The Miller press. [volume] (Miller, S.D.) 190?-current, 1914-10-22

only stare at the open door. A small,
hatchet-faced man had come up from
below and was nodding his head to
Leslie Wrandall-a man with short
side whiskers. and a sepulchral look
in his eyes. Then, having received a
sign from Leslie, he tiptoed away. Al
most instantly the voices of people
singing softly came from somesdistant
remote part of the house.
And then, a little later, the per-
fectly modulated voice Of a man in
prayer.
Back Of her, Wrandalls; beside her,
! Wraadalls; beneath her, friends of the
Wrandalls; outside, the rabble, those
who would join with these black,
rayen-like specters in tearing her to
pieces if they but knew!
The droning voice came up from be-
low. each w%ell-chosen word distinct
and clear: tribute beautiful TO the ire
proachable character of the deceased.
Leslie watched the face of the girl,
curiously fascinated by the set, emo
tionless features, and yet without a
conscious interest in her. He was
duly sensible to the fact that she was
beautiful, unCommonly beautiful. 1t
did not occur to him TO feel that she
was out of place among them, that she
belonged down Stare. Somehow she
vas a part Of the surroundings, like
the specter at the feast.
II he could have witnessed all that
transpired while Sara wos in the room
below with her guest-her companion,
as he had ONE to regard her without
having in fact been told as much-he
would have been lost In a maze of the
most overwhelming emotions.
To go back, The door had barely
closed behind the two women when
Hetty's trembling knees gave way be-
meath her. With a low moan of hor-
ror, she slipped to the floor, covering
her face with her hands.
Sara knelt beside her.
Come" she said gently, but firmly;
II mist exact this much Of you. If
we are 10 80 on together, as we have
planned, yTu must stand beside me at
his bier. Together We must look upon
him for the last time. You must see
him as l srw him up there in the
country. hal my cruel blow that
night. II is your turn now. / will not
blame you for what you did. But If
you expect me to go on believing that
you did a brave thing that night, you
must convil-3e me that you are not a
coward now. = is the only test l shall
put you to. CC.ae; | know ii is hard,
l know 1t is terrible, but 1t is the true
test of your ability to go through with
it to the end. ! shall know then that
you have the courage to face anything
that may come up"
She waited a long time, her hand on
the girls shoulder. At last Hetty
arose.
you are right" she said hoarsely.
II should not be afraid"
Later on they sat over against the
wall beyond the casket, into which
they had peered with widely varying
emotions. Sara had said:
you know hat | loved him."
The girl put her hands to her eyes
and bowed her head.
"Oh, how can you be so merciful
to me?"
Because he was not" said Sara,
white-lipped. Hetty glanced at the
h~alf-averted face with queer, indescrib-
able expression in her eyes.
If Leslie Wrandall could have looked
In upon them at that moment, or at
any time during the half an hour that
followed, he would have known who
was the slayer of his brother, but 1t
is doubtful if he could have had the
heart to ~denounce her to the world.
When they were ready to leave the
room Hetty had regained control of