Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1908-10-01

was that ward of whose coming he had
learned. Moreau was a good friend to
have warned him. Was she part of q
plan Of reprisal-her presence there a
tentative threat to him? Could his ia
Their mean to adopt her? Might that
great house. those grounds, the bulk of
his wealth. go to her, and he, the son,
be left in the cold? He shivered. Per-
haps he had stayed away too long!
AS he turned again. he heard a sound
in the hall. He listened. A light step
was approaching-the swish of a gown.
With a sudden impulse he stepped into
the embrasure Of the window, as the
figure of a girl paused at the door. He
felt his face flush. She had thrown a
crimson kimono over her white night
gown, and the apparition seemed to
part the dusk of the doorway like the
red breast of a robin. She held in her
hands a bunch of the pale Marechal
Mel roses, and his eye caught the long
rebellious sweep of her bronze hair
and the rosy tint of bare feet through
the worsted meshes of her night Slip
pers.
To his wonder the sight Of the light
eel room seemed to cause her no sur
prise. For an instant she stood still as
though listening. then entered and
placed the roses in a vase on a reading
stand by the bedside.
Hugh gasped. To reach the stand
the girl had passed the spot where he
Cfnod hl1t cha hol fol-or
him. Her gaze had gone by him as if
he had been empty air. Then he real
lied the truth; Jessica Holme was
blind! Moreau's letter had given him
no lnkllng of that. So this was the
girl with whom his father now threat
ened him! Was she counting on his
not coming back, waiting for the wind
fall! She was blind-but she was
beautiful! Suppose he We're to turn
the tables OF the old man. not onlv
climb back into his good graces through
her, but even
The thin line on his brow sprane
suddenly scarlet. What a supple,
graceful arlm she had! How adroit her
fingers as they arranged the rose
stems! Was he already wholly black
ened in her opinion? What did she
think of him? Why did she bring
those flowers to that empty room?
Could it have been she who had kept
it clean and fresh and unaltered against
his return? A confident, daring look
grew in his eyes. He wished she could
see him in that purple tie and velvet
smoking jacket. What an opportunity
for a romantic self justification!
Should he speak? Suppose it should
brighten her.
Chance answered him. His respira.
ton had conveyed to her the knowl-
edge of a presence in the room. He
heard her draw a quick breath. "Some
n is here!!' she whispered.
He started forward. "Wait, waltz
he said in a loud whisper as she
sprang back. But the voice seemed to
startle her the more, and before he
could reach her side she was gone. He
heard her flying steps descend the stair
and the opening and closing of a door.
The sudden flight Jared Hugh's
pleasurable sense of novelty. He thrust
his hands deep into his pockets. Now
he was in for it. She would alarm the
house, rouse the servants. He should
have a staring domestic audience for
the imminent reconciliation his sobered
sense told him was so necessary.
Struggling his shoulders. he went
quickly down the stair to the library.
He had known exactly what he
should see there-the vivid g.Il With
the hue of fright in her cheeks, the
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