The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1910-01-23

let her know that / could not go where
/ wished, and SOL sent Polly, my
maid, to her aunt's in the country, pre-
tended TO 90 TO Seal Harbor, and really
went TO Cresson. You see | warned
you it would be an unpleasant story.
] went over and stood in front of
her. All the accumulated jealousy of
the last few weeks had been fred by
what she told me. If Sullivan had
come across the sands just then, ]
think I would have strangled HIM with
my hands. out Of pure hate.
"Did YOU marry him?' ] demanded.
My voice sounded hoarse and strange
in my ears. ':Tbat's all | want to
know. Did you marry him?''
NO.
] drew long breath
"You-cared about him7''
She hestated.
''No.' she said finally. "I did not
care about him.
sat down on the edge of the boat
and mopped my hot face. I was heart
ily ashamed of myself, and mingled
with my abasement was great relief
II she had not married him, and had
not cared for him, nothing else was
of any Importance.
81 was sorry, of course, the moment
the train had started, but | had wired
| was coming, and | could not 90 back,
and then when ] got there, the place
was charming. There were no neigh
bors, but we fshed and rode and mo-
tored. and-it was moonlight, like
this"
I put my hand over both of hers,
clasped in her lap. 81 know" I
acknowledged repentantly, "and-peo-
pie do queer things when it is moon
light The moon has got me tonight,
Alison. If ] am boor, remember that,
won't you7'
L.,
"And so." she went on with a little
sigh. "I-began 70 think perhaps j
cared. But all the time | felt that
there was something not quite right,
Now and then Mrs. Curtis would say
or do something that gave me queer
start, as If she had dropped mask
for moment And there was trouble
with the servants; they were almost in
solcnt. | coulGn I understand. | done
know wher il dawned on me that the
old Baron Cavalcanti had been right
when he said they were not my kind
of people. But I wanted to get away,
wanted it desperately
"'Of course. they were not your
kind, " cried. 1.-THE man was mar.
ried. The girl Jennie, houscmaid,
was spy in Mrs. Sullivan s employ.
If he had pretended to marry you ]
would have killed him! Not only that,
but the man he murdered. Harrington.
was his wife S father. And m see
him hang by the neck yet if it takes
every energy and every penny | pos
sess.
could have told her so much more
gently, have broken the shock for
Asr; | have never been proud of that
,yening on the sand. / was alternately
q boor and ruffan-like hurt young
ster who passes the blow that has hurt
him on TO his playmate. that both may
baw together And now Alison sat.
white and cold, without speech.
" Married. - she said finally, in a
small voice, why, I don't think it
TO Baltimore TO marry him myself,
when the wreck came. -
But you said you didn ~ care For
him!' | protested. my heavy mascu-
limo mind unable to Jump the gaps in
her story. And then, without the
slightest warning, ! realized that she
was crying. She shook off my hand
failing TO find If. she accepted the one
| thrust into her wet fingers.
Then, little by little, she told me
from the handkerchief, sordid story
Of motor trip in the mountains with
out Mrs. Curtis. of a lost road and a
broken car, and a rainy night when
they-she and Sullivan, trampcd cter-
~
Mrs. Curtis, when they got home at
dawn, suddenly grown conventional and
deeply shocked. OF her own proud
half-disdainful consent to make pos
sihle the hackneyed' compromising sit
uatiou by marrying the rascal, and
then-of his disappearance from the
train. II was 50 terrible to her, such
a IIeaven-sent relief 10 me, in spite of
my rage against Sullivan, that
laughed aloud. At which she looked
at me over the handkerchief
81 know II s funny she said, with
catch in her breath. "When | think
that | nearly married n murderer
and didn tt cry for sheer ioy.' Then
she buried her face and cried again.
Please don Z, ~ ] protested un
steadily. "I won't be responsible II
YOU keep on crying like that. | may
forget that ! have n capital charge
hanging over my head. and that | may
be arrested at any moment
That brought her out Of the handller-
| chief at once 81 meant to he so help.
| full she said. land I've thought of
nothing but myself! There were some
| things | meant to tell you. If Jen-
ME was-what you say, then | under
stand why she came 10 me Just before
I left, She had been packing my
| things and she must have seen what
| condition ! was in, for she came over
| to me when | was getting my wraps
on. to leave. and said, Don I do it,
| Miss West, ] beg you won t do it;
you II he sorry every after And Just
then Mrs. Curtis came in and Jennie
slipped out
"That was all?'
Ono. AS we went through the sta.
ton the telegraph operator gave IIar
| Mr.. Sullivan message, He read il
on the platform, and il excited him
| terribly. He took his sister aside and
they talked together. He was white
with either fear or anger don't know
which Then, when we boarded the
train. woman in black, with beauti-
| full hair, who was standing on the car
platform, touched him on the arm and
| then drew back. He looked nj her and
glanced away again. but she rcelcd as
| if he Ind struck her.
''Thon what!' The situation was
| growing clearer.
{" Mrs. Curtis and J had the drawing.
room. had q dreadful night, Just
sleeping little now and then. i dread
ed to see dawn come: 1t was Ia be
my wedding day. When we found
| Harry had disappeared in the night.