Union County courier. [volume] (Elk Point, Union County, D.T. [S.D.]) 187?-1913, 1909-08-05

blacklist of wrongs to this inJuIcu -
whom his sister loved, this man "nv
| had Just called him his loyal friend'
was become q burden too heavy anu
intolerable to be borne. he Hus'
speak.
He had meant to keep silence YET
little longer, till he could have seen
Olive and warned her; but the signt OF
the man he was injuring, the pois-
nant realization of his own treacnery
and sin, personifed in this hunted
/ mans plight, broke down that resolve
i resistlessly as wave beats down
child's castle OF sand.
Not another hour, not another mo.
ment, would he bear that burden Oh
conscious treachery that he had TAX
en- on his shoulders for the sake OF
woman. He must speak now.
"A confession, Ruthen? Why, what
do you mean?" cried Jack Lathom'
startled by the strange. excited man
ner and the wild eyes of the man con-
fronting him, with unconcealed agita'
ton traced as with brand on the
haggard face: and Hilda caught her
breath, conscious that the atmosphere
had suddenly become electrical.
Something like q cry Of relief broke
from the blind man.
| God help me, Lathom. for the
| wrong I've done you; but from the
first I've had proof that the revolver
from which the shot was fired that
killed Philip Hume was not yours.
have allowed you to suffer to screen
a woman!"
A dead pause followed Stephens
words.
| A startled, almost incredulous look
had flashed into Lathom's face, as
into Hilda's; but the formers tones
were restrained and quiet, as he said:
you mean that you know-have
known all along-who killed Hume!
That it was woman?"
AT the time thought 1t was q wo-
man." said Stephen Ruthen. finding
words with difficulty-"a woman had
once loved, who had promised to DO
my WIFE,"
"Olive vanstone!" broke in Hilda,
realizing from the last allusion what
woman he must mean. But that 10
| impossible; she was i'll in bed on tho
night Philip Hume is believed to have
met his DEATH" The statement SEEM
ed so wild that she thought her broth
er's mind must be wandering.
mo, she was out on the moor road
that night" he answered, slowly; Il
know it, for found her there, bending
over the dead man in the snow-this
woman whom Philip Hume had
wronged as deeply as man can
wrong q woman"
THE woman who was in the yes
try!" the blind man whispered to him
self. II knew she was there-I knew
IT."
The rector's voice went on. The
twilight was deepening In the room
and the white. drawn face was in shad-
ow as he spoke. at first falteringly.
with shame mingling in the tones with
certain fierce relief that the confess
sion of what had been like milestone
about his neck was being made at
last.
Phrase after phrase, sentence after
sentence threw fresh colors ON to the
canvas OF the dramatic story that
came with strange. shuddering thrill
to the listening audience Of three in
the room. Now he was recounting
how he had found Olive Vanstone,
dazed and dumb. like q woman whose
mind was sleeping. grasping the wea-
pom whose polished barrel glittered
evilly IN the faint light Of the stars;
now OF his desperate resolve to get
her away from the fatal spot unseen.
when the muffled tapping Of the blind
mans stick had grown out Of the dis
lance, bringing its sudden menace to
the woman he meant at all cost to
save. forcing him to drag the lifeless
figure out Of the roadway to the drift
ed snow at the foot Of the stone cross:
Of the journey back. won in safety a.
By . miracle; Of the sleeping nurse,
whose lie would establish an alibi.
And you let Jack suffer! You
knew thisyst you let him suffer!"
broke in Hilda. passionately. her voice
charged with the hostility that had
leapt into her eyes with this confes-
sion BY her brother Of q wrong she
had never dreamed Of.
He made : movement Is Of appeal
towards her.
But that night speak Of was near
" three weeks before the dead man
was found, before suspicion fell on
anyone. I thought then that I hurt no
one By my silence. And she was 1
woman had loved loved still. nv
sin was not In shielding her then. with
his blood on her hands - then be-
lieved tor she was Ia I state when
she was not morally responsible for
her actsa woman who had been
brought almost to tho verge 81 mad.
mess by the wrong she Had suffered. \
AZ 1aid. N low voice.
And you would have let No 81
found guilty and sentenced. % screen
this woman though me law would
not have punished : woman Who u
ne Cine was not responsible fOr hes