Marble Hill press. (Marbel [sic] Hill, Mo.) 1881-1923, 1915-09-09

Are We alone?"
quite alone. father. Mrs. scovilis
10 busy and Reuthsr-Rsuther 10 In
the room above. can hear her light
step overhead"
Tho Judge was silent. He was gar.
Ing wistfully at the wall where hung
the portrait OF his young wife. lie was
no longer in his room. but In the
CHEEKY front parlor. This Deborah had
insisted upon. There was. therefore,
nothing to distract him from the con,
temptation l have mentioned.
There are things lwant to say TO
you Not many: you already know my
story. But l do not know yours. and
| cannot die TIL do. What took YOU
into the ravins that evening. Oliver,
and why, having picked up the stick.
did you ning II from you and ny back
to the highway For the reason |
ascribed to Scovillsf Tell me. that
no cloud may remain between us. Let
me know your heart A. well a. you
now know mine"
The reply brought the blood back
into his fading cheek
Father, | have already explained
oil this to Mr.. Andrews, and now | will
explain II to you. | never liked Mr..
Etheridge as well - you did. and !
brooded necessarily in those DAYS
over the influence which he seemed 10
exert over you in regard to my future
career. But | never dreamed OF DO
ing him a harm. and never supposed
that | could so much as attempt any
argument with him on my own behalf
till that very nigh; OF Internal compl.
cations and condolences. The cause
OF this change was as follows: had
gone upstairs, you remember. leaving
you alone with him as knew you do.
sired. How | came TO be In the room
above don't remember. but was
there and leaning out OF the window
directly over the porch when you and
Mr.. Etheridge came out and stood In
low. He was talking and you we're lis
tening. and never shall forget the et
feet his words and tones had upon ne
had supposed him devoted to you.
and here be was addressing you tartly
and in an ungracious manner which
bespoke q man very different from the
one had been taught to look upon as
superior. The awe Of years yielded
hatcre this display. and finding him
Just human like the rest OF US. the
courage which had always lacked in
him took instant posses
sion OF me- and I determined with
boys unreason!ng impulse 10 subject
him to personal appeal not 10 add
his influence to the distAsts you at
present felt for the career upon which
| had set my heart Nothing could
have been more foolish and nothing
more natural, perhaps, than the act
which followed. Iran down into the
ravine with the Wild intention. so
strangely duplicated in yourself few
later. OF meeting and pleading |
my cause with him at the bridge. but |
unlike you, took the middle o. the |
ravine for my road and not the Sc
which determined our fate father. for
here | saw the stick and. catching II |
up without further though, than o. the |
facility 1, offered for whiting, started |
with II down the ravinn Scoyille was |
not In sight The moment was the /
one when be had quit looking for Reu.
Their and wandered away up the n,
vine. have thought since that per
haps the glimpse he had got OF his 1T |
tie one peering from the scene Of his
crime may have stirred even his guilty
and sent him OF on his
purposeless rambie: but. however this |
was. ! did not zee him or anybody |
else as took my way ielsurely down
the bridge, whiting at the
stick and thinking OF what | should
say 10 Mr., Etheridge when met him.
And now for fate's final and most fatal
touch! Nothing which came into my
mind struck me quite favorably The
which seemed such a very
siHp}e MaiteE Wueu j ETsI CGuIem-
plated It, began to assume quite dir.
ferent aspect A. the moment for Il ap-
preached. BY the time | had come
abreast OF the hollow. was tired of
The whole business and hearing his
and knowing by It that be was
very near. plunged up the slope to
avoid him. and hurried straight away
INTO town. That 10 my story. father,
Il | heard your steps approaching as
plunged across the path into which
aad thrown the stick In my anger at
having broken the point OF my knife
blade upon It. thought nothing Of
hem then. Afterwards believed
hem to b scoville's. which may &c.
count to you for my silence about this
rhole matter both before and during
he trial I was afraid OF the witness
Itand and Of what might be elected
rom me II once got into the hands Of
he lawyers My abominable retIcencs
n regard to his former crime would
,e brought up against me. and was
90 young. too shy and uniformed to
ace such an ordeal Of my own volt
ion Trnhspntiv was uot fnread info /