The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1915-04-21
The Trey o. Hearts
By Louis Joseph Vance

EEEE
Perhaps (she reasoned) the wealth.
er was responsible for this feeling, in
some measure at least. The day had
been Internationally hot, day with
out q breath of air. Now, as It drew
toward its close, it's heat seemed to be-
come more and more oppressive even
as its light was darkened by a por-
tentous phenomenon-a vast pail Of
inky cloud shouldering up over the
mountains to the music Of distant rum
blings.
Within another ten minutes the
man Judith loved with all her body
and soul would be the husband of her
sister.
She had told herself she was 70.
signed; but she was not, and she
would never be. Her heart was break.
ing in her bosom as she sat there,
watching, waiting. listening to the
ever heavier detonations Of the ap-
preaching thunderstorm and to the
jubilant pealing Of great organ down
below.
Tho had told herself that, though
resigned, she could not bear to wit.
ness the ceremony Now as the mo.
ment drew near when the marriage
would be . thing finished. fixed,
irretrievable, she found herself un.
able to endure the strain alone.
Slowly. against her will, she rose
and stole across the floor to her fa-
Tiers chair.
His breathing was slow and regu.
lar; beyond doubt he slept; unques.
tionably there was no reason why she
should not leave him for ten minutes;
even though he walked 1t could not
harm him to await her return at the
end Of that scant period.
Like guilty thing, on feet as noise
less as any sneak thief's, she crept
from the room, closed the door ST.
lently, ran down the hall and de-
scended by a back way, a little-used
staircase, to the lower hall, approach
ing the scene Of the marriage.
Constructed in imitation of an old
Spanish mission chapel, it contained
one Of the finest organs in the world
at this close range its deep-throated
tones Wed with the warnings of the
storm. Judith. lurking in passage
way whose open door revealed the
altar steps and chancel. was shaken
to the very marrow of her being by
the majestic reverberations Of the
music.
Since they had regained contact
with civilization in a section OF the
country where the Law estate had
vast holdings of land. the chapel was
thronged with men and women who
had known Alan's father and wished
to honor his son.
Above stairs, In the room Judith
had quilted. Seneca Trine opened
both eyes wide and laughed a silent
laugh Of savage triumph when the
door closed behind his daughter.
At last he was left to his own de-
vices-and at time the most fitting
imaginable for what he had in mind.
With q grin. Seneca Urine raised
both arms and stretched them wide
apart.
Then. grasping the arms Of his
chair, he lifted himself from 1t and
stood trembling upon his own feet for
the iarst time in almost twenty years.
Grasping the back of the wheeled
chair hn NOnA Anb~ % L.
his feeble and uncertain movements.
But these became momentarily
stronger and more confident.
This. then. was the secret he had
Rugged to his embittered bosom, q
secret unsupported even by the at
tending surgeon; that through the
motor accident three days ago he had
regained the use Of limbs that had
been stricken otionless-strangely
enough, by motor car-nearly two
decades since.
Slowly but surely moving to the
bureau In the room. he opened one
Of Its drawers and took out some.
thing he had. without her knowledge
seen Judith put away there while she
thought he slept.
Then. with this hidden In the
pocket of his dressing gown he
steered straight il very deliberate
course to the door. let himself out.
and like q materialized specter Of the
man he once had been, navigated the
corridor to the head Of the broad
central staircase and step by step,
clinging with both hands. negotiated
the descent.
The lobby Of the hotel was deserted.
Az the ceremony approached its end
every guest and servant in the house
was crowding the doorway to the
chapel None opposed the progress
OF this CHASTITY vision In dressing
gown and slippered feet. chuckling
insanely to himself as he tottered
through the empty halls and CORR.
doris. finding an almost supernatural
strength to sustain him till he found
himself face to face with his chosen
enemy and victim.
The first that blocked his way into
the chapel. q bellboy Of the hotel
looked round at the first touch of the
claw-like hand upon his shoulder and
shrank back with q cry OF terror-a
cry that was echoed from half q
dozen Threats within another instant.
As II from the path Of some grisly
visitant from the world beyond the
grave, the throng pressed back and
cleared a way for Seneca Trine. IN.
Their of the bride.