The Grangeville globe. [volume] (Grangeville, Idaho) 1907-1922, 1908-11-04

"Don't-don't mind. dear" he said |
hoarsely. 1T had to come Sit down, |
do. There. Good Lord, Frances, If |
you cry now I'll-I'n go all to smashr
He sat down abruptly on the arm of |
the big leather chair into which she |
had sunk Imply. Something seemed |
to choke him. and his fingers went
nerv ously to his collar. Before them
stood the straight, strong figure of the
man who was to have Jane forever.
Neither of them-nor Jane-knew
what Frances Gable had suffered dur
ing the last hour She accidentally had
heard the words which passed between
the lovers in the den downstairs. She
was prepared when Jane came to her
with the news later on, but that prep
aration had cost her more than any of
them ever could know.
Lying back in chair after she had
almost crept to her room, she stared
white faced and frightened at the cell
ing until it became peopled with her
wretched thoughts. All along she had
seen what was coming. The end was
inevitable. Love as it grew for then.
had known no regard for her misery.
She could not have prevented its
growth; she could not now Illustrate its
elimination, and yet as she sat there
and stared into the past and the future
she knew that it was left for her to
drink of the cup which they were fill
ing-the cup of their JOY and of her
bitterness
Fear of exposure at the hand of
Graydon Ransemer's father had kept
her purposely blind to the inevitable.
Her woman's intuition long since had
convinced her that Graydon was not
like his father. She knew him to be
i honorable, noble, fair and worthy.
/ Long and often had she wondered at
/ James Bansemer's design in permitting
his son to go to the extreme point in
relation with Jane. AS she sat there
and suffered it came to her that the
man perhaps had purpose after all
an unfathomable, selfish design which
all that he was. In that knowledge she
felt Il slight, timid sense of power. He
stood for honor SO far rs his son was
concerned. In fair play she could ex-
pose him if he sought to expose her
But all conjectures, all fears. paled
into insignifcance with the one great
terror-what would James Bansemel
do in the end? What would he do al
the last minute to prevent the mar
riage of his son and this child of un
known parentage? What was to be his
tribute to the final scene In the drama
She knew that he was tightening his
obnoxious coils about her all the time
Even now she could feel his hand upor
her arm, could hear his sibilant whis
per. Now she found herself face tt
face with the crisis of all these years
neither could afford the scandal of al
open declaration. Bansemer was mer
CHESS, and he was no fool.
Knowing Graydon to be the son of {
scoundrel, she could under ordinary
circumstances have forbidden he
daughter to marry him. In this in
stance she could not say him nay. Thu
venom Of James Bansemer in tina
event would have no measure of pity
In her heart she prayed that dealt
might come to her aid in the destruc
ton Of James Bansemer.
1t was not until she heard Graydol
coming up the stairs that the solutol
I flashed into her brain. If Jane becam
> the wife of this cherished son Jane
Bansemer's power was gone! His lip
: would be sealed forever. She laughe'
aloud in the frenzy of hope. Sh
laughed to think what fool she woul
have been to forbid the marriage. Th
marriage? Her salvation! Jane foun
her almost hysterical. trembling Xix
/ a leaf. She was obliged to comics
that she had heard part of their CONVEX
I sation below in order to account TO
d her manner. When Jane con6ded t
J her that she had promised to MARI
n Graydon in September-or June-sf
urged her to avoid long engagement