Heppner gazette. [volume] (Heppner, Morrow County, Or.) 1892-1912, 1907-09-12

| anybody who tries to open their eyes. II
would only make her very unhappy, and
she would still go on her own way"
"'Tis like enough" said Fraser, but
he smiled inefiably. and shook his head
with a wonderful blending of complacen-
cy and pity. where's the poor deluded
thing livin'?' he asked, smilingly
Lucy told him, and he wagged his head
up and down, this time with a smile that
had suggestion of anticipatory triumph
in it. Very shortly afterward he took
his leave and all the way home he smiled.
Home reached, he sat down at his desk
and wrote this letter:
My Dear Madame-If leave this let
ter unsigned it is not because desire to
shelter myself behind the shield of dark
ness which the writer of libel occasionally
finds useful 1t is because | know enough
of human nature to be aware of the fact
that an unsigned communication Is al
ways read and remembered. If you will
show this to Mr.. Hector O'Rourke-if
you feel that your happiness in any way
depends upon it-why he resigned his
pretensions to the hand of Miss Butler, OF
Houfoy, near Janenne. Ask him why he
quarreled with his friend Mr. Maskelyne,
and why he does not repay that gentle
man the money he owes him. Ask him
who wrote this letter, and why the writer
is His Implacable Enemy"
'Postscriptum.-You may tell Mr..
O'Rourke that if he chooses to seek an
exposure in the law courts, | shall not
shrink from the ordeal, or deny my hand
writing, which he knows as well as l
means. Also"
''I'll teach the sneaking villain to play
false with me-" said Fraser. There's
nothing sneaking in that anyway he
added, surveying his own work admirinS-
ly.
And with this conclusion he walked
out and with his own hands posted the
letter.
Mrs. Spry had taken, for what re-
mained of the season, small furnished
house in Park Lane. Fraser had written
and posted his letter on a Wednesday af-
ternoon. and on the evening of that same
Wednesday Mrs. Spry had been dressed
with unusual care and splendor She had
dined alone rather early, and after din
ner had surrendered herself to the hands
of her maid with full intent to look her
best, for she was certain to meet Hector
in the course of the evening. and was
quite resolved to eclipse any possible
rival
While she was at the very flush OF
these fances her maid brought her Fra
ser's letter. If the writer of the letter
had known what he was dong he would
certainly have spared her, for though he
was thck-skinned. and upon occasion
thick headed enough, he was by no means
a brute. and only a brute could willfully
and knowingly have tortured anything,
as Fraser now tortured his enemy's
fancee. He had shot his arrow at his
foe without so much as thinking that it
must pass through this feeble and tender
bosom before it could reach him.
Mrs Spry read the letter with help
less terror and dismay. Her little white
teeth clicked with hysteric passion, and
her little white hands clinched and shook
before her so dreadfully that the maid
was scared, and retreated before her. She
cast herself anew upon the couch with
all her costly finery crumpled and disar-
ranged, and cried herself into mood
of stony disregard for everything. 1t took
nearly an hour to do this. and by the1
time it was done the big eyes were all
puffed and swollen, and her cheeks were
scalded with tears.
When" gasped the little woman final
ly-"when did this Gomez?
This afternoon, madam" responded
the maid.
Order the carriage :" cried Mrs. Spry,
hastily gathering her opera cloak, fan
and glasses in a reckless handful She
snatched the letter from the table and
faced the maid, painting.
"The carriage is waiting" the maid
replied ''but really, ma'am@"
Ito be continued)