Ladysmith news-budget. [volume] (Ladysmith, Rusk County, Wis.) 1907-1927, 1908-06-25

Maxwell really asked you to be his
wife!" said Mary. II can hardly cred
| it it, yet know it must have been SO
| or you would not have said it. 1t is
extraordinary! Was it no temptation
to you, Christabel? 1t was just like
Offering to you all the kingdoms of
this world
Yes, dear, realized that thorough
| ly. Was I not a beggar maid in COM
| parison with your brother? But It was
no temptation"
II understand" said Mary, softly.
did he say anything about making
restitution?"
'It was mentioned between us, but
he scorned the idea.'
did he?" asked Mary, greatly dis
composed. well shall speak to him
and to Lady Sisterson about it, for
am determined that restitution shall
be made; it is the right thing to do,
and it shall be DONE" And Mary's
pale face took on an expression of
fixed resolve. Maxwell must be made
TO see and do what is right. What did
he say?"
HE accused me of wishing Mr..
Forde to get the Sisterson money, or
share Of it, because I was to marry
Mr.. Forde. That was a nice little
thing to say. wasn't it? And yet it
was just after saying that that he
asked me to marry him!" said Chris
label, Indignantly. Your brother has
strange ideas about women!"
II shall not attempt to defend him."
said Mary bitterly. you know what
think of him. For my own part l
have made up my mind that restitu-
ton shall be made to Mr.. Forde, and
if need be l shall compel Maxwell to
make it."
But how"
by threatening to reveal the truth
to the world" said Mary, bravely, but
with whitening lips. and if it is nee
essary shall reveal it, And she. EVIL
IDENTIFY meant what she said
For some time longer the two wom-
en- talked, and then Christabel went
On duty.
Only few hours had passed since
she had last seen Sir John, but they
had been hours in which she had
learned much and had been called on
to suffer and endure much; her life
and her outlook upon life had under
gone great change, SO that she hard
ly felt the same person; for one thing
she could not but regard her patient
with the utmost repugnance.
Sir John, she knew, was thief and
a murderer. His areer for many
years past had been one long living
lie. In spite Of his crimes-nay, be-
cause of them-he had become great
and prosperous far beyond the aver
ag; he had been fiattered, courted,
made much Of, held up to other men
as model of success. She pictured
him as moving through the world
sleek, smiling, suave, with never a
thought of the man he had murdered
and robbed. And all the while he had
had these dark and terrible secrets in
his breast.
And then the truth flashed upon her
as she looked at him. Sir John had
never forgotten; these secrets had
never been obliterated by all his
wealth and success; they had been
ever present in his brain, burnt into it
beyond all power of forgetfulness And
this was the explanation Of his social
ed delusion. Perhaps, thought Chris
label, he, too, had suffered. But none
the less he was a murderer and
THETA criminal to whom his crimes
had never been brought home by the
justice he had outraged.
Yet, here, too, her duty was clear.
She was his nurse, and must, because
she knew SO much, act as if she knew
nothing, and take even more scrupu-
lOus care than usual that she should
leave nothing undene for him.
The hours of the afternoon passed
slowly and drearily. DR.. Flint looked
in, and Mary came and stopped for
few minutes; she said she would come
at the dinner hour to relieve Christa-
bel, and insisted On doing so, notwith-
standing ChristabeFs protests.
At o'clock Christabel received
Norman's letter, and for few min
utes she permitted herself to be happy
and to dream. The letter was very
brief, and written in short, crisp SEN
fences, that denoted certain agita-
ton and excitement in Norman when
he penned them. He thanked her for
her telegram in reply to his. and was
glad to hear she was better.
There Is something | wish very
much to say, togo the letter went"
on. Il remember you saying that your
mornings were free till noon. Could
you see me tomorrow morning? Will
1t be convenient for you? Shall come
to Hans Square? Do please say that
you will see me, either there or some
where else"
Something wish very much to say
to you" Christabel had no difficulty
in guessing what 1t was he wished so
much to say to her. and for awhile her
thoughts were bright, radiant, joyous.
And then she asked herself what an
swer was she to make to the question
she knew he meant to put to her.
Could she accept Norman's love and
become his wife? Every fiber Of her
being answered Yes, and up till the
previous night no other answer would
have seemed possible to her. But
now?
She was afraid-afraid of herself
afraid that her love for him might
prove a traitor and betray her. She
must nsver tell Norman what she
knew-honor forbade 1t, and she chung
to this idea as shipwrecked, drown