The Dolores star. [volume] (Dolores, Montezuma County, Colo.) 1901-current, 1915-03-12
TheHOllOW
- ) Of Her Hand
George Barr MoCutCheOn
2AEAn g. 0A9NV


'S"6W1 SSAs ~ SSSe<S
/ tive. She was sara's superior In ev-
cry respect. Infinitely 30. he argued.
And yet there was something In Sara
that could crowd this adored one. this
| perfect one out Of his thoughts for the
| time being. He found II dimcult to
concentrate his thoughts on Hetty
Castleton.
How white and III Sara had looked
when she said good night to him at
the door! The memory Of her dark.
mysterious eyes haunted him; no
could see them In the night about him.
They had been full Of pain: there were
torrents Of tears behind them. They
had slistened - II Furnished BY the
fires Of fever.
Even a. he wrote his long. trium-
plant letter to Hetty Castleton. the
picture Of Sara Wrandall sncroached
upon his mental vision. He could not
drive II out He thought Of her -
she had appeared to him early In the
spring; through all the varying stages
OF their growing intimacy; through the
interesting days when he vainly tried
to translate her matchless beauty by
means Of wretched pigments; up to
this present hour In which she was
revealed. and yet not revealed. to him.
Her vivid face was always before him.
between his eyes and the thin. white
paper on which he scribbled 20 eager
ly. Her fsverish eyes were looking
into his; she was reading what he
wrote before It appeared on the sur.
face Of the shesti
His letter to Hstty was . triumph
Of skin and diplomacy. achieved after
many attempts. He found 1t hard not
to say too much. and quite a. difiicult
not to say too little. He spent hours
over this all-important missive. At
last Il was finished. He read and re-
read II. searching for the slightest
fiaw: Q fatal word or suggestion that
might create In her mind the slightest
doubt - to his sincerity. She was
sure to read this letter . great many
times, and always with the view to
finding something between the lines:
such - pity. resignation. an enforced
conception Of loyalty. or even faith!
He meant that she should ind moth
ing there but love. It was full Of ten.
derness. full Of hope. full Of promise.
He was coming to her with . stead
fast, enduring love In his heart. he
wanted her now more than ever before.
There was no mention Of Challis
Wrandall. and but once was 6ara's
name used. There was nothing In
the letter that could have betrayed
their Joint secret to the most acute
outsider. and yet abe would under.
stand that he had wrung everything
from Sara's lips. Her secret was his.
He decided that It would not be safe
to anticipate the letter BY . cable
gram. 1t was not likely that any mes.
sage he could send would have the
desired effect. Instead Of reassurinE
her. In all probability It would create
ffoeA alarm.
0lssp did not come to him until after
three O'Clock. At two he got up and
deliberately added . postscript to the
letter he had written. II was In the
nature Of . poignant plea for Sara
Wrandall. Even as he penned these
lines. he shuddered at the thought OF
what she had planned to do to Hetty
csstleton. Staring hard at the black
window before him. the pen still In
his hand. he allowed his thoughts to
dwell 20 intimately on the subject Of
bis well-meant postscript that her
ashen face with It's burning eyes
seemed to take shape In the night
beyond. II was . long time before
he could get rid Of the illusion. After.
wards he tried to conjure up Hetty's
face and to drive out the likeness Of
the other woman. and found that he
could not recall single feature In the
face Of the girl he lovedi
when he reached Southlook In the
morning. he found that nearly all OF
tAs doors and windows were boarded
W. Wagons were standing In the
stable yard. laden with trunks and
crates. Servants without livery were
scurrying about the halls. There wsa
IN air OF nnality about their move.
msnts.
Yes. sir" said Watson. In reply
to his question. I'VE are In . rush.
Mrs. wrandall expects to close the
'ouse this evening. sir. We all 20 up
this afternoon. l suppose you know.
sir. we ave taken . new apartment
In town"
MOI" exclaimed Booth.
.Yaa air "a ave aip ThAv.ws