The Madison daily leader. [volume] (Madison, S.D.) 1890-current, 1913-02-14

came In across the open gallery front.
Night came, night unbroken by more
than a few nights In all the myriad
windows of this stately monument
which John Rawn had builded as proof
of his personal success. Vehicles,
passing slowly, held occupants staring
in curiosity at this vast, vacant pile.
Human sympathy lacked, human aid
there was not.
Thus 1t CHANGED easily that there
passed up the long driveway of Gray
stone Hall, almost unnoticed, a vehicle
carrying one who seemed a stranger
there; an elderly, rather tall woman
of gray hair and questionable garb,
who made such insistence with the
servant at the door that at length she
won her way through.
Her errand seemed not one OF curl
| osity, nor did she lack in decision.
She left upon the table an old-fash-
Toned reticule. and following the ad-
vice given her, In reply TO her ques,
ton, passed up the stair and down
the upper hall, to the room where lay
Grace Halsey and her child. There.
unknown by any of the household and
accepted by those whose professional
duties took them thither, she remained
for many hours. Halsey and Virginia
Rawn did not know of her coming.
II was q cold Homecoming. also,
which awaited John Rawn. But he
came at last. TO meet that which was
for him to encounter. II was night.
The lights were few and dim. None
greeted him at his own gate, none
even at his own door. which was left
unguarded. AT length he found the
solitary footman-butler. asleep in a
chair. the worse for wine.
Where is she?" he demanded.
Where is Mrs. Rawn?"
He turned before he could be CO.
herently answered, and passed down
the hall toward the library, through
whose closed doors he saw a faint
light cleaning.
Something impelled John Rawn to
hesitate. He stood, himself the very
picture of despair, his face drawn,
haggard. ~unshayen, his hair disor-
dered. his hands twitching. He must
find his wife, he said To himself; he
must ask her what success she had
had with their last hope. Yes, yes, 1t
must be true! With Halsey's aid he
would yet win! II she had won-Hal-
sey would yet be on his side-Halsey
would tell him-Halsey would go back
TO the factory
But John Rawn hesitated at this
door. He felt, rather than knew. be-
heyed rather than was advised, that
his wife was beyond that door. He
waited. apprehensive, but kept up with
himself the pitiful pretense of self
deception. All, power, control, CON-
mandi--those were the great things
OF the world, he reasoned. True, he
knew his daughter lay dead In her
room on the floor above-the paper he
held in his hand told him that: for at
last the doctor had prepared his state
ment regarding Mrs. Halsey's death
by heart failure"-the rich and all
akin to them always die respectfully.
In a house so large as Graystone Hall.
But 1t was too late to save her. Rawn
reasoned. Let the dead bury the dead.
The larger things must outweigh the
smalA He first must know what his
wife had done with Halsey.
To the tense, strained nerves Of
John Rawn the truth was now as an
parent as 1t had been to the sensibili-
ties of all these others, late friends,
servants, sycophants. Ruin was here.
In his citadel. his castle of pride. Only
one thing could save him. He