The Miller press. [volume] (Miller, S.D.) 190?-current, 1914-03-19

she left Upon the raDie an oId-rasn-
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 a cold homecoming, also,
which awaited John Rawn. But he
came at last, to meet that which was
for him to encounter. 1t 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, it
must be true! With Halsey's aid he
would yet win! If 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-
lieved rather than was advised, that
his wife was beyond that door. He
waited, a~pprehensive, 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 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
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 ap-
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
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 Rawr's
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
won!
They stood before, him, those two,
silent, face to face. embraced; their
arms about each other ever as he
flung wide the door. They turned to
him now, ~stupefied, so weary, SO over
strained, that their arms still hung,
embraced. The face of each was
white. de~solate, 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. s%tupefied, 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 hall. Rawn straight
ened himself up. threw his chest out.
Yes, she had won-she had done her
task! She held Charles Halsey fast
therein her embrace. He. John
Rawn. multimillionaire, collector of
rare objects. one Of Gods anointed
rich, had the s%hrewdest wife the world
had ever seen, the most beautiful. the
most successful!
Had he not seen-was it not there
before his eyes? She had his one en-
~ ~@Nn~ ~