The Miller press. [volume] (Miller, S.D.) 190?-current, 1916-04-20

Then a reckless look crossed his
face. He called up once more the old
smile. Not a thing" he insisted.
Nothing whatever. It's a little cold
outside tonight. Perhaps" he added
with a restless laugh, his eyes wander
ing over the gay faces all about, some
ones walking over my grave"
oh" exclaimed his friend. Are
you superstitious?"
NO" returned Seagrue, almost
tiercely. only tired of the world and
everything in it. Where is Helen?"
She's in the library" said his com
panion. You're awful late. Let's go
and find her."
She would have led him into the
library. He stopped on the threshold
and refused to enter. He saw, as In
a vision, what others-now that the
o was filled with laughing men and
women-did not see He saw mid
night within it and his own accom-
plices in a death grapple with an old
He saw that old man laid out
a few moments later on a couch, a doc
tor bending ~anxiously over him to de-
tect a heart beat. And he saw the sur
geon's face as he looked up and grave
ly said: General Holmes is dead!"
Despite his reckless bravado, a
shudder gripped him for an instant
again. He shook it off and braced
himself with angry resentment. NO"
he said b%rusquely, Il won't go in there
too much Of a crowd for me. III
try the reception ROOM Turning, he
encountered Rhinelander. The two
men greeted each other briefly.
Rhinelander spoke with kindness to
his nephew. He tried to tell him that
he wanted him to do differently. He
assured him that neither he nor Helen
cherished any lasting resentment for
what had gone before and now that
they two were the winners, they meant
to be generous TO the losers and to
him in especial.
Il am willing" declared Rhineland-
er, "and think that Helen will stand
with me in it, to give you an interest
in the mine-it is big enough to make
a dozen millionaires. Make a man
of yourself, Earl, that's all we ask.
| Well do the rest"
Seagrue regarded him with an ex-
preston so terrible that it shocked
Rhinelander, but what was passing
through S%eagrue's mind, he could not
tell.
Tomorrow" Seagrue muttered, like
m hardly in possession of his senses,
mot tonight-IIl talk to you tomor-
row. Where's Helen?"
she left here this moment for the
conservatory with George Storm"
Seagrue took a step forward, as il
to go to her. Then he stopped and
turned away. Someone took Rhine
lander's attention and he lost sight
Of his nephew, but the woman who
had first spoken to Seagrue afterward
related what she saw. Seagrue looked
once more toward the library. He d.
rected his steps toward it. On the
threshold he halted abruptly again,
as II rudely checked by an unseen
hand. He looked about as II he saw
and heard what others did not see and
hear. Then, shaking himself loose
from the seeming clutch OF invisible
fingers, he took a determined step,
strobe into the library as one who
accepts a challenge. walked defiantly
through the room and out of the French
doors he himself had opened on a mid
night to q murderer.
He disappeared from sight In the
shrubbery Of the garden and walked
some distance before he encountered
those whom he had gone out to meet.
Even the two hiding men saw the emo
ton under which he was laboring. He
told them what he had seen, told them
Of Storms escape, the thwarting OF
his plans. and with oaths gave them
orders as to what to do and how to
do 1t. He trembled with furious en-
phasis as he spoke on. "And when
the coast is clear" he exclaimed, at
last, I'm drop my handkerchief"
Turning on his heel, he left them. The
two murderers looked uncertaiuly at
~~SS oomcIuAuB VI ulS uuedSl-
ness communicated itself to them.
In the conservatory, Helen and
Storm were conversing with guests.
The guests left the room as Seagrue
came in and he returned. somewhat
stifiy, the greeting Of Helen and storm.
Storm, resolved now to be generous
with his enemy. stepped to the punch
bowl and filing glasses, crossed the
conservatory with them to serve