Forest City press. (Forest City, Potter County, D.T. [S.D.]) 1883-19??, 1915-04-28

Wait. I'll tell you. The day you
and Joan went out in the boat he
stayed at home that morning, you re-
member with a headache, he said. He
was lying on the couch in the library
when l came in. He called me in.
Aunt Rena was over town shopping.
Oh, Eric, l can't bear to tell YOU"
Go on he grated, his fingers work.
ing.
He asked me to sit down and read
to him. 1t would rest him, he said.
Pretty soon he asked me to stop and
I-when l started to put the cloth on
his forehead. he grabbed me n pulled
me down beside him. He-he
kissed me. Eric-oh. he held me
as if his arms were of iron. l
fought him, L tried to get away. i tried
to scream! He had not kissed me since
we We're little children. and oh, it a
so different. He said he'd kill me if l
didn't keep still. But 1 wouldn't keep
still. l was so afraid of him. / thought
| should die. AT asst l got away from
him and ran out of the room. He fol-
lowed and caught me in h hall. l
was so weak. go dreadfuly scared l
him off. He was holding me tight
and kissing me-Oh! OH" She closed
her eyes before going on His breath
was so hot. SO awful with cigarets. 1
was suffocating. 1 couldn't breathe.
He Kept saying, over and over again.
that it would be all right and that L
must never tell. hen the hall door
opened and Aunt Rena came in. 1
didn't see her. at first, but l knew
something had happened. for he sud
denly let go of me. l heard him say
a horrid word. under his breath. When
saw Aunt Rena l flew to her and
tried to tell her what had happened. 1
hnOCn0 hnp nNt 90 la l:-.
me-. But-Eric! Eric!"
She stopped short. her hands
clenched. He was trembling like a leaf.
and his jaws was working like that
of an animal. Veins stood out in his
forehead. He was seeing things red.
Eric" she moaned. "Aunt Rena
wouldn't listen to me. She turned on
me n pushed me away. calling me a
'hussy.' a wretch. oh. worse than
I couldn't make her understand.
L couldn't a her believe that l was
not to blame. She accused me of
everything dreadful. She said / was
leading Chetwynd nto-to do wicked,
low things. Oh. 1 ant tell you all she
said. was so stunned, so helpless.
When l begged him to tell her the
truth. he only grinned and told me to
smut up n take my medicine He
was through with me. | couldn't trifle
with him. That's what he said, Eric.
she believed him. She called him
her poor boy, her angel-Oh, / shall
never live through this, Eric. / want
to die"
Eric could not utter a word. His lips
moved, but only hoarse, i%narticulate
sounds came forth. She waited awhile.
then went on. drearily.
Aunt Rena wanted to turn me- out
into the street. but he objected to that.
he said L was not altogether to blame.
IN a sneering sort Of way. he made out
blame. She called him noble. gallant,
self-sacrificing! You should have
heard her. In the library he got her
TO promise not to say a word to Uncle
Horace about it. If 1 left the house. he
said. he would go. too. 1t scared her.
She said it was best to keep it all to
ourselves. l was to be given another
chance. And l was locked in nv room
because 1 said I would run away. She
kept me there all afternoon, all through
the storm. until Mrs. Presbrey came to
talk to me. l."
Her brother leaped to his feet. glar-
ing about X a wild beast.
1urlousiy. I'll beat her brains QUIT"
He started toward the gate, stagger-
ing blindly. Mary sped after him.
crashing his arm in frantic alarm.
Let go of met" he snarled. do
You suppose that cur can treat YOU
as he did and not pay for it? III kin
him." A
me. e Eric! @us dea r. 'fnai sten, bon: ss TO
such things. For my sake!"
Hes not fit to live! I've always
hated him. It would serve Aunt Rena
right. II I We're to kill her angel. her
darling. Let go. Mary! Just think Of
what he did to YOU"
murmuring over and over again
must not kill him. Thou shalt not Xiv
Thou shalt not kill"
What good does it do to preach?'
ne cried angrily. Nobody pays any
attention to the 10 commandments
nowadays. Why should II"
u do; Eric. I am not going to be
what tney say III be. Why should
you? Why should o commit muir
der? Do you want old Presbrey to say
i told you so.' when he goes to see
you In the goal? Do you want to he
hung. as thG man vas in Rideely
The one they always tell you
about? Oh. shouldn't have told you
what Chetwynd did to me. / wouldn't
have told you IL I'd thought you'd take
it like this"
me boys struggles and ranting
ceased abruptly. A pallor spread over
his ace The words murder" chung"
.Presbrey ran together In his brain.
creating a tumble out of which a cold
deathly calmness emerged. His mind
began to work in an entirely different
direction. Somehow. inexplicable to
him. q strange subtleness, a sharp
cunning. took the place Of blind rage
and despair. He suddenly. realized
now near he had been to doing the
very thing that would have proved
their estimate Of him even to their
own cost. To Mary's amazement, he
broke in upon her renewed pleadings
with q hoarse. unnatural laugh.