River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1913-06-12


An hour later when the covering
was turned back from the dead body
Stuart saw that the smooth little cold
hand had gripped the key to his treas
ures in last instructive grasp.
He looked again at the lump of cold
clay and wondered what was passing
in the soul of the woman who was
now the heir of all his millions.
Why had she shown such strange
and abject terror over his death-an
event she had foreseen and desired?
horrible suspicion suddenly flashed
through his mind He determined to
know ar once.
AS he had feared. Nan refused point
blank to enter the death chamber and
asked him to come to her boudoir.
He found her standing by a win
dow. apparently calm. Stuart looked
at her a moment with a curious de-
tached interest. Suddenly aware of
his presence she turned.
AT last, at lastr' she cried in low
broken accents. ''Oh, dear God, how
long I've waited and despaired! At
last we may belong to each other for
everybody and soulI Nothing else mat
tiers now, does it? We shall forget all
the blank hideous years; you'll forget
it. won't you, dearest? You'll forgive
me-now-say that you willY
"Tve long ago forgiven, Nan. but tell
me about this sudden attack. You were
with him when he was stricken?"
Eyes. l took the nurses place at
midnight; 1 couldn't sleep"
"How long did you stay with him?"
until | called you"
"And you gave him the medicine in
the absence of the nurseY
"Only one" she answered, hesitat-
ngly. "a particular kind the doctor
had not prescribed, but which he
! asked for to relieve his pain"
HE asked you for medicine, Nam?
| he went on remorselessly. "a poison
Gus powder-and you gave him one"
eyes"
"And you're sure you gave him but
| one?"
HE was begging for two-I might
have given them both-it's possible, Of
course"
| He gazed at her with a look of pity.
"I know that you did, Nan, know 1t
as certainly as if | stood by your side
and saw you press it to his lips"
"You know. Jim?" she cried feebly.
her head dropping low.
"And you feel no remorse"
"Why should /? His death seemed
only a question of days
| "From the bottom of my heart pity
YOUR Stuart broke in softly. 1.-The state
will never reach your act with the law.
! But the big thing is you have no con-
seriousness of guilt and feel no remorse
| because you have no soul. You have
only desires and impulses. That's why
| you couldn't wait for me to earn my
fortune honestly and so betrayed me
| for gold. | can see it all now. Your
beauty has blinded me-"
For Gods sake. JIM" she cried
| fiercely. "don't-dOn't talk like that!
can't endure it! You don't mean, you
can't mean that you are going to turn
! from me now, just when I've found
your love! | did it for your
Stuart looked at her through a mist
Of tears.
1.-THE spell is broken. Nan, dear; our
romance is ended. l don't say 1t in
pride or anger; l say it in sorrow-a
great deep, plying sorrow that cuts
| and hurts!'
| The woman understood. She had at
| last passed out of his world. Only the
| memory of a girl he had once loved
and idealized remained. and that mem
ory was now unapproachable The liv-
| Ing woman was no longer the figure In
the mental picture. The struggle was
| over.
He extended his hand, clasped hers.
bowed and kissed it, turned and
walked quickly toward the door With
a half smothered cry she followed.
"Jim"'
! He paused and turned again. facing
her with look Of infinite sadness.
Remember" she said brokenly, 81
never expect to see you again-we can
not meet after this. l am looking into
( your dear face now with the anguish Of
a broken heart strangling me. You
| cannot leave like this-we have been
too much to each other"
He took her in his arms and held her
close.
"Forgive me, DEAR" he whispered,
reverently kissing her as he would
have pressed the lips of the dead. II
didn't mean to be cruel-goOdby."
The door of the great house softly
closed and he was gone. A few mo-
ments later the servants found her
limp form lying in a swoon on the
floor.
Strangers no longer live in the cot
tage Stuart built on the hills. A jaunty
sailboat mods at the buoy near the
waters edge The drone Of bees from
the fruit trees in full bloom on the
terraces promise a luscious harvest In
the summer and fall. The lawn Is a
wilderness of flowers and shimmering
green The climbing roses on the
southeastern side of the house have
covered it to the very caves Of the
roof Stuart has just cut them away
from Harriet's window because they
interfered with her view of the bay
and sea and towering hills they love
so we'll And the grooming Of a little
mother over baby's cradle fills the
home with music sweeter to it's builder
than any note ever heard in grand
opera.
THE END.