Licking Valley courier. [volume] (West Liberty, Ky.) 19??-current, 1912-04-25

"Ah," coolly said the owner of the
cabin to the first of his two guests,
II do remember you did mention that
name the first day you spent here.
Is he "a friend Of yours?"
mot now" answered Enid Maitland.
She too was in strange state of
perturbation on account of the diem
ma in which she found herself in
volved. She was determined not to
betray the unconscious confidence of
the dead. She hoped fervently that
Newbold would not recognize Arm
strong as the man Of the locket, but
II he did she was resolute that he
should not also be recognized as the
man of the letters, at least not by her
act, Newbold was ignorant OF the ex-
istence OF those letters and she did
not Intend that he should be enligbt-
ened so far as she could prevent 1t.
But she was keen enough to see that
the first recognition would be in
evitable; she even admitted the fact
that Armstrong would probably pre-
cipitate it himself. Well, no human
soul, not even their writer, knew that
she had destroyed them, she had de-
termined to do SO at the first convent
ent opportunity. Before that, however,
she intended to show them not to New
bold but to Armstrong, TO disclose his
per1dy, to convict him of the false
hood he had told her and to justify
herself even in his eyes for the action
she had taken.
Mingled with all these quick re1ec-
lions was a deadly fear. She was
quick to perceive the hatred Arm
strong bore on the one hand because
Of the old love affair, the long cher
ished grudge breaking into sudden
life; on the other she realized that
her own failure to come to Arm
strong's hands and her love for New,
bold, which she neither could nor had
any desire to conceal, and the cumula-
ton of these passionate antagonisms
would only make him the more des-
perate.
Whether Newbold found out Arm
strong's connection with his past love,
there was sufficient provocation In the
present to evoke oil the oppugnation
and resentment of his nature. Enid
felt as she might II the puncheons Of
the floor had been sticks Of dynamite
with active detonations In every heel
that pressed them; as II the slightest
movement on the part Of any one
would bring about an explosion.
The tensity Of the situation was be.
wildering to her. 1t had come upon
her with such startling force; the un'
expected arrival of Armstrong, of all
the mer on earth the one who ought
not to be there, and then the equally
startling arrival of Eewbold. of whom
perhaps the same might havo been
said. If Newbold had only gone GU
Ii he had not come back, II she had
been rescued by her uncle or old Kirk
by-But "ifs" we're idle, she had tC
face the present situation to which
she was utterly unequal.
She had entirely repudiated Arm
strong. that was one sure point; sh'
|. knew how guilty he had been TOWARD
/, Newbolds wife, that was another; sh,
|. realized how he had deceived her
3 that was the third. These eliminate,
the man from her affections. but It Il
: one thing to thrust man out Of you
3 heart and another to thrust him GU
5 of your life; he was still there. An,
t by no means the sport Of blind fat
D Armstrong intended to have somethin
r to say as to the course of events, /
s use his own powers to determine tn
+ Issue.
OF but one thing beside her hatre
4 for Armstrong was Enid Maitland al
n solutely certain; she would never di
: close to the man she loved the fac
t that the woman, the memory of who's
: supposed passion he cherished, ma
n been unfaithful to him in heart
II not In deed. Nothing could wrest thu
Q secret from her. She had been Il
It fected by Newbold's quixotic idea
t, the contagion OF his perversion of cor
n mon sense had fastened itself upo
n her. She would not have been hums
10 either II she had not experienced
10 thrill Of pride and Joy at the possib
r ity that In some way, OF which she y
n swore she would not be the instrume
a. blind or otherwise, the facts might
IN disclosed which would enable Newbo
to- claim her openly and honorably, wit
Id out hesitation before or remorse a
n err, as his wife. This fascinating fla
ID Of expectant, hopeful feeling g
rs thought unworthy Of her and stro
is to fight It down, but with manifest Il
is possibility.
1t has taken time to set these thin
d, down; to speak or to write is sic
ne process, and the ratio between outwa
he expressions and inward is as great
&C. that between light and sound. Gu,
er lions and answers between these thr
ct followed as swiftly as thrust and par
between accomplished swordsmen, a
to yet between each demand and rel
he they had time to entertain these sw
on thoughts-as the drowning compa
er life experiences in seconds!
Id. 81 may not be her friend" said Ar
IT. strong steadily, but she left me
at these mountains a month ago W
Oh more than half way promise to m
cir ry me, and have sought her throu
ID. the SHOWS to claim the fulhllment.'
on "You never told me that" exclalm
to Newbold sternly and again address,
en- the woman rather than the man.
CHI There was nothing to tell" she
ns. swered quickly, 81 was a young g
zee heart free; l liked this man, perha
40 because he was so different from tho
cts to whom had been accustomed, a
It'll when he pressed his suit upon me
told him the truth, | did not Il