The Mitchell capital. (Mitchell, Dakota [S.D.]) 1879-1918, 1908-07-24

which she had used me to persuade
stead OF the Santon road No doubt she
had told Clarence to follow In that di-
r%ection. If by any chance WI escaped
him on he island. And her despair
when she heard in the church porch
That l had killed Clarence at the ford!
poor guilty thing-when h thought
that all her devices had only led her
With us to a dreadful death! These
things, in the light in which I now
viewed them. were cogent evidences
against her.
one about u.s." said the duchess at
length. To some one in our conf
dence. On our side of the door, as he
calls IT."
Yes: hat is certain" I said.
M,s And on The wrapper he styles her
Who could 1t have been? That ia
the question we have to answer" Mas
ter BERTHE replied dryly. Hearing his
voice, I knew he had come at last to
the same conclusion to which I had
Jumped. II think o may dismiss the
tinued. The bishop Of Winchester
would scarcely write to them in that
style.'
Dismiss the servants? Then who is
left?" she protested.
:! He lost courage. hesitate
n broke of. She looked at him Won
deringly. He turned to me. and xainfn9
confirmation from my nod began again.
Il think I should ask A. b" he
said. 0
a B-?" she cried, still, not
seeing one whit.
tVQS. Ar,o p..nI--p
sternly.
she repeated his words softly and
stood a moment gazing at him. In that
moment h saw it all. She sat down
suddenly on the chair beside her and
~shuddered violently, as IL she had laid
ner hand unwittingly upon a snake.
horrible!' ~
II fear 1t is too true" he answered
sloomfly.
I shrank from looking at them, from
meeting her eyes or his. I felt as IL
.ils shame had come upon us all. The
hought that the culprit might walk
n the room at any ONE filled me
Win terror. 1 turned away and looked
through the window, leaving the hl1s-
band n wife together.
is 1t only the name you are think
ing OFF," she muttered.
No" he answered. Before T LEFT
England to go to Calais I saw some
thing pass between them-between her
Clarence-which surprised me.
Only in the confusion of those last
days 1t slipped from my memory for
the time. NA
lain,." A"e viz
Looking back upon the events of the
last week. 1 found many things made
plain by the lurid light now cast unon
them. 1 understood how Master Lind
strom's vase had come to be broken
when we We're discussing the letter.
which. in my hands. must have been a
perpetual terror to the girl. L discerned
That she had purposely sown dissen-
sion between myself and Van Tree and
recalled how she had striven to per-
suade us not to leave the island; then
how she had induced US to take that
u,nlucky road, finally how on the road
hef morse had Jagged and Jagged be-
hlnd, OBTAINING US all when every min
ute was precious. The things all dove
talled into one another. Each by itself
snan weak. but together they formed a
enough for the hanging of a Il
she a been a man! The others ap-
pealed to me, the duchess feyerishiv
anxious to be assured one way or the
other. The very suspicion Of the exist
enee Of sueh t%reachery at her side
Of the window, I detailed the proofs I
nave mentioned, not gladly, heaven
knows. or in any spirit of revenge. but
my duty was rather to my companions
Who had been true to me, thar to her
told them the truth as far as I knew
1t. The whole, wretched, miserable
truth was only to become known to me
later. Aie
II will go to her" the duchess said
presently, rising from her seat.
NJ dear!" her husband cried. He
stretched out his hand. and graspine
her skirt detained her. You will not
DC not be afraid!'' she replied sadly
as she stopped we him and kissed his
forehead. TT is a thing past scoldings
Richard. past love, and even hone. and
all but past pity. I will be mercif,1I
as we hope for mercy, but she can
never be a friend Of ours again. and
some one must tell her. 1 will do so
n return. AS for that mani" she
continued, %obscuring suddenly the fair
noble sides of her character which
she had just exhibited. M which. I
confess. had surprised me, for I had NOT
thought her capable of a generosity so
uncommon. las for that man" she
repeated. drawing herself to her full
height. while her eyes sparkled and
her cheeks grew red, who ha,
turned her into a vile schemer and
a shameless hyprocite, as he would
fam have turned better women, I
Will show him no mercy nor grace il I
ever have him under my feet. I will.
crush hin as 1 would an adder. though
L be crushed next oment myself,"
(Contisued Next Wesk.l
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