Ladysmith news-budget. [volume] (Ladysmith, Rusk County, Wis.) 1907-1927, 1908-08-20

The Honor of
Nurse Joyce


possess. Demitri was a Russian to
the backbone, and it still remains true
that if you scratch Russian you find
a Tartar.
When Sir Maxwell informed him
that the secret on which the gigantic
success of the Sisterson business was
based was known to Nurce Joyce, and
saw what was plainly in the mind of
the head of his house. he would have
at once agreed with the view that she
was a dangerous person, from whom
the possibility of passing on that Sc
cret should be taken by the most final
of measures, if he had not admired
her 1t made a difference, but the diff
ference was mot great enough to cause
him long to hesitate as to what
should be done with her Dead men
and dead women tell no tales. 1t
seemed to him that Sir Maxwell was
justified in desiring her removal"
And yet he admired the girl-and, in
deed, was not far from being deep in
love with her. He was between two
fires.
it was necessary; it was fate; there
was no other way. It was useless to
urge in her defense that she was
woman, and. therefore, that the
knowledge she had acquired would
not be of any disservice to the Sis
tersons, for If she We're allowed to
live she would marry and, as mat
TOW 80 +411 han I,pt
she knew, and the great business
would fall to ruins once it's secret was
revealed. It was obvious, then that
there was no choice. Christabel must
die-only thus would the secret be
preserved. SO he had argued with
himself on hearing what Sir Maxwell
had told him. never for an instant
doubling that he had heard the truth.
So he still argued after he had re-
turned to Sulia, and had even consid
cred the best means OF removing
Christabel. While in this frame of
mind he had spent the week in Odessa
to which his sister had mysteriously
referred. and which had resulted. as it
had come out later. i'll his engagement
to Anna AIelikoff. the daughter of one
of the merchant princes of that city
an alliance in every was suitable and
desirable
But he was not in the slightest de-
gree in love with Anna. And now
Christabel was in Sulja, and as he
thought of her. comparing her face
and figure with those of his betrothed,
he fairly sickened of Anna. Now that
Christabel was near him again he re-
gretted more and more that destiny
pointed out but one course for him to
pursue. He had no doubt what in the
end must happen, but he was undecid-
ed when the end should be. She had
been delivered into his hands, and
must not escape. SO his face was
grim.
There was yet another reason for
that grim face of his. All the letters
that reached Sulia passed through his
hands, and he had had no scruples in
opening those that had come for
Christabel A little steam, and it was
easy enough to mgUm the flap of the
envelopes. a small matter in which he
was quite proficient, as he had fire.
quently treated letters coming to his
workmen in the same manner. Had
he not the right. as their master, to
know what they were doing? That is
good. sound doctrine in the glorious
Russian land at any rate it was good
enough for him.
So he had read Philips and Nor
mans letters Philips was a broth
erly effusion which did not particular
~ interest him, but Norman's letters
interested him profoundly. True. he
did not understand all that Norman
wrote. but he understood clearly that
Norman loved Christabel and that
Norman believed that she loved him
two things which i'll themselves
were sufficiently unpleasant to him.
But what added TO the grimness of
his. face was the fact that Norman in
both of his letters referred TO some
thing he earnestly desired her to tell
him. something which so far she had
withheld from him. What could this
be, Dmitri argued, but the Sisterson
secret? He determined to find out
who this Norman Forde was. and also
to take care that Christabel's letters
should be read by him before they
were dispatched by the mails.
And while he was thus thinking,
Christabel. with moist eyes and flush
ed cheeks, was reading those very let
tiers of her lover. little suspecting that
they had been seen by any other than
herself and norman.