Forest City press. (Forest City, Potter County, D.T. [S.D.]) 1883-19??, 1911-11-23
death. and a little shiver ran through,
me as Curtiss rang the bell.

death. and a little shiver ran through
me as Curtiss rang the bell.
lhere was a long delay; a delay that
tortured me; for q dark vision danced,
be1ore me-the vision of a girl lying
u lead beneath the windows of the,
library, with a portrait pressed close
against her heart. SO vivid was it
that l could not shake it off. and L
nearly cried aloud as a light was
switched on the hall, and the door sud-
denly opened. I looked up eSpectantly
-put IL was not Lucy Kingdom; it WAS
q servant whose face l did not remem-
Der. She took our cards and showed.
us INTO the room which, when l had
seen ~ last, was gay with flowers:
= aeh she lett us. Not until she had
gone dld remember that Lucy King
| death.
AS moment followed moment, l found
ilysell unconscIously gripping my,
ilahds tighter and tighter about the
arms of my chair. There seemed to be-
ABOUT the house an atmosphere Of ter
lus. l could guess what agony of
suspense Curtiss was enduring and I
saw him wipe the perspiration from his
forehead once or twice with a hand
anything but steady. Perhaps she
would not come. Perhaps she was not
YET brave enough. or perhaps she
W Wv
There was q step at the door: a.,
woman entered :.
~ was Mrs. Lawrence. She came
Forward with a smile of welcome. One
lance at her face told me that she
did not suspect-that her daughter had
kept the secret.
II knew you'd come" she said.
Then h is here" asked Curtiss.
gripping his hands behind him, devour,
ing her FAC with his eyes; feeling, per
maps. for the first time, some instinct.
OF sonshfp stirring within him.
Yes. she's here,'' Mrs.
Lawrence, still smiling at him. She,
came only a few hours ago and is
very tired-too tired to talk, even to
me. She doesn't feel strong enough to
come down to see YOU now.'
what power was it drew my eyes
10 .he tapestry at the inner door? 1
saw 1T swing aside, almost impercept-
IDLY; caught h glimpse OF a face,
WHITE as marble, whose eyes dwell
upon Curtiss with a look of love. Of
9ngln that turned mo a little giddy.
n loved him yet. God pity them
But she told me-" Mrs. Lawrence
morrow morning, she';l see you. Oh. I
can see how she's suffered! Too much,
think. And you've Suffered, too," she
ADDED. and her eyes questioned his.
-SNs AS SoASs 6ullSlCu, IOO.'
Thank God it's past. You see, 1
don't doubt you. 1 know Iii when
you hear the story
II have heard it," Curtiss interrupt
ed grimly. and 1 saw a spasm of pain
%convulse the face at the door.
But Mrs. Lawrence was looking un
at him. her eyes alight.
Anc 1T will make no difference!"
she cried. 1T can make no difference
for you love herI know tt can
Il coo Sf-Nyo,Y laws ~.Zl
did" -0Se Nef just as you always
Yes" said Curtiss hoarselv. God
help me. 1 love her just as / always
The o can't give her up-you
wont-that would be cruel-would kill
Give her up!' echoed Curtiss, seized
suddenly with a terrible trembling.
No, I'll never give her up!''
II knew it," she said triumphantly.
~ knew I'd not misjudged you. And
there need be no scandal No one need
ever know"
What was she saying? What infamy
was she proposing? But not with the
joy-illumined face! All, she did not
understand. and we should have to tell
her.
1T vas wrong. 1 know she went
on, more calmly. but when the moth
er died, he wanted to take the child
to rear it as his OWL had not given
him any-and since-since-there was
a sorrow in my own life, l could under
stand and forgive. 1t was a kind OF
penance-an aforementioned 1 well
coined 1t. Besides. he was not wholly
to blame. for she-but I'll speak nc
III OF her. And I grew to love the child
for her own sake-I grew to forget that
she was not really mine"-
Curtfss was clutching blindly at g
chair, his face CHASTITY. his eyes star
ing.
II don't think 1 quite understand, /"
he faltered. ~"You-you're speaking OF
Marcia?"
"Of Marcia. certainly. But you said
you knew h story"
She was looking at him intently. he,
face suddenly pale.
WAS 1t something else?" she added
Something else? Was it the letter!
Tell me-"
mo. no." he protested and stopped
unable to go on.
II don't think he heard 1t quite cor.
rectly. Mrs. Lawrence" 1 said, see.
ing that he needed saving. do I un.
derstand you to say Miss Lawrence
isn't your daughter?"
h Ruth Endicott's daughter. She
was -housekeeper here and she-she-
but no matter. No one knew except
her cousins. the Kingdoms. 1t was
Harriet who took her Florida
and she died there. They promised
to keep the secret-it was to their in.
terest-we did everything we could fol
them-I was kinder to them than they
deserved. But / loved the child had
none Of my OWL wanted to protect
ny husbands memory-where was the