The Ekalaka eagle. [volume] (Ekalaka, Mont.) 1909-1920, 1915-08-13

won't take me before the magistrate,
draw out q declaration of your innO-
cence on paper and l will sign it. Do
as l tell you, Godfrey, or I'll write it
to the newspapers-11l go out and cry
it in the Streets"
We will not say this was the language
of remorse; we will say it was the Ian
guage of Mysteries. Indulgent Mr.. God
frey paciied her by taking a sheet Of
paper and drawing out the declaration.
She signed it in a feverish hurry.
"Show it everywhere-don't think of
me-" she said as she gave it to him.
Before another word could be said
by anybody a laundering knock at the
street loo startled us all. Rachel start
ed and composed herself. She crossed
the room to her mother.
"Tlcy have come to take me to the
flower show" she said. Zone word,
mamma, before I go. l have not dis
tressed you, have l."
The drops had produced their effect.
My poor aunt's complexion was like it.
self again. "No, no, my DEAR" she
said. $50 With our friends and enjoy
yourself"
Her daughter stopped and kissed her.
l had left the window and was near
the door when Rachel approached it to
go out. Another change had come over
her-she was i'll tears. l looked with
interest at the momentary softening of
that obdurate heart. l felt inclined to
say a few earnest words. Alas. My
wall 1,,noIt cv,onofhv only ODvo IF.
Tense. What do you mean by plying
me"' she asked in a bitter whisper as
she passed to the door. Don't you see
how happy I am? I'm going to the
flower show, Clack, and I've got the
prettiest bonnet in London" She COM
pleted the hollow mockery Of that Id
dress by blowing me a kiss and SO left
the room.
I wish I could describe in words the
compassion that l felt for this miser-
able and misguided girl. But l am al
most as poorly provided with words as
with money. Permit me to say my
heart bled for her.
Returning to my aunt's chair. 1 OBJ
served dcar Mr.. Godfrey searching for
something softly here and there in diff
ferent parts Of the room. Before l
could offer to assist him he had found
what he wanted. He came back to my
aunt and me with his declaration of
innocence in one hand and with a box
of matches in the other.
"Dear aunt, a little conspiracy" he
said. Dear Miss Clack, a pious fraud
which even your high moral rectitude
will excuse. Will you leave Rachel to
suppose that l accept the generous
self sacrifice which has signed this pa
per? And will you kindly bear wit
ness that 1 destroy it in your presence
before l leave the house? He kindled
a match and, lighting the paper. lait
it to burn in a plate on the table
amy trifling Inconvenience that may
. suffer is as nothing" he remarked
;, compared with the Importance of pre-
serving that pure name from the con
terminating contact of the world
= Rachel will never know what we have
! done. How do you feel? My precious
. friends, how do you feel? For my poo1
part l am as light hearted as a boy
! He beamed on us with his beauti
> full smile. He held out a hand to M!
aunt and a hand to me. l was too
deeply affected by his noble conduct tt
speak. l closed my eyes. I put hi:
hand in a kind Of spiritual self forget
fulness to my lips. He had gone.
Finding myself alone with Lady
Verinder. I turned naturally to the OBJ
ject of her health, touching delicatel!
on the strange anxiety which she ha
shown to conceal her indisposition ant
the remedy applied to it from the oh
seryation of her daughter.
MY aunt's reply greatly surprised me
'Drusilla," she said-if l have no
already mentioned that my Christian
it now-"you are touching-quite limo
4 Gently, 1 know-on a very distressing
subject
"Keep me company. them" she said
''for another hour. I have somethin
! to tell YOU which l believe you will b
sorry to hear. and l shall have a serv
ice to ask of YOU afterward If 20
don't object to assist me-"
1t is again needless to say that, s
! far from objecting, l was all eager
ness to assist her.
"You can wait here" she went OF
"till Mr.. Bruff comes at 5. And 70
can be one of the witnesses, Drusillt
when l sign my will"
Her will. l thought of the drop
which l had seen in her workboX.
thought of the blush tinge which
had noticed in her complexion. A ligl
which was not of this world-a ligl
shining prophetically from an unmad
grave-dawned solemnly on my min
!" My aunt's secret was a secret L
m longer.
II have been seriously Ill, Drusill
y, for some time past my aunt bega,
- land, strange to say, without KNOWN
~ it myself. For more than two yea,