The Olneyville times. (Olneyville [Providence, R.I.]) 1887-1917, 1915-06-04
CHAPTER X-Continusd.

She had rather have died. nay. have
had Reuther die. than TO find herself
forced to weigh and decide so mo-
mentous a question.
For. however she might feel about
II, not a single illusion remained as TO
whose hand had made use of John
Scovilles stick TO strike down Alger-
non Etheridge. How could she have
when she came TO piece the whole
story together. and weigh the facts
she had accumulated against Oliver
with those which had proved so fatal
TO her husband?
Deborah shuddered. Aye, the mys-
terry had cleared, but only TO en-
shroud her spirits anew and make her
long with all her bursting heart and
shuddering soul that death had been
her portion before ever she had es.
sayed TO lift the veil held down so
tightly by these two remorseful men.
But was her fault irremediable?
The only unanswerable connection be-
tween this old crime and Oliver lay in
the evidence she had herself collected
AS she had every intention of sup
pressing this evidence, and as she had
small dread of any one else digging
out the facts to which she only pos
sessed clue. might she not hope that
any suspicious raised by her inquiries
would fall like a house of cards when
she withdrew her hand from the top
pling structure?
She would make her first effort and
see. Mr.. Black had heard her com
plant; he should be the first to learn
that the encouragement she had re-
ceive was so small that she had de-
cided to accept her present good luck
without further query, and not bark
back to past which most people had
buried
You began il, as women begin most
things, without thought and a due
weighing of consequences. And now
you propose to drop IT in the same
'freakish manner. Isn't that it?"
Deborah Scoville lifted her eyes in
manifest distress and fixed them de-
precatingly upon her interrogation
Mr.. Black smiled. The woman de-
lighted him. The admiration which
he had hitherto felt for her person
and for the character which could so
develop through misery and reproach
as to make her in twelve short years
Ae exponent of all that was most at
tractive and bewitching in woman
eemed likely to extend to her mind
Il am reconciled simply from neces-
city," was her gentle response. Moth
ing is more precious to me than
teuther's happiness. ! should but en-
danger il further by raising false
.opes. Tnat is why / have come to
cry halt"
Madam, commend your decision.
Tut why should you characterize
.our hopes as false. just when there
seems 10 be some justification for
them?"
Her eyes wideped, and she regarded
him with a stimulation Of surprise,
which interested without imposing
upon him
Il do not understand you" said she
Have you come upon some clue7
Have you heard something which
have not?"
Mr.. Black took two or three crusr~i
and folded papers from a drawer be-
side him ald. holding them. none too
plainly in sight. remarked very quietly.
but with legal hrmness:
DO not let us play about the bush
any longer. You have announced your
Intention OF making no further attempt
20 discover tie man who in your eyes
merited the doom accorded TO John
Scoville. Your only reason for this
IL you are the woman ! think you
lies In your fear OF giving further op-
portunity 10 the misguided rancor OF
an irresponsible. writer of anonymous
epistles. Am ! not right. madam"
Beaten. beaten by a direct assault,
because she possessed the weaknesses.
as we'll as the pluck. of woman She
could control the language Of her lips
out not their quivering: she coh.d
Iieet his eye with steady assurance.
put she could not keep the pallor from
Der cheeks or subdue the evidences of
Der hearts turmoil. Her pitiful glance