The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1911-07-06
The Unwritten Story.

|
The ouerulous. high pitched voice had
said the same thing so many times be-
fore.
eff only you would, John" his wife
urged anxiously. "Surely you could
trust me. You surely know that no eye
would rest on a word of it until
voice broke a ]ittle-'you were dead. !"
81 KNOW know all that. l know,
too, that am doomed man. The doc
tors did not say so, but they advised me
to put NV affairs in order; well, they
are in order. / have left you twelve
thousand a wear, this house, most of
the Jewels. all the pictures, furniture,
and plate which it has been my amuse-
ment to pick up as the years went by.
You deserve it all. You never wanted
to marry me, know; it was sort of
forced sale, Ell, to save. you family
from the ruin which stared them in the
facet"
Don't, John; it is too horrible"
"1'm only stating facts. and as say,
you have played the game-been faith
full, devoted, patient. long suffering
even, and you have dlsllked me most
heartily these three years-for it has
only been three years, mind you-lt has
lasted"
He turned himself painfully over on
his side so as to see her face the better.
She was crying in a helpless, fright
ened kind of way, but suddenly she
dried her tears and said in an almost
firm voice. "You surely realize how
much depends upon your writing that
story Her face grew white and
drawn as she spoke. ''You must know
that it and it only may save this mans
| life if suspicion becomes accusation,
and accusation condemnation. At this
moment he is only under suspicion.
To-day, tomorrow, he may be arrested,
sentenced, and you, gone to stand be-
fore a hi CHER tribunal. What will it
matter to you then to be branded with
the name Of
stop! | command you to STOP" he
shrieked furiously. why not 60 and
denounce me now, this moment. Play
the tragedy queen, the stage heroine.
The part would suit you as your name
does, he added, his voice as suddenly
soft and caressing as moment ago it
had been harsh and shrill. Jasmine
aye, with your clear white skin and your
red brown hair, you might boast of au-
tumn tints = you in your springtime
|. i. jasmine or wood anemones your
cheeks, russell leaves your hair JAS
mine gazed at him, her dark eyes aglow
with amazement. Even in jest he had
never spoken to her like this. She
caught herself wondering what he could
have been like when he was young, and
whether in those days he had made love
to some early Victorian maiden with
poetic utterances such as these.
Her reverie was disturbed by his voice,
grown shrill again: "About this man.
just repeat once again what you have
already told me about him"
A touch of carmine stained the white
face as she answered quickly, His
name is Cyril Rivers, he had worked for
some years for the firm of Struction &
Sons, first rate civil engineers. One
morning a very pretty girl who did type
writing more especially for this depart
ment of the firm was found dead in her
room; she had b zen murdered. Mr..
Rivers had been extremely angry with
her the day before because of piece of
what he considered deliberate careless
ness in tipping some figures, mistake
which | believe cost the firm e1,000.
The raised voices were overheard, and
the incident, after the murder, was en-
larged and magnified to such an extent
that it was commonly reported that they
had been engaged to each other, and that
a violent quarrel, owing to Cyril Rivers
jealousy had taken place. You know
how such stories grow, here word, there
another; the end Of it all is that Cyril is
under suspicion. Any day he may be-
She stopped suddenly to listen to what
a newsboy was crying out below the
! window.
'Harrest of Cyril Rivers he was
bawling. Sensational hevidence by
/ T cnnnia1 -
jasmine turned to her husband, her
face blanched with horror.
do you hear?' she whispered
won't you write it all now? Think of
the horror for him. -
"Think of the horror for him." he
Knocked, "and what about me? But you
have the option of denouncing me. Why
don you do it, and quickly?''
''John, you know that took a solemn
oath never to reveal the awful secret
which escaped you that night in your de-
lirium,
"And you mean to keep that oath?''
81 most certainly mean to keep it,"
she repeated steadfastly.
"You are worthy of a better fate than
to be the wife of a.
She put white hand over his mouth
'Don't say it; l beseech you, don't say
it.
"Well, to please you l won't-I will
even change the subject. Does it strike
you as curious that you have been
my wife for three years and you do not
know that l am the chief partner in the
| firm of Struction & Sons, and that from
that business draw my large fortune?
1t is carried on under the old name, but
it was my money that put new life into
it when it was going under, and l have
reaped golden harvest from the gold l
sowed. 1 don't take much active share
in the work, but l have paid frequent
visits to the different departments and l
know good deal about the men employ
ed in them"
The white cheeks were scarlet now.
Was it possible he knew about Cyril, the
one man of her girlish dreams round
whose good looking personality all the
romance in her had twined itself?
She watched him breathlessly and
waited for more, but he was looking
away from her, bitter smile twisting
his lips-or was he in pain again, his
heart?
She started when he spoke again.
Bring me writing materials and | will
write, as you wish it, the whole story"
L L