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

AT the hotel, | rrioined, Or possibl
be- ha. riurned home, ! no longer take a,
count of his existence. Felix, I shall neys
lea,r ms wife. | had rather prove r.creau
o. the cath took before ] realized Oh
sufih oi the woman whose happiness
sua.l to destroy Ihis IL what | hay
euinc Ia tell you, Make Il easy for m.
Felix You are a man who has loved an
suffered. let ~ bury the past; let US
Had hoped | could move him. Perhap
.ams such child's notion had influence
ais ~ 10 this moment, Hut a. thes
Nuuis left my hps. nay, before ] had stun
hlsd through them, p.rreived by the sc
lnik II hl- features, which were rs II cas-
ia brunEe, that ] might ialter. but that h
sas trim a. ever. fnncr. II seemed 10 me
and les easy 10 be entrcated.
Yet what VI that Al the worst, wha
hal 90 FEAR A struggle which might in
/ ,ulVe Eva IN bitter unpleasantness and m,
Ia the lu-s Of a fortune ! had come TO re
gard alu.ost as my own. But these wer,
lstty considerations. Eva must know
-,.oncf 90 later my real name and the stor,
II bet fathers guilt. Why not nowy AND
II Ne must start HE poor. IL was yet life
whiis a SEPARATION from her
Meanwhile Felix had spoken, and in Ian
guagc ! Was least prepared 10 hear.
Il anticipated this. From the moment
sou pleaded with me for the privilege OF
marrying her. | have looked forward "a
this outcome and provided against it.
Weakness ON the part Of her bridegroom
vas TO be expected; ] have. therefore,
sieelcd myself to meet the emergency; for
your oath must be kept"
Crushed by the tone in which these
words were uttered, tone that evinced
power against which any ordinary strug-
MI IN fail
about the room in imitation Of what i had
seen him do few minutes before. There
vas nothing within sight calculated to
awaken distrust, and yet feeling Of dis
trust 1.-THE first | had really felt had come
with the look he had thrown above and
around the mosque.like interior OF the
nom he called his study. Was it the calm
confidence he showed, or the weirdness OF
finding myself amid Oriental splendors and
under the influence OF night effects in high
day aud within sound of the changing street
ears and all the accompanying hustle oil
every day traffic! IL is hard TO say; but
iron this moment ON | found myself al
ieci-l by a vague alright, not on my own
acvount, but ON hers whose voice we could
plainly hear humming gay tune IN the
adjoining apartment. But / was resolved
to suppress all betrayal OF uneasiness. |
even smiled. though felt the eyes Of Eve
bus pictured countenance upon me-; Eve
kn's. whose portrait | had never lost sight
81 from the moment OF entering the room,
though had not gwen II direct look and
nos stood with my back to it. Felix, who
faced II. but who did not raise his eyes to
It, waited a moment for my response, and
hnding that my words halted, said again:
That oath must be kept"
This time ! found words with which to
an.Hpr "lmpossible,' / burst out, fling
lng doubt fear, hesitancy, everything had
hitherto irembled at to the winds. 1t was
ia my nature to take IL, worked upon as
Nas by family affection, the awfulness OF
oar fathers approaching death, and a
houssnd uncanny influences all carefully
and prepared for this end. But |
4 b not IA my nature TO keep It after four |
onshIp OF a man thirty years removed IRON |
lis guilt. and OF his guileless and wholly |
nnocent daughter. And you cannot drive |
ns to IL, Felix. No man can force an
,ther 10 abandon his own wife because OF
sacked oath taken long before he knew
irr II you think her money
Money" he cried, with contempt that
ia Justice to my disinterestedness as well
: his Own, Il had forgotten had it. No,
Ihomas. | should never weigh money
.gainst the happiness OF living with such
|
YER life | might Carry out your threat;
orget 10 pay John Poindexter the debt
" owe him, and the matter will assume
eriousne-s for which you are doubtless
oorlf prepared 4 daughter dead in her
.gnsymOan will be almost a. great griei
" him a. q dlshonored one. And either
cad ~ dishOnored he must find her, when
y comes here IN search OF the child he
aHnol long forget Which shall II be!
peak
Wa dreaming. Was tins Felix! Was
ms myself And was II IN my ears these
lords we're poured!
With spring | reached his side where
. stood close against the table, and
rotnsd rather than shrieked these words:
ou w0a.d not kill her, You do not
ss.litais a crime OF blood-here-on her ,
h. ihnoorni the good -
Na. W. said, II viii be you who will .
D that ou who will not wish to see her
anguish suffer go mad Thomas, ] am
u the raying being you take me tor, ] '
~ msrrly a keeper Oi oaths. Nay, ] am ,
Iafv have talents, skill. The house I
uhieh you Ind yourself Is proof OF this.
N. rsam see. il has no outlet save those
in8oas. scarcely ii at all perceptible to !
"a, above our heads, and that opening !
,ielisd nov ht a simple curtain, but which
an instant without my moving IRON
y. place, ! can 50 Theoretically seal that d
, n,an, ave be be armed with crowbar I
a Iirkaxs. could enter here, even II man
abb kn0w Of our imprisonment IN a house
un 10 h. closed from top TO bottom by my h
parting servant. $
" May God protect u.s. Tell from my hDs, $
. stif with horror, let my eyes travel "
sm NJ. determined face, first to the win y
-. hlgh over ms head and then to the n
sning ii the door, which, though but
= siet~ from where ! stood, was as Tar &
possible from the room into which my a
ring had been induced to enter d
Felix, watching me, uttered his explana- n
.ns a. calmly as II the matter were one "
every day significance. You are look y
{ for the windows" he remarked. They A
! behind those goblin faces you see out le
sd on the tapestries under the ceiling.
Tor the door. II you had looked to the Il
I when you entered, you would have de- |
ted the edge Of huge steel plate hang OF
made 10 slide across that opening IN an 81
liant Just b. the touch Of my hand on Sc
: button This done, no power save re
n a. | have mentioned can move 1t IN
n again, not even my own. have al
80 al my command for sending it for IA
ri. hut none for returning 1t to its
~. Do you doubt my mechanical skill f.
the perfection Of the electrical appara- IN
I have caused TO be placed here! You ~, w.
a not, Thomas; nor need you doubt the s w.
I that has only TO exert itself for an in ."
nj to- Shall | press the button, -
,thery" ~;
No. mol" shouted in frenzy, caused WI
her hy my knowledge OF the nature Of
; man than any especial threat apparent 'c'
hrs voice or gesture. Let me think;
me know more fully what your re- mi
rrnnrnts are-what she must suffer If
se1t--and what /. !" ies
T. let his hand slip back, that smooth ma
to hand which ! had more than once be
vsyed in admiration. Then he smiled. "
a - -. ......il - H. soal,,h - ha /