Vilas County news. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1896-1927, 1909-10-06
CHAPTER xxxIv.


desire was to get down to Darrar
court. to- confront his accusers, and
meet any charge which hey might
bring against him.
When he thought thais he nat
been remaining quietly in hiding
while Lucille considered him guilty
of so vile and base a crime, ne Ieil
as if he could scarcely retain MS
reason. That the whole affair had
been schemed by the marquis ne
had not the slightest doubt; but as
to how he should clear himself ana
unmask the plotter he had not the
least idea.
IT was dark when he arrived al
the station, and there was scarcely
anv necessity for him to turn the
collar of his ulster up to avoid rec
IGNITION, but he did so, and giving
his ticket to a porter, got OH the
platform by way of the bank anu
made for the village, intending 20
nut I'D at the inn. But as ne near
ed the Court woods the idea STRUCK
him that he would go to the nut.
It was just possible that 1t mad re-
NAMED empty, but if not empty no
doubt Hone or Loveday would nave
been put into it, and he could trust
them: whereas his sudden appear
anca at the inn would create some
excitement and perhaps lead to the
inter failure of his object.
With his head burning and his
heart aching with the memory OF
the past. he made his way along
the familiar paths, and at last
reached the hut
He had met no one, and Win q
sense of satisfaction he saw that
the little clearing showed no signs
of a new tenant. The hut was empty
He did not scruple to force the
lock. and entering, looked around
with dull, aching pain; the room
was exactly as he had left IL, the
books still lying open upon the ia
bile. the chairs it1ered as he had
left them on the night of his Hight
For a few minutes he stood look
ing round with sense OF unreallty.
Could il be possible that he mao
gone through so much-that ne was
to marry Marie Werner the day aIter
to-morrow-or was it not all rather
a dream. The night was sharp anu
cold. and he lit a fire and udled
the room a little. He had bought
some food at one of the stations
and flask of wine, and he forced
himself to make an apology Tor
supper; then he threw himself down
in front of the fire, and drawing his
travelling rug round him, tried TO
think collectedly and form some defl-
mite plan; but exhausted nature
claimed her tribute, anad he fell
asleep. When he awoke In the
morning the wintery sun was fore
ing its way through the curtains,
and he rose refreshed and claimed.
Sleep had brought him q full reali-
cation of the situation.
What was this that he had rush
ed down to Darracourt to do? TO
clear himself in Lucille's eyes OF the
supsicion that hung over him. 10
do that he must accuse and prove
the MARQUIS of Merle guilty of the
diabolical plot-the marquis, ner
husband, Could he. Harry, who
loved her so deeply, degrade her
husband in her eyes? What salts
faction would it be to him to prove
to her his innocence. if in doing SO
he compelled her to acknowledge
that the man she had married was
a scoundrel. 1t was too late now.
BY his own folly he had lost her
lost her foreveri and he must abide
.bv the consequence. The least ne
could do was to refrain from bring
ing misery upon her welded life;
she would discover her husbands
true character in time, doubtless
but it was not for him, her lover,
to tear the mask from the marquis
face and reveal him to his wife IN
all his vileness.
No, He would go back to Lon
don, marry Marie Werner, who loved
him, and take her right away out
of England, to which he would new
er return.
Perhaps it was better that she
should think him base and unwor
thy of single thought; it was bet
ter that he should never recall to
her that past which had been SC
sweet that the remembrance of 1t
as he sat there in the silence of the
hat made his heart ache with an
indescribable longing and regret.
LET it resti" he muttered, as he
thrust his things into his bag, anf
beat out the embers in the crate
"Let her think me the criminal the
MARQUIS has made me out to bt
rather than she should spend thu
rest of her life knowing him to b
what he isl'
But though he had resolved to g