Forest City press. (Forest City, Potter County, D.T. [S.D.]) 1883-19??, 1915-09-29
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III Ill uII

Marys wonder changed to JOY. Her
face was suddenly as radiant as the
sunshine which fell about them.
'Why-why, Uncle Horace she be-
gan breathlessly.
He laid his hand on the gate leading
TO the rheumatic MIR. Briscoe's lawn.
Try the experiment yourself, my
dear he said with a smile. II will
stroll home alone after I've cheered
poor old Briscoe up a Bit
she stood at the gate. watching his
rather swift rogress up the gravel
Walk.
III wonder" she half
aloud, and then turned her eager face
In the direction of the corner above.
She forgot Eric and Adam Carr and
the sinking feeling she had experienced
on seeing them together not five min
utes before. There is something inn
m~easurably selfish in young love.
Jack Payson came striding toward
her. Perhaps from a window in the
Brlscoe house Horace saw them meet
and move off together. down the street.
An hour later she said goodby to her
lover at the gate and hurried up the
walk toward the suddenly attractive
portals of the Giants Castle" There
was a gladness, a brightness in her
eyes; a song in her heart. Somehow
the world was brighter, the sun was
warmer the buds on the trees were
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fore. She tripped up the steps and
fairly danced across the porch. There
was in her mine a great resolve to do
something she had never done before;
to put her arms about her uncle's neck
and kiss him, not once, but many times.
she paused for a mOmen just out
side the library door, to compose her
self. AS she stood there, breathing
quickly, the curious stiffness she had
noticed on entering the house became
more pronounced. She recalled, with a
shudder. having been in a house once
where a dead woman was lying up
stairs in the winding sheet. The ut
ter stiffness of that we'll remembered
hous was not unlike this that now
closed in about her, ~smothering the
JOY that so lately radiated from her
warm, throbbing heart.
Halt in fear, she laid her hand on
the knob of the library door. A mo-
ment passed before she turned it. The
sense of impending disaster increased
with each second of delay. What
happened? Who in the house was
dead?
The door opened quiet. slowly, and
she looked into the partially darkened
to her.
The shade in the big front window
was high; that end of the room was
flooded with sunlight. Her eyes were
slow to TAX in the details of the pic
ture that lay before her. So immov-
made up the tableau that she could
think Of them only as statues.
First and naturally, her gaze fell
upon the square, thick set figure in the
window. Adam Carr was standing
there, his back to the room, his hands
porch through the white lace curtains.
1t was as if he had turned his back
upon a particularly narrowing scene.
Eric leaned against the mantlepiece,
his chin lowered, his arms folded
across his breast-the picture of utter
detection. On the sofa before him sat
his uncle and aunt, the former stiffy
upright and tense, the latter droop-
covering her Eyes.
1t was all over. Eric had confessed.
The blow had fallen.
After what seemed an interminable
length of time. her brother lifted his
stunned, irresolute. He stared for a
moment with haggard eyes, and then
let his arms droop Imply to his side.
The act was in itself an acknowledge
ment of potent despair. Then. with a
movement of his head, he directed her
AS she glided across the ROOM, Adam
Carr turned from the window and
swiftly left the room, without so much
as a glance at the four persons who
were left to play out the drama. With
deliberate intent. he banged the library
its purpose. 1t broke the spell.
With infinite %gentleness. Mary drew
Mrs. Blagden's stiff, cold hands away
from her face and held them close to
her warm, heaving breast. Mrs.
Blagden stared blankly. even wonder
So - Ah@ r--~ A. - ~,
white, drawn lips moved in a voiceless
question.
They know everything" came in
hoarse tones from Eric.
The tears sprang to Mary's eyes.
Through the mist that blinded them,
they asked the great, important ques-
ton of him.
How car I ask them to forgive me?"
he groaned, and that was his answer to
the question that lay in her eyes.
Mrs. Blagdon's lips parted. A dead.
;ifeless voice uttered these words:
Let me be alone with you. Horace.
Let me die with your arms about me-"
Then it was that Horace relaxed.
His strong gaze wavered. A great
shudder ran over his frame.
There is nothing more to be said,"
fell clearly, mechanically from his lips.
of his nephew. I'VE know all there
is to know. 1t is all over. The truth at
last" His voice rose to a sort % wall.
II can't understand why you have
allowed us to suffer all these years.
Eric, when one word from you would
have ended u misery, our uncer-
tainty, ur-ou endless waiting. See!
See what 1t has cost us!"
God forgive me-" groaned Eric.
burying his face in the arm that now
rested on the mantel.
With an effort. Horace struggled to
h;c foot C1ou,lv ho cr0oood o,,o. - a.,