Iron County news. [volume] (Hurley, Wis.) 1913-1950, 1914-02-28

She left upon the table an oid-rash-
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.
1t was a cold Homecoming. also
which awaited John Rawn. But he
came at last, to meet that which was
for him 20 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. unshaven, 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! If she had won-Hal-
sey would yet be n his side-Halsey
wouldtell him-Halsey would go back
to the factory
But John Rawn hesitated at this
door. He felt, rather than knew, be-
/ lieved 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, com
mand!-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 failure1the rich and all
akin to them always die respectfully,
in 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
small. He first must know what his
wife had done with Halsey
To the tense, strained nerves OF
John Rawn the truth was now as APP
parent as it had been to the sensiblli-
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
hesitated at the door, held back from
that which he knew he was about to
face But no, he reasoned, she
was there alone. he must see her!
He flung open the folding doors and
stood holding them apart.
Yes. she was there! John Rawns
face drew into a CHASTITY smile Yes,
she had won! She, the wonderful
woman. had triumphed as he had
planned for her to triumph. She had
wont
They stood before, him, those two,
silent. face o face, embraced; their
arms about each other even as he
flung wide the door They turned to
him nov, stupefed. so weary. SO over
strained that their arms still hung,
embraced The face of each was
white. desolate, unhappy; more hope
less and desperate than terrified, but
horrible. They were lovers. They
loved. but what could love do for them.
so late? They had paid-but what
right had they to love. so late?
John Rawn. the man who had
wrought all this, stood and gazed.
CHASTITY. smiling Historically. at his
wife's face Why. then. should she be
unhappy? What was to be lost save
that which he. John Rawn, was los
ing-or had been about to lose?
But he was startled. stupefled, him
self. for one moment. He turned back.
hesitating; and so tiptoed away. leav-
ing them. although the joint knowl-
edge of all was obvious. They had
not spoken a word. had not started
apart. had only gazed at him like
dead persons. white. silent. motion
less-not lovers; no. not lovers.
For one-half instant. alone in the
wide and darkened tall. Rawn straight
eped himself up threw his chest out.
Yes, she had won-sEe had done her
task, She held Charles Halsey fast
therein her embracA lie. John
Rawz. multimillionaire. collector of
rare objects, one of Coos anointed
rich. had the shrevdest wine the world
had ever seen, the most beautiful. the
most successful!
Had ne not seen-was It nat there
before his eyes? She had his Sne en-
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