Rock Island Argus., 1908-08-06

down the Drive, peering intently into
the dark shadows by the lake. The
sky was overcast. No stars peeped
through its blackness. With uncertain.
hating steps she crossed the boule-
ward, still glancing about as IL in
search of some one He, moved for
ward unconsciously, almost blindly,
and she caught a glimpse of his tall.
dark figure. He was not unlike Banse-
mer in height and carriage. As. she
drew near, his legs trembled and tears
of despair flooded his eyes.
A savage desire to grasp her by the
throat and hurl her into the waters
beyond the break came over him with
irresistible power. Then came the pitt
able collapse which conquered the mur-
derous impulses and left him weak and
broken for the moment. With a sob
he turned and leaned upon the wall,
his back to her, his face buried in his
tense arms-crushed, despised, dishon-
ored! Kill her? The horror of it
swept his brain clear for an instant.
Kill his pretty Frances? Kill James
mother? How could he think of it?
1t was long time before the wretch
ed man knew that she was standing
close behind him and was speaking to
him. The sound of her voice came
through the noise of his pounding
heart as if it were far away and gen.
tie. But what was it that she was say
ing? Her voice was angry, suppressed,
| condemning.
You may take it or refuse it, just
as you please" were the first words
his turbulent senses distinguished. Il
can pay no more than that for your
silence. The other is impossible.
will not discuss it again with you.
She paused as if waiting for him to re-
spond.
Tonight l shall tell my husband
everything-th whole story. | cannot
| endure the suspense any longer. | will
not live in fear of you another hour.
My only reason for coming out here
tonight is to plead with you to spare
your son and Jane. l am not asking
anything for myself. 1t would break
James heart if Graydon should refuse
to marry her. You must have a heart
somewhere in that But the words
became jumbled in the ears of her lis
/ tener. From time to time his mind
| grasped such sentences as these, par
| alyzing in their. bitterness: Il have the
| letters of adoption. David will not be-
| lieye what YOU say. He loves me, and
he loves Jane. l am willing to pay all
| that l have to keep it from Graydor
| and Jane. But intend to tell my hus
| band l will not deceive him any
| longer. He will understand, even
though he should hate me for it. He
will love Jane. although she is not his
own child
| David Gable seemed frozen to the
| spot. His brain was clearing; he was
! graSping the full Importance of every
| sentence that rushed from her impas
stoned lips. The last appalling words
fell like the blow of club in the
hands of Il powerful man. He was
dazed, stunned, senseless. 1t seemed tC
him that his breath had ceased t.
come and that his whole body ha(
turned to stone. His wide staring eyes
saw nothing ahead of him.
"Well, what have you to say?" she
was demanding. "Why have you asked
me to come out here? You have m!
final answer What have. you to say
Are you going to tell Graydon tha
Jane is not our child? I must know"
Not our chiId?" came from the pal
sled lips of David Gable, SO low anC
lifeless that the sound was lost in til,
swish of the water below. The inter
mittent red signal in the lighthouse fa
out in the lake blinked back at him
but to him it was steady, vivid glare
do you hear me? have lied to m.
husband for the last timer There wa
| I,Nn.