Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1910-08-18

CHAPTER Xxx
copyrish.. 1904. By The s.Ib.- n.ru Co

Al III d OF El6NCes ne IlLLeO MS eyes
slowly until they met hers.
''Yeu have lied to me-" Zelda repeat
ed in the same passionIess voice,
speaking as though she were saying
some commonplace thing. Il under
stand perfectly well why you wish to
continue this trusteeship. I shall be
very glad to do what you ask; only we
must understand each other frankly.
You must tell me the truth
He shrank down slowly into his
chair, but his eyes did not leave her
lace His hands had ceased trembling,
and he was quite himself He waited
as though he expected some word Of
contrition; but she still stood with her
eyes fastened on him, and there was no
kindness in them.
have sought your own good. I
nave supposed you would be gratihed
10 conunue-the trust-reposed In me
by your mother"
II you speak to me of my mother
again shall find some way of punish
ing you'" she said. and there was still
no passion in her voice
suppose that when you are ready
you VIII tell me what this means
why you have turned against me In
this way" he began. with a stimulation
OF anger. And then changing TO q
conciIiatory tone: Tell me what It is
tnat troubles you, Zee I had hoped
shst you were very happy here. I had
iaItered myself through the summer
that ours was a happy home. But IL
mere Is any way in which I have erred
am heartily sorry"
lie bowed his head as though from
III a Erlf lp III
glad to escape her eyes. When he
looked up again, he found her gaze
sun bent upon him. He picked I'D the
IaIlen pen and placed 1t on the table
beside the paper which he had asked
her to sign.
You are a tremendous fraud" she
salu' win smile in which there was
no mlrth or pity. You are immense
iy clever, and I suppose that because I
nave some of your evil blood In me, 1
am little bit clever. too"
Zee! You forget yourself: Won must
be mad"
am growing sane" she answered
Il have been mad for a wear but nv,
reason has come back to me. I do not
forget myself or that you are nv faith
er; but l remember, too, that Won are
an evil man and that you drove NV
mother into her grave. You killed her.
win your pettiness and your hypoc-
rlsy; you are just as much her nur-
derer as though you had slain her with
knife. But l beg of you, do not think
that you can play the same tactics
with me. 1 don't ask for the money
that you have squandered. 1t isn't
your being thief that I hate: It's
IN IA
thought that you would betray the
trust Of the dead-of my dead mother
that's what 1 hate you fort"
He took step toward her menac-
ingly.
You are either a fool or mad. You
shall not talk to me so! You have
oeen listening to Instantaneous lies.
Rodney Merriam has been poisoning
your mind against me. 1 shall hold
him responsible; shall make him suf-
Ter. lie has gone too far tQo far
shall have the law upon him.
You had better sit down." she said.
without fiinchlng. Il suppose you used
to talk to my mother this way and
that you succeeded in frightening her.
But / am not afraid of you, Ezra Dam
eron. II you think you can browbeat
me into signing your deed, you have
mistaken me. was never less scared
IN my life"
When she spoke his name 1t slipped
from her tongue llngerlngly, and fell
upon him like a lash In ADDRESSING
him so. she cast off the idea OF kim
ship utterly; there was no tie of blood
between them; and he was simply a
mean old man, desplcabIe and con-
temptible, standing on the brink of a
pit that he had dug for himself. and
feeling the earth crumbling beneath
his feet. She went on, with no break
in the impersonal tone to which her
words had been pitched In the begin
ming.
You have so little sense of honor
you are so utterly devoid Of anvthing
that approaches honor and decencv-
the hypocrisy in you Is so deep. that
you can't imagine that a man Ike NV
uncle would never seek to preiodfca
me against you-ny own father Naj-
Their my uncle nor nay aunt has over
said q single unkind' word TO me nj
you. My aunt asked me to go to live
with her when we came home: but I
refused to do 1t. And I'm glad 7 ala
This closer acquaintance has given me-
an opportunity that was-in one of
your hypocritical phrases-uulte nrov-
idential, of learning you as though vou
were a child's primer. You have BEEN
a very bitter lesson, Ezra Cameron )
Ny mother never rebelled, never lifted
her voice against you, and YOU SIM
posed 1 should prove quite as easy;
but you see how mistaken you are!"
This is game-a plot to trap me.
not mock me-"
Il have something more to say 70
you. have gone over 1t in my heart
q thousand times in this year of de-
ceit. 1 believe ] have grown a good
deal like you. 1t has been a positive
pleasure for me to act a part-shie1d-
ing YOU from the eyes of people who
were anxious for breach between MS
/ know as I walk the streets and peo-
pie say. There is Ezra Dameron's
daughter they all pity me- They have
expected me to leave you. They have
wondered that l should so on living
with you when every child In the com
munAty sneers at the sight of you or
the mention OF your name"
Shame on you! Shame on YOU"
Il suppose II Is a shameless thing
to be saying to you; but haven't fin-
ished yet. And you had better sit
down. You are an old man and re-
spect your years even though you are
Ezra Cameron. There was some one
that told me-that warned me against
you. I had hoped that It would never
be necessary to tell you; but 1t gives
me keener happiness than I dare try
TO express to tell you now"
Yes, yes; some liar-an Infamous
liar," he muttered. and he looked a;
her with sudden hope IN his face
When he should learn who had come
between him and this girl he would
exhaust the possibilities of revenge
Zelda read the meaning of his look
and she smiled little, and stepped &c
the table and turned up the lamp and
put his glasses within reach OF his
hand.
Il shall not trust myself to tell you
! shall let you read for yourself few
words, written by one who was not s
liar"