The Washington times., 1911-06-19

SIe~WlIn ner own eyes that
the Presidents reprieve had
reached the proper officer and that her
brother had received the glad tidings,
Della returned home and locked her
self in her own room. The east was
/ Frightening with new dawn as she sat
down before the remains of a candle,
/ and upon little escritoire of rosewood,
one of the few articles of household
finery that were left, began to write a
letter.
Captain James Grigg:
| You told me on that June night across
your true character, I aided you TO es.
cape the soldiers at Old Cold Harbor,
! that in return you would save my
brother from his impending fate and
restore his good name. Unreasonably,
| then, l believed you. And base and hy-
| pocritical as you have shown yourself
since, l still believe-at least. that you
can If you will.
The time has come for you to redeem
| that pledge. 1t was to have been this
very morning. but on my intercession
II has been put off till March /. You
know, he is innocent. And now IL you
| remain passive and let my brother die,
shall all my life regard you as his muir
derer.
ut, perhaps, there is no inducement
for you to save him, though you can
Serving as you do a tyrranical cause
that glories in the outrages and MUIR
ders II has committed on an unoffend-
people. perhaps you. too. will only glow
In the prospect of another such murder
therefore, / offer you an induce
ment such as II is:-not because 1
set so much value on 1t, but because
you seemed TO, once.
Here Della replenished the ink upon
her pen, and hesitated, holding the pen
poised above the paper. She rested her
cheek upon her hand and plunged into a
pallid reverie.
NThe reverie lasted so long that the ink
dried on the pen; and once more she re-
plenished it: only to allow 1T to dry
! without having made a mark on the pa
per. A third time she dipped the pen
in teh ink, and now while a burning
flush mantled her cheeks, she swiftly
wrote:
When last you presumed to darken
the door of this house disguised as
one of our wounded patriots, you
told me that you loved me. Much
as l doubt If any such sentiment
could penetrate a breast that has
shown itself so cruel and crafty,
will try to believe this also. take
you literally at your own word, and
by that regard which you claim to
feel for me. / Implore you to save
my brothers life. II you will do
this for me-then, whenever You care
TO come and claim me, will be your
wife
You see. 1 do not mince words. God
knows ] am offering you ali have
for my brothers life. II had more
if l had love to offer-I should Of
fer that, too. DELLA COOMBS.
Another long period Of reflection en-
sued. during which she several times
reread what she had written. AS an
afterthought she added:
If it is necessary for you to see me
at this house in order to keep your
promise and supply me with the
necessary evidence, shall not be-
tray you to the authorities. As God
is true. / shall not betray you.
D. c.
Having folded. inclosed, and sealed
this strange communication, she stood
up as one lifting a burden, and un-
locked her door.
1t was by this time full daylight, al
though the sun was not yet risen, and
for quite a while there had been a per-
sistent knocking and humping on the
door, which she had disregarded. Now
she discovered Binah standing on the
threshold in a freshly laundered turban,
and revealing in her dusky counten-
ance an old blending OF relief and sense
of injury.
"Grea-a-ate King" rumbled the old
nanny "A stapin' yaw a knockin'
'tention.-des ez If ole Binah wuz a
loose shuttuh a bangin' in er VIM
"Binah," said Della, ignoring the ne
gress' complaints and inquiries, where
is Lymus?"
"Lymus? Yo' want Lymus dis time o.
day, honey chile?'
"Yes. Where is he?"
Reckon dat boys down dab in de
stable a studyin' an ca'yin' on. He
mos gin'ally gifts up afo' sunup now
adays an sets a muttertn' to hisself an
a groanin' an sighin' an swayin' his
self back ards an fo'ards.'
What does he mean by it?"
Continuation of This Story VIII Be
Found in TAmorrow,s Issue