Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1913-01-30


one human soul ON this earth! II
could only have won a girls heart
when was poor Rut | was rich.
and I've always wondered whether
she really loved me for my own sake.
At least I've always thanked God for
you. You've been real friend, Our
hearts were young together and you
stood by me when-l-waS-poo
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 a last instructive grasp,
He looked again ut 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?
A horrible suspicion suddenly flashed
through his mind. He determined to
know at once
As he had feared, Nan refused point
blank to enter the death chamber and
asked him to come to her boudor
He found her standing by a win,
dow, apparently calm. Stuart looked
at her a moment With curious de
tached interest. Suddenly aware OF
his presence she turned.
AT last, At last"' 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 soul, Nothing else mat.
tiers now, does it? We shall forget all
the blank hideous years; you'll forget
1t, won't you. dearest? You'll forgive
me-now-say that you willY'
I've long ago forgiven, Nan, but tell
me about this sudden attack. You were
with him when he was stricken?"
Eyes. | took the nurses place at
midnight; couldn't sleep"
How long did you stay with himT
Until | called you"
And YOU gave him the medicine i'm
the absence of the nurse?'
Only one" she answered. hesitat-
ingly, "a particular kind the doctor
had not prescribed. but which he
asked for to relieve his pain"
HE asked you for medicine. NanY'
he went on remorselessly "A poison
Gus powder-and you gave him one?"
Yes"
And you're sure you gave him but
one?"
"He was begging for two--l might
have given them both-it's possible, Of
course"
He gazed at her with look of pity.
II know that you did, Nan, know 1t
as certainly as If | stood by your side
and saw you press 1t to his lips"
you know. Jim?" she cried feebly.
her head dropping low.
And you feel no remorse"
"Why should |? His death seemed
only question of days
"From the bottom of my heart pity
your Stuart broke in softly. 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
iercely, "don't-don't talk like that!
can't endure 1t! 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 you!"
Stuart looked at her through a mist
of tears.
THE spell is broken. Nan. dear; our
romance is ended ! don't say 1t In
pride or anger; | say it In sorrow-a
great deep. plying sorrow that cuts
and hurtsr'
The woman understood. She had at
last passed out OF his world. Only the
memory of girl he had once loved
and idealized remained. and that mem
DRY was now unapprOachabe. 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 II. 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 brokeny. ~
never expect to see you again-we can
not meet after this. 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. few mo-
ments later the servants found her
limp form lying In a swoon on the
floor
Strangers no longer live in the cot