The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1910-10-14

be OF assistance, but was dismissed
with 81 rough MOL III
Dorothy waited with her ear close
against the door till the sound OF
Ends soft footsteps had died away,
She was trembling all over from the
effects Of excitement, the great fear,
that had come upon her in the woods,
and lastly by the dread Of detection
with which she had struggled, ON her:
stealthy passage back to her room;
with almost superhuman swiftness
she had thrown of her cloak and
slipped her loose silk peignoir over
her dark tweed gown, shaking down
her hair as she did SO.
She was careful to stand with the
door only partially opened, so that
Enid might not see anything strange
in her appearance, or catch glimpse
of the thick boots that were wet from
the moisture of the weeds and grass
through which she had just come
Once alone and safe, Dorothy sunk
for an instant on to an ottoman that
stood at the foot of the bed, and bend
ing forward, buried her face in her
hands and tried to calm the fiuttering
of her heart and the trembling in her
| limbs; but suddenly she started I'M.
for the dim light fell on her right
palm, and she noticed for the first
time that a stain of blood was
smeared on it, left there from the
moment of finding the wound in
Laxon's arm. She rubbed her hand
feverishly with her handkerchief. and
then went hurriedly to her dressing
room and held it under q running
steam of water, having first thrown
the piece Of cambria and priceless lace
to be deyoured by the fire.
She shuddered every now and
then with a long-drawn shudder 81
horror. It was a wise precaution she
had taken in shutting Gervais and her
| maid from the room, for assuredly.
her condition would have provoked
much alarm and many questions.
lShivering as if struck by some sudden
chill, Dorothy crouched down by the
| fire and tried to gather warmth and
strength from it, but the strain on her
! mental powers had been so great that
she could not control herself, and in
sheer desperation she rose to have
recourse to other aids.
BY the earl's orders, virginie had
brought up dainty tray, with some
delicacy to WOO back Dorothyss truant
appetite, and small hottie OF cham.
payne, which Gervais had sent up.
having heard from Lady Lowe that it
was so good for neuralgia. This Dor
othy had despised, simply bidding
Virginie leave ii and not return: but
! now it came as friend to succor her..
With feverish, trembling hands she
tried to unfasten the cork, and, and
ing her fingers powerless, she struck
the neck of against the marble man
tie pillars and drank the bubbling
golden liquid without drawing breath.
The effect was almost instan-,
taneous. OF late Dorothy had had re-
course to brandy and other stimu-.
iants, and the celebrating wine ran
with strengthening Are through her
veins.
Her courage gradually stole back.
and something like self-disgust and
contempt nlIed her heart. 81
II am a weak fool,n she unused
sharply. aIf 1 60 on like this, L shah
be soon discovered by my own stu
pidity. After all. why should the
sight of blood alarm me? 1t was only
scratch. and he is a coward and I
am safe now. / feel i shall be rid 81
him. SIX thousand a year! Ii il 4
fortune. but it is worth his silence
She swept to and fro and laughed
with triumnh4 as she caught 4 glimpse
of harsalf ana saw that +be. coIor was