The Delta independent., 1914-12-18
CHAPTER ~.
The New Judith.

to the Star-Smltten surface OF a night
bound pool.
And for little she lay unstirring.
her halfnumb wits fumbling with
their business of renewing acquaint-
ance with the world.
At first she could by no means rec
ognize her surroundings This rude
chamber of rough plank walls and
primitive furnishings; this wide. hard
couch she shared with her still slum-
bering sister. Rose: the view revealed
by an open window at the bedside:
a fair perspective of tree-clad noun
tains through which a wide-bosomed
canyon rolled down to an emerald
plain. conveyed nothing to her intel
ligence.
formless sense OF some epochal
change in the habits and mental proc
esses of young lifetime. added to
her confusion.
Who was she herself. this strange
creature who rested here so calmly
by the side of Rose? II she were
Judith Trine. how came she to be
there? Irreconcilable opposites in
every phase OF character. the sisters
had sedulously avoided association
with each other ever since childhood;
they had not shared the shelter OF
four walls overnight since time be
yond the bour ds OF ludlth's memory.
What. then. had so changed them both
that they should be found in such
close company
What. indeed had become OF the
wild thing. Judith Trine Of yesterday?
Surely she had little enough in com
mon with this Judith OF today. in
whose heart was no more room for
envy. hatred. malice or any uncharit-
ableness. so full was It OF love which.
though 1t was focused upon the person
of one man. none the less embraced
all the world-even her sister and
snceessful rival In that one mans af.
fections.
This change had not come upon her
without warning. She had been al
most insensibly aware OF its advent
through the gradual softening OF that
old Judith's hard and vengeful nature
In the course OF the last few days.
But now that the revolution was ac-
complished. she hardly knew herself
SO differently did she regard it-not
without something of the wide-eyed
wonderment OF child to find all
things so new and strange and beauti-
full
And this was the work of Love,
Now the chain of memories was
quite complete. no link lacking In its
continuity. She recalled clearly every
incident that had marked the slow
growth of this great love she had for
Alan Law. from that first day. not yet
a month old when he had escaped the
fiery deathtrap she had set for him
and repaid her only by risking his life
anew to save her from destruction.
down to this very morsling when the
stream from n hydraulic nozzle had
swept over the brink OF n three hun
dred-foot precipice a crimson racing
automobile containing two desperate
men bent upon comprising the death
OF her beloved
By that act OF sheer self-defense
the world was richer for the loss of
two black-hearted blackguards. and
Alan Law might now be considered
safe from further persecution-since
there now remained not one soul loyal
enough to Seneca Trine TO prosecute
his private war of vengeance against
Alan. And though that aged mono
maniac had means whereby he might
purchase other scoundrels and cor
ruPt them to his hideous purposes.
Judith was determined that he should
never again have any opportunity so
to do. Though Alan. she knew. would
never lift his hand to hinder her
fathers freedom of action. she. Judith.
meant to take such steps as his perse-
cution called for. II there were any
justice In the land-if there were any
alienists capable OF discriminating be-
tween Trine's apparent sanity and his
deep.rooted mania-then surely not
many days more should pass into his
tory without witnessing his consign-
ment to an institution for the crimi-
nal insane.
She, Judith. would see to that. and
then -.
The woman sighed once more.
Then Rose and Alan would marry
and live happily ever after.
But what of judith?
She made a small gesture OF resig-
nation to her destiny What became
OF her nc longer mattered. so that
Alan we're made happy in such hap
piness as he coveted
And now the thought stirred her
sharply that what was to be done
must be done quickly, II at all.
And the almost level rays of the
docliuinp uuu sf rikiuy In fhrnuph thu
open window. counseled haste II Judith
were to accomplish her intention OF
leaving this place and finding her
father again before nightfall.
With the utmost care she rose from