved power, ana
| to possess a drug the very efIIuyia OF
which should be sufficient to over
power an adversary had a strange
weird charm for him. He was proud
OF the discovery of the drug which
could do this horrible work so SWIFT
| ly, silently, and surely.
lie had not meant to kill her: and
now she lay dead at his feet,
Gradually the benumbed feeling
passed away, and he began to shake
in every limb. and a terrible craving
to look at her face possessed him.
Crawling on his hands and knees.
he lifted her head-shuddering as his
hands touched her-and looked at
her.
Her facet-he face ned had once
thought so pretty, which ne had once
and so short time ago, almost per-
suaded himself that he loved-seem
ed to look up at him Ieproachfully.
1t was white with the whiteness OF
death, but SO placid so peaceful that
it might have been the face of a per-
son asleep.
With cry that was scarcely a-cry
so much as wall, he put the head
| down and staggered to his feet.
No man is born bad, no mau is
wholly wicked. At that awful mo-
ment Guilford Berton would have re-
linquished all his ambitions, if by 50
doing he could bring Becca to life
again. He threw himself into a
chair, and, fiinging his arms out upon
the table let his head fall upon them,
and surrendered himself to the de-
mon Of. remorse, not penitence. which
Is very different thing.
| Presently the dead heavy silence
began to weigh upon him like heavy
weight; CHASTITY desire to leap TO
his feet and break the stiffness with
a yell assaulted him: and. feeling that
his reason was going, he staggered
clumsily to the decanter, and. lifting
ii to his lips with shaking hands.
drained it to the last drop.
The wine stadied him a little ana
he tried to think For some time his
brain spun round to the dull. sicken-
| ing tune of She's dead, she's dead."
| but presently his mind grew clearer.
How long she had been lying there
he did not know--it seemed hours TO
him; but he knew that the daylight
would be peering through the holes
in the window shutters directly and
that the old woman who waited upon
him would be coming down,
The deed was done beyond all an
doing. and If he did not want to be
caught like a rat in a trap he must
get rid of the body.
He got TO the further end OF the
room, as far away from IL as possible
and. clasping his forehead which was
cold as ice. with his hands that burn
ed with fever heat he tried to think.
What should he dos For one mo-
ment wild idea occurred TO him of
sounding an alarm. and accounting
Tor the presence Of the dead girl by
saving she had fallen down In a fit
But the strnge oder stll chung about
the room. and even me village doc.
tor would he possessed OF sufficient
knowledge to contradict such an as.
serticn.
He tried TO recall ali the stories h.
had read of men who had been placed
In similarly dreadful position, but
he could think OF no case parable;
with his own.
AT last he seized the lantern and.