The Miller press. [volume] (Miller, S.D.) 190?-current, 1914-12-31

| tive. She was Sara's superior in ev-
cry respect, Infinitely so, he argued.
And yet there was something in Sara
that could crowd this adored one. this
| perfect one out OF his thoughts for the
time being. He found It difficult to
concentrate his thoughts on Hetty
Castleton.
How white and Ill Sara had looked
when she said good night to him at
the door! The memory OF her dark,
mysterious eyes haunted him; he
could see them in the night about him.
They had been full of pain; there were
torrents OF tears behind them. They
had glistened as il FURNISHED by the
fires of fever.
Even as he wrote his long, trium-
plant letter to Hetty Castleton, the
picture OF Sara Wrandall ~encroached
upon his mental vision. He could not
drive 1t out. He thought OF her as
she had appeared to him early In the
spring; through all the varying stages
Of their growing intimacy; through the
interesting days when he vainly tried
to translate her matchless beauty by
means OF wretched pigments; up to
this present hour in which she was
revealed, and yet not revealed. to him.
Her vivid face was always before him.
between his eyes and the thin, white
paper on which he scrubbed SO eager
ly. Her feverish eyes were looking
into xs; she was reading what he
wrote before it appeared on the snr-
face of the sheet!
His letter to Hetty was a triumph
OF skill and diplomacy, achieved after
many attempts. He found 1t hard not
to say too much, and quite as difficult
not to say too little. He spent hours
over this all-important missive. At
last II was finished. He read and re-
read 1t, searching for the slightest
flaw: a fatal word or suggestion that
might create in her mind the slightest
doubt as to his sincerity. She was
sure to read this letter a great many
times, and always with the view to
finding something between the lines:
such as pity, resignation, an enforced
conception of loyalty, or even faith!
He meant that she should find moth
ing there but love. 1t was full OF ten
d~erness, full OF hope. full Of promise.
He was coming to her with a stead
fast, enduring love in his heart. he
wanted her now more than ever before.
There was no mention Of Challis
Wrandall. and but once was Sara's
name used. There vas nothing In
the letter that could have betrayed
their joint secret to the most acute
outsider, and yet she would under
stand that he had wrung everything
from Sara's lips. Her secret was his.
He decided hat it would not be safe
to anticipate the letter by a cable
gram. 1t was not likely that any mes.
sage he could send would have the
desired effect. Instead of reassuring
her, in all probability it would create
fresh alarm.
Sleep did not come to him until after
three o'clock. At two he got up and
deliberately added a postscript to the
letter he had written. 1t was in the
insure Of a poignant plea for Sara
Wrandall. Even as he penned these
lines, he s~huddered at the thought Of
what she had planned to do to Hetty
Castieton. Staring hard at the black
window before him, the pen still ir
his hand, he allowed his thoughts tc
dwell sc intimately on the subject Of
his well-meant postscript that her
ashen face with its burning eyes
seemed to take shape In the night
beyond. 1t was a long time before
he could get rid Of the illusion. After
wards he tried to c~onjure up Hetty's
face and to drive out the likeness OF
the other woman, and found that he
could not recall a single feature in the
face Of the girl he loved!
When he reached Southlook In the
morning. he found that nearly all of
the doors and windows were boarded
up. Wagons werc standing in the
stable yard. laden with trunks and
crates. Servants without livery were
scurrying about the halls There was
an air OF inality about their move
ments.
"Yes, sir" said Watson, In reply
to his question, I've are in a rush.
Mrs. Wrandall expects to close the
'ouse this evening. sir. We all go up
this afternoon. I suppose you know,
sir, we ave taken a new apartment
In town."
moi" exclaimed Booth.
Yes. sir. we ave. sir. They've
been decorating It for the pawst two
weeks. Seems like she didn't care for
the old n we 'ad. AS a matter of
fact. l didn't care much for 1t, either.
She's taken n of them Inexpensive
ones looking out over the park. sir.
You know we used to look out over
Madison avenue. sir, and God knows
It wasn't hinspirin'. Yes. sir. we go
up this afternoon. Mrs. Wrandall
will be down in a second. thank you.
SIR"
Booth actually was startled by her
appearance when she entered the
room a few minutes later. She looked
positively Ill.
MY dear Sara" he cried anxiously,
this Is too bad. You are making
yourself III. Come. come. this won't
do"
II shall be all right in a day or
two" she said. with a weary little