The Breckenridge news. (Cloverport, Ky.) 1876-1955, 1908-09-16

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 a 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 Bansemer's father had kept
her purposely blind to the inevitable.
Her womans intuition long since had
convinced her that Graydon was not
like his father. She knew him to be
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 a purpose after all
an unfathomable, selfish design which
none could fOrestall. She knew him for
all that he was. In that knowledge she
felt II slight timid sense of power. He
stood for honor so far as his son was
concerned. In fair play she could ex-
pose him if he sought to expose her. y
But all cOnjectures all fears, paled
into insignificance with the one great
terror-what would James Bansemer
do in the end? What would he do at
the last minute to prevent the mar
riage of his son and this child Of UNI
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 upon
her arm, could hear his sbilant whis-
per. Now she found herself face to
face with the crisis Of all these years.
Her only hope lay in the thought that
neither could afford the scandal Of an
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 her
daughter to marry him. In this in
stance she could not say him nay. The
venom of James Bansemer in that
event would have no measure of pity.
In her heart she prayed that death
might come to her aid in the destruc-
ton of James Bansemer.
1t was not until she heard Graydon
coming up the stairs that the solution
flashed into her brain. If Jane became
the wife of this cherished son James
Bansemer's power was gonel His lips
would be sealed forever She laughed
aloud in the frenzy of hope She
laughed to think what a fool she would
have been to forbid the marriage. The
marriage? Her salvation! Jane found
her almost hysterical, trembling like .
a leaf. She was obliged to confess y
that she had heard part Of their CONVEX
sation below In order to account for
her manner. When Jane confided to
her that she had promised to marry
Graydon in September-or June-she
urged her to avoid long engagement.
She could say no more than that.
Now she sat limp before the two
men, a wan smile straying from one
to the other, exhausted by her sup
pressed emotions. Suddenly, without a
word, she held out her hand to Gray
don. In her deepest soul she loved
this manly, strong hearted young fell
low. She knew, after ALL he was wor-
thy of the best woman in tile land.
'You know" cried Graydon, clasp
ing her hand, his eyes glistening. "Jane
has told you? And you-you think me
worthyT
LSSt 0AUJ NOA SOu dAO WI NY
She looked long into his eyes, search
ing for a trace Of the rnalevolence that
glowed in those of his father. They
were fair and honest and sweet, and
she smiled to herself She wondered
what his mother had been like.
"Then | may have herr" he cried.
She looked up at her husband, and he
nodded his head
"Our little girl" he murmured. 1t
all came back to her like a fash. Her
deception, her imposition, her years Of
stealth-and she shuddered. Her hand
trembled, and her eyes grew wide witbk
ranuRnance as thew turned again uDon