Camas Prairie chronicle. [volume] (Cottonwood, Idaho) 1901-1917, 1908-02-28
cHAPTER XX.-(Continued. }

med downstairs like q swallow, opened |
the street door with her own hands, and |
left 1t wide behind her. The coachman
Sumped down, but she was at the carriage
door before him, and he stared at the
wild disorder in which she appeared
.'The Palace HOTEL" she said. Quick
". Go as quickly as you can"
She was taken at once to Angelas
apartments
"Oh, julia" Angela began, show kind
Of you to come so soon. We only reach
cd town yesterday"
'Read that !" said Julia, in voice SO
harsh and strange that 1t surprised her
self.
Angela took the wet and twisted letter
from her outstretched hand.
Julia You are ill. You are In trou-
ble You are crying. What is the mat
ter?'
She FASTENED toward her friend, who
repulsed her and said Read that F"
again in the same strange voice.
Angeln SKINNED the letter as bird
skins water, and arose to her feet.
angela Butler" said the little widow,
"did you have that sent to meT'
NO" said Angela. How dare you
think such thing of met How could
you think itY
"Who sent it?" she sobbed. "Who
dared to send itY' Angela's mind was
darting this way and that in swift In
curry but she knew too little of the pat
riot and his affairs to find the faintest
clew to an answer Who could have
known enough to write the letter? Lucy
Farley, Maskelyne and O'Rourke himself
these were all. 1t flashed across her
suddenly that O'Rourke had possibly
boosted of his own insolence. Men did
such things-she had read Of them. Even
to the confused mind of the sufferer An
gelas passionate start at this fancy
meant no less than discovery.
"He is a wretch !" cried Angela
"Who? Who is wretch" demanded
the little widow, with appealing hands.
Angela began to cry with her friend, and
fell to kissing and mourning over her.
"Oh," cried Mrs Spry wringing her
hands and weeping all the more for these
demonstrations of sympathy, "who-who
is a wretch2"
HE is wicked, bad unprincipled
man." said Angela. "Oh, my dear; / am
20 sorry. saw that you were beginning
to care for him but l could not warn
you. Why are we so tongue-tied when
we see things going wrong?"
angela" said Mrs. Spry, gulpingly,
show dare you say SO? I'm sure he's
the best and noblest of men,"
''He's the basest and most dlshonorable
of men - cried Angela, stung by her new
suspicion Of him, which, following on her
old certainties, made her feel altogether
merciless.
"Angela," said the widow clinging to
her and looking at her imploringly, "did
he make love to you before he met meP
"Only a few days before" Angela an
swered "And he knew then that George
that Mr.. Maskelyne- He professet
to be Mr.. Maskelyne's dearest friend.
hated him from the FIRST"
IL don't believe it !" said Mrs. Spry
withdrawing her clinging hands and be
taking herself to walking up and down
the room. "You wanted him for your
self You know you did"
"You are very grieved, know, dear,
said Angela, "or you would never thinl
or say such things l did not want hin
for myself You know that Mr.. Maske
lyme and are going to be married?
loved him long before he came over t
Belgium to visit us. l should never hav,
married another man If he had neve
spoken to me. But Mr.. O'Rourke hearC
that l had money and he tried to COM
between us and to separate us. If he hat
not done that, l might have liked hin
very we'll. But he succeeded for awhile
and made us both very unhappy. TheI
he met you, dear, and found that yol
had more money than 1, and so he pre-
tended to fall in love with you-the mer
cenary wretch Then he boasted-I cal
see 1t ALTO some man friend of hi
about his impertinence to me, and l al
made to seem as if he had thrown m
away like an old glove. He is a base
unworthy creature, Julia. Throw hin
away. Be brave and forget him."
This was one of those thigs which ar
much easier to advise than to do. Blu
Angela since her engagement had learne
from her lover most that was to
known from him, and she tried t
strengthen her friends mind with it t
such effect that at length she drew fror
her a declaration that she would Sc
O'Rourke no more. When she ha
achieved this triumph, she took pen, in
and paper and wrote this note, willis
Mrs. Spry still lay dissolved in grief o
the sofa.
"Sir-Oblige me by reading the inclo
cd. Should you desire to answer 1t 20
may do so In person. l am staying wit
Miss Butler, and you may meet US t.
Kether at any time 1t may suit you
appoint"
After a prolonged effort she succeedt
in persuading the widow to copy this, al
to address it to O'Rourke, accompanie
BY the Fraser letter. This feat accon
plished, the poor thing was got to be
and after a weary while to sleep. Al
gela rejoiced In this victory for Mr.
Spry's own sake, and held her saved fro
the most terrible of fates.
CHAPTER XXI.
Mrs. Spry and Angela were sitting t
Rether when O'Rourke's hastily pencil,