The Washburn times. [volume] (Washburn, Wis.) 1896-1976, 1912-08-15


laws of honor as we'll as he. Chance,
nay Providence, had put the honor
of this woman, her rival, IN her
hands. The world had long since
forgotten this poor unfortunate; In
no heart was her memory cherished
save in that of her husband. HIS
idea of her was a false one to be
sure, but not even to procure her
own happiness could Enid Maitland
overthrow that ideal, shatter that
memory.
She sat down again with the let
tiers in her hand. 1t had been very
simple moment since, but 1t was
not so now. She had but to show
him those letters to remove the great
barrier between them She could not
do 1t. 1t was clearly impossible. The
reputation of her dead sister who
had struggled so bravely to the end
was in her hands, she could not sac
rifice her even for her own happi-
ness.
"Quixotic, you say? do not think
so. She had blundered unwittingly,
unwillingly, upon the heart secret OF
the other woman she could not be-
tray it. Even If the other woman
had been really unfaithful in deed as
well as in thought to her husband
Enid could hardly have destroyed his
recollection of her. How much more
impossible it was since the other wo-
man had fought S, heroically and SO
successfully for her honor. Woman
hood demanded her silence. Loyal
ty, honor, compelled Ter silence.
A dead hand grasped his heart and
the same dead hand grasped hers.
She could see nc way out of the diff
ficulty. So far as she knew no hui
man soul except old Kirkby and her
self knew this woman's story. She
could not tell Newbold and she
would have to impose upon Kirkby
the same silence as she herself
exercised. There was absolutely
no way in which the man could
find out. He must cherish bis dream
as he would. She would not enlight-
en- him. she would not disabuse his
mind, she could not shatter his ideal,
she could not betray his wife. They
might love as the angels of heaven
and yet be kept forever apart-by
a scruple, an idea, principle. an alb
straction, honor, a name.
Her mind told her these things
were idle and foolish, but her soul
would not hear of it. And In spite of
her resolutions she felt that even
tually there would be some way. She
would not have been a human wo-
man If she had not hoped and prayed
that che believed that God had Gre
ated them for each other, that he
had thrown them together. She was
enough of fatalist in this instance
at least to accept their intimacy as
the result of His ordination. There
must be some way out of the diem
ma.
Yet she knew that he would be
true to his belief and she felt that
she would not be false to her obli-
CATION. What of that? There would
be some way Perhaps somebody
else knew, and then there flashed
into her mind the writer of the let
tiers. Who was he? Was he yet
alive? Had he any part to play in
this strange tragedy aside from that
he had already assayed?
Sometimes an answer to secret
query is made openly. At this juno
ture Newbold came back. He
stopped before her unsteadily, his face
now marked not only by the fierce
ness Of the storm outside, but by
the fiercer grapple of the storm in
his heart.
you have right he began, ito
know everything now can with
hold nothing from you"
He had in his hand a picture and
something yellow that cleaned in
the light. There he continued ex-
tending them toward her, SIS the pic
ture of the poor woman who loved
me and whom killed. you saw it
once before"
YES" she nodded, taking it from
him carefully and looking again in
a strange commixture of pride, re-
sentiment and pity at the bold, some
what coarse, entirely uncultured, yet
handsome face which gave no evil
dence Of the moral purpose which
she had displayed
"And here" said the man offering
the other article, "is something that
no human eye but mine has ever
seen since that day. 1t is a locket
I took from her neck. Until you
came l wore it next to my heart"
"And since then?"
Since then / have been unworthy
her as / am unworthy you. and I
have Put it aside"
Does it contain another picture?'
YES"
"Of herr"
"a mans face"
"Yours?"
He shook his head
Look and see," he answered.
press the spring"
Suiting action to word, the next
second Enid Maitland found herself
gazing upon the pictured semblance
of Mr.. James Armstrong! She was
utterly unable to suppress an excla-
nation and start of surprise at the
astonishing revelation. The man
looked at her curiously; he opened
his mouth to question her but she
recovered herself in part at least and
swiftly interrupted him in panic
of terror lest she should betray her
knowledge.
"And what Is the picture of anoth-
er man doing in your wife's locket?''
she asked TO gain time, for she very