The Watertown weekly leader. [volume] (Watertown, Jefferson County, Wis.) 1912-1917, 1915-01-05
CHAPTER XIV.
ChanueLinu.

and desolate dawn, Judith stirred alb
! ruptly on the couch of a sleepless
night, and with the rapidity of one
VINO has arrived at a settled purpose
after long period of doubt and per-
plexlty, rose and bathed and dressed
herself in negligee.
III the adjoining room she could hear
! small, stealthy notes.-the sounds
made by her sister moving about and
preparing against the unguessable mo-
ment when her rescue would be at
tempted, according to the information
conveyed in that midnight message.
For chance had conspired with her
insomnia to station Judith in the re-
cess of her darkened window, idly
viewing the gaunt framework of the
unfinished building from an angle
which, when Alan edged out along the
girder, showed him plainly in silhou-
cite against the sky.
In Judith's eyes his identity was un-
mlstakable. She had hardly needed
the night-glasses which presently she
brought to bear upon him at the mo-
ment when he was laboriously inditing
his message-while grim death staIked
him from behind
She had seen him throw the watch
and had heard the double thump of it's
impact with the wall and floor of
Roses bedchamber.
And she had witnessed with wildly
beating heart that duel in the air
able to surmise it's outcome only from
the fact that the victor spared the life
of the vanquished.
The infatuate chivalry of that man
So, then. she had known that a mes
sage had been delivered to Rose-and
had taken no steps to learn it's i'm
port or Illustrate whatever plan of res
cue it proposed.
That was not like her: but then she
was so unlike herself, that night, that
she scarcely recognized anything in
her-but only the counterfeit Judith of
her dressing-table mirror.
A dozen emotions tore at her heart
and mind. She was estranged from
the father to whom she had heretofore
accorded passionate and answering
devotion. She was at odds with his
creature, Marrophat, because she had
repulsed his overtures at love-making.
And the DID, not unkindly but rather
compassionate contempt in which she
had ever held her sister, Rose, because
Of her inability to comprehend the gen
ture, had been transmitted into violent
hatred
And all because it had been her des-
tiny to learn to love the man who
loved her sister and was loved by her
in turn
acid in her heart
The pain of that unnerved her, bring
ing her to this present stage of weak
ness and infirmity of purpose.
But that she could no longer suffer
this state of affairs to endure was the
one clear fact on the horizon Of her
tempestuous soul.
And ultimately it brought her to her
feet in a second seizure of desperate
determination.
The clock was striking six as she
left her room: across the street work
ingmen were streaming into the build
ing to begin the labors of the day.
Brushing unceremoniously past the
.drowsy and Indifferent guard in the
corridor outside the door to Roses
room, Judith turned the key that re-
NAMED in the lock on the outside, re-
moved it, entered, and locked the door
behind her.
Without any surprise she found her
sister already dressed to the point of
donning her outer garments
Rendered half-frantic by this unex-
pected interruption, threatening as it
did the perilous scheme that Alan had
proposed, Rose greeted her sister with
a countenance at once aghast and
wrathful
What do you want?" she demanded
tensely.
ITO come to an understanding with
you" Judith told her coolly
There is 70 understanding possible
between us: you know that as well as
l."
"Yet one there must be-
SCI insist that you leave this room at
once!"
Insist by all means-and be
damned! l may leave this room-and
l may not, dear little sister. But one
of us will never leave it alive"
With a start of terror, Rose shrank
back from this strange, wild thing
that wore the very shape and SEM
blance Of herself.
mean to murder me in cold blood,
JUDITH"
Not T." Judith laughed narshly.
But, since it has pleased Destiny to
decree that we must both love one
man-let Destiny decide between US
and bear the blame of murderl"
Judith"
zone moment" Crossing to a side
table, Judith took up a glass from a
tray that held silver water-pitcher,
and returned with it to the table that
occupied the middle of the floor. At the
same time she opened hand till then
fast clenched and disclosed a small
blue bottle with a red label shrieking
the warning "POISON!"
"Strychnine," she explained COM
posedly, "in solution" And emptied
the bottle into the glass.