The Bon Homme County independent. [volume] (Tabor, S.D.) 1904-1913, 1912-09-19

II AAO y Sh1ACH AN0u W NAhAAAn 49,
first. He Is broken and i'll: he has
more than one foot in the grave. The
trial and the scandal couldn't be Kept
/ from him; 1t would be bound to leak
out sooner or later. 1t would be too
big a scandal. and IL would kill him
outright. Then, you see, Lou, IL would
never do! J. should be Earl of Rad
clyffe and a felon--it wouldn't do, now
| would IT.? Who has ever heard of a
peer undergoing q life sentence-or be-
ing hanged? 1T wouldn't do--you know
1t wouldn't do
He reiterated this several times, with
quaint insistence, as IL he were discuss
ing with her the possibility or ifnpos-
sibility OF attending a race meeting,
or q ball ia Lent, b proving abstinate.
She did not reply. leaving him to
lrarnble on In his somewhat wild speech,
hoping that IL she let him talk on un-
fnterruptedly. he would sooner or later
betray something of that enigma which
lay hidden behind the wooden mask
which he still SO persistently wore.
Besides" he continued, stir arSu-
Ing, there's Frank to think of--rhe
next heir to the title. I believe that
people in penal servitude live an un-
conscionable time-especially IL they
are wanted to die. Think Of poor, old
Frank waiting to come into HIS own
Into an old title held by a felon. II Is
all much too much OF a muddle, Lou.
It Is simpler that I should GO"
But" h said, really trying now to
speak as simply, as calmly as he did
himself. "all these arguments which
you are using now. Luke, will equally
apply If you make yourself a fugitive
from Justice"
"Oh, L shouldn't be that for very
long!" he said lightly. =.
you are thinking of suicide?"
NO" he replied simply, Il am not.
Only Of the chances Of a wandering
"9ou seem to look at every chance,
Luke. except one"
which one Is that"
That though you might be arrested,
though you might be accused and even
tried for the murder of-of"that IAN
truth might come out, and your in
nocence proved"
That would be impossible, Lou" he
said quietly.
"Why--in heavens name, Luke" she
exclaimed ~passionately, "why?"
My dagger stick was found inside
the ratings Of the park-and the stains
on 1t are irrefutable proofs"
That's only ctrcumstantial evidence"
she argued, you can demolish II. If
you choose"
Il cannot" he replied. Il should
plead guilty-Mr. Dobson says that II
1 plead guilty, counsel can plead eX-
tenuating Observation-Disclosures pro-
vocation and so forth-and I might get
a more lenient sentence"
Luke" she said, looking him
straight in the face. compelling his eyes
to meet hers, for in their clear depths
she meant to read the truth, to compel
the truth at last. He had never lied
in his life. II he lied now she would
know IT. she. would read it in his face.
Luke! You are shielding some n by
taking the crime on our own Shout
ders."
But his eyes remained perfectly clear
and steady as they gazed straight into
hers. There was not a shadow In
them, not a culver, as he replied quiet
ly:
"No, Lou, 1 am shielding no one."
ut, was you who killed that man
Philip de Mountford-or Paul Baker
whoever he may be?"
And he answered her firmly, looking
steadily into her face:
TT was T."
She said nothing more then, but rose
to her feet, and went quite close up to
him. With a gesture that had no
thought OF passion in 1t, only sublime,
motherly love, she took Luke's head
I both her hands and pressed it to her
heart. 6 - #' #
MY poor old Luke." she murmured.
She smoothed his hair as a
mother does to an afflicted
child; the motherly instinct was up in
arms now, ever fighting the womanly,
the passionate instinct Of a less self
less love. She bent down and kissed
his forehead. -..a.. . n
Luke" she said gently, ut would do
you such a lot of good II you would only
let yourself. 60" ~ 4
He had contrived to get hold of her
hands; those hands which he loved so
dearly, with their soft, rose tinted palms
and the scent OF sweet peas which
chung to them. His own hot fingers
closed on those small hands. She stood
before him, tall, elegant-not beautiful!
Louisa Harris had never been beauti-
full, nor yet a fairy princess Of ro-
mance-only a commonplace women!
A woman OF the world, over who's
graceful form, her personality even,
convention invariably threw her man
tle-but a woman for all that-with
a passion burning beneath the crust of
worldly ans froid-with heart attuned
to feel every culver, every sensation of
Joy and Of pain. A woman who loved
with every fiber in her-who had the
supreme gift of merging self In love
OF giving all, her soul, her heart, her
mind n every thought woman who
reused every chord OF passion in a
mans heart-the woman whom men
adore!
And now as Luke de Mountford held
ner nanuS, ana she STOOD close beside
him, her breath coming and going In
quick gasps, with the suppressed ex-
element of latent self sacrifice, her
eyes glowing and fearless, he half slid
from the chair on which he was. sitting
and one knee was on the ground, and
his face turned UP to hers.
He, almost smiled as she repeated,
with a little sigh:
II o would only let yourself goI"
IF 1 would let myself dwindle down
to the level OF drivilkng FOOLS" he said,
God knows, Lou, 1t would be easy
enough now, when I hold those lovely
little hands OF yours, and the scent of
sweet peas which m from your
dear self reminds me Of summer, of old
fashioned gardens of enduring peace.
Lou! / dare not even kiss your hands.
and yet my whole body aches with the
longing to press my lips on them. You
see how easily / drift into being a driv-
elltng fool? Would to God / could lie
on h ground here before you and feel
the soles OF your feet on my neck. How
lucky slaves were in olden days,
weren't they? They could kneel before
their mistress and h would place her
naked foot upon their necks. I am a
dwelling fool, you see--I talk and talk
and let the moments slip BY am go
ing, Lou, n this Is the vision which
I am taking with me-, the last impress
sion which will dwell In my memory,
when memory itself viii seem only a
dream. You, Lou, standing just here,