The Brattleboro reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1907-1912, 1910-02-25

Il comprehension,
III 'Why-~hal," | siammer~i, Why II
"a. Why Kill yourself -"
The answer overwhelmed ne,
| @llems,nher E.elyn,' shriled a solo.
aud Ians.si, struck dumb With a sul,er.i
l'ilaa- harfpr | had never bsllsysd my.sl
ealahir oi experiencing, foi u Mas ~
trliA Who sIake, neither Mas Il amy ullei
an.r al ny own afuns-d conscience, Mul
ii-,i, strange. aud startling Il came iioi
above. irom III. hollow spae-s oi that higl
ssul, II, with the golden glow that hence
i"fih tan have hut one m-anins iof me-
death.
What IL ny l asked. Another oi YOU
mechanical conitiyaneess"
lie smiled. had rather h. had ifowned
] Not exactly, 4 IaNofit. bird, q starting
Alas, he but rIs-ats what he has hear,
echocd through the solitude Of ihes. rooms
r I thought | had smo,hrt-i him np suiii
GENTLY 10 insure his silence during thu
interview, but he Is a self willei bird. AM
: seems disposed 10 defy the wrappings
have bound around him. which fact warns
! me To be- speedy and hasten our csplana
tons. Thomas, this Is what rolur.I
John Poindexter--you do not know wher,
he u at this hour. but | do received d
! telegram but now. which, Il he Is a man At
all. will bring him 10 this house ia hall
hour or 40 from the present moment. II
was sent IN Your name, aud IA II you IN
formed him that matters had arisen which
demanded his immediat. attention; that
You were on your way la your brother ;
giving him this address,, where, II you
found entrance. you would await his pres
ence IN a room called the study. but that
aud here you will see how his coming
will not aid Us II that steel plate is once
started ON it, eouTse-ii the possible
should occur and your brother should he
absent from home then he was 10 await a
message from you al the Plaza The appear
anee Of the house would inform him
whether he would lind you and Eva with
in: or so telearaphed in your name.
Thomas, II Barlow fulills my lnstruc
tions-and ! have never know him 20 fail
me-he will pass down these stain and
out Of this house in just five minutes. A.
he is bound on long promised journey, as
he expects me 10 leave the house imme-
diately after him. he has drawn every
shade and fastened every lock. Consequent
~, ON his exit, the house will become
tomb, TO which, Just two weeks from today,
John Poindexter will be called again, and
in words which will lead TO a demolition
which will disclose-whaty Let us not
forestall the future. our horrible future, by
| inqulring. But Thomas. shall Barlow gol
Shall not by signs he comprehends more
| readily than other men comprehend speech
indicate to him on his downward passage
TO the street that ] wish him TO wait and
open the door 10 the man whom We have
promised to overwhelm in his hour of sat
isiaction and pride, You have only 10
the words you must use, lest your self
command should be too severely taxed.
These words left on this table for his in
spectlon--for you must go and Eva remain
will tell him all he needs TO know from
you. The rest can come from my lips
after he has read the signature, which in
itself will confound him and prepare the
way for what | have to add. Have you
anything to say against this plan! Any.
hitherto urgeds Anything that ] will con
slider or which will prevent my finger from
pressing the button on which it rests!"
] took up the paper Ii was lying on the |
table, where it had evidently been in.
scribed simultaneously with or Just before |
our entrance into the house, and slowly |
read the few lines | saw written upon it. |
You know them, but they will acquire a |
new significance from your present under. |
standing of their purpose and intent:
return you back your daughter.
Neither she nor you will ever see me
again. Remember Evelyn.
Amos's Son
"You wish me to sign these words, to put
them into my own handwriting. and so to
make them miney Mine !" repeated.
YES, and to leave theme here on this
table for him to see when he enters. lie
might not believe any mere statement from
me in regard to your intentions.
] was filled with horror. Love, life, hu.
man hnpas ba unrll's friands hips-all |
the possibilities of existence, swept in one
concentrated food of thought and feeling
through my outraged consciousness, and ]
knew | could never put my name to such
Dlasphemy of all that was sacred to mans
soul Tossing the paper in his face, cried;
: You have gone too far! Better her death,
better mine, better the destruction of us
III, than such dishonor to the purest thing
heaven ever made. | refuse, Felix re.
use. And may God have mercy on us ALL I
The moment was CHASTITY ! saw his face
hange, his finger tremble where it how
red above the fatal button; saw--though /
,nly in Imagination as yet-the steely edge {
4 that deadly plate of steel advancing be |
'ond the Intel and was about to dare all {
n sudden grapple with this man, when /
sound from another direction caught my
ar, and looking around in terror OF the j
My intrusion we could fear, beheld Eva i
laced her.
That moment bloodred glow took the /
lace of the sickly yellow which had hith
rto filled every recess of this weird apart
lent. But scarcely noticed the change, !
ave as it affected her pallor and gave to =
er cheeks the color that was lacking in :
he roses at her belt.
Fearless and sweet as in the hour when
he first told me that she loved me, she
.haJ and cton1 hofor, re | ID
What is ths?" she cried II have heard Y
ords that sound more like the utterances i"
{ some horrid dream than the talk of U
len and brothers. What does it mean,
homasg What does it mean, Mr.. -" n
"Cadwalader" announced Felix, drop Il
ing his eyes from her face, but changing d
OF whit his features or posture. II
"Cadwalader?" The name was not to i
er what it was to her father. "Cadwala- b
,ers house; it was Evelyn's name, the
velyn who" al
Whom you see painted there over your hi
nad,' finished Felix, my sister, Thomas tt
ster-the girl whom your father-but | as
,are you, child, though you be of a man CT
no spared nothing. From your husband of
III may learn why Cadwalader can m
,ver find his happiness with Poindexter X
ny thirty or more years after that young
e given at this hour the choice between dc
'ath and dishonor. allow you just five w
inutes in which to listen. After that you M
i'll let me know your joint decision. Only
~ must make your talk where you stand. ca
step taken by either of you to right or tn
L. and Thomas knows what will follow" 81
Five minutes, with such a justification kr
make, and such decision to arrive at! W
felt my head swim, my tongue refuse its hi
ice, and stood dumb and helpless before pc