Lincoln County times. (Jerome, Idaho) 1911-1919, 1915-03-11
CHAPTER n.


Outof-doors. high brazen noon. a
day in spring. the clamorous life OF
New York running as fluent as quick.
silver through its brilliant streets.
Within-doors. neither sound nor sun
beam disturbed perennial quiet that
was yet not peace.
The room was ike a wide. deep
well OF night. the haunt OF teeming
shadows and sinister silences
Little. indeed. as visible beyond
the lonely shape that brood-d over
1t. the figure Of an old man motion
less In great. leah rbaund chair
His hair was as v.ite as his heart
was black. The rack eft his bones
clothed in a thick black dressing
gown with waistcord OF crimson silk
from the thighs down was covered b,
black woollen rug He stared IN
olinkingly at nothing: nian seven
eighths dead. completely paralvzed
but for his head and his loft arm.
Presently faint clic'.ins signal dis.
turbed the stiffness. Seneca Urine mt
forth his left hand and touched one
In the desk. Something else clicked
this time latch. There was the
faintest possible noise of closing
door, and a smallish man stole nsiso
iessly into the light. paused beside IN,
desk and waited respectfully t.. IA
to speak.
"Wen?"
"A telegram. sir-from England"
Give II me-"
Inc old man seized the sheet OF vel.
low paper. scanned It hungrily and
crushed 1t in his tremulous claw with
gesture OF uncomfortable emotion
Send my daughter Judith here"
TWO minutes later yoans woman
IN street dress was admit d to the
chamber of shadows.
You sent for me, father"
sit down"
she found and placed chair at the
desk. and obediently settled herself
In it,
Judith-tell me-what dav Is this -,
My birthday. I am twenty one"
And your sisters birthday: Rose.
tOO, Is tWenty-One.
Yes"
You could have forgotten that" the
old man pursued almost nockinglv
DO you really dislike your twin.sister
so intensely"
The girls voice trembled gym
know she said we have nothing in
common-beyond parentage and this
abominable resemblance. Our natures
differ as light from darkness"
And which would you say was
light"
Hardly my own: I'm no hypocrite
Rose is everything that they tell me
my mother was, while THE girl
smiled strangely-'T Think am more
your daughter than my mothers"
A nod Of the white aead confirmed
the suggestion. 1T is true. I have
watched you closely. Judith. perhaps
more closely than even you knew
before | was brought to this"-the
wasted hand made a significant ges-
ture-'l was man OF strong pas
sions. Your mother never loved. hut
rather feared me. And Rose is the
mirror OF her mothers nature, gentle
unselhsh, sympathetic. But you. Ju-
dith. you are like a second self to
me-"
An accent of profound satisfaction
informed his voice. The girl waited
In silence that was tensely expect
ant
Then, If on this your birthday 7
were to ask service OF you that
might injuriously affect the happiness
of your sister,"
The girl laughed briefly. "Onlv
ask it,"
And how far would you 60 to do
my will?"
Where would you stop in the serv-
ice of one you loved?"
Seneca Urine nodded gravely. And
AFTER brief pause. Rose is I'm love"
he announced.
oh, | KNOW know" the father
affirmed with a faint ring of satisfac.
ton. i am old. cripple, prisoner OF
this living tomb; but all things
should know-somehow-I come To
know In course OF timei"
It's true-that Englishman she
an acquaintance with on the
Riviera last year-whats his name2-
Law. Alan Law"
In the MAN," the father corrected
mildly. you are right. Only, he's not
english. His father was Wellington
-aw. OF Law & Son."
She knew better than to interrupt.
tut her seeming patience was belied |
" the whitening knuckles of a hand |
hat lay within the little pool of blood. |
ed light
And presently the deep voice rolled
N: Law and / were once friends: