Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1916-11-02

uncertain, shamefaced nod.
That's right" he said: II do
knOW-nOw."
She removed her hand and sat back
without lessening the fixity Of her re-
gard.
when did you find 1t out2"
'This morning. That is 1t came to
me all of a sudden" His gaze fell;
he stammered and felt his face burn
ing.
Hugh, that's not quite honest. I
know you hadn't guessed, last night
l know it. Hugh, look at mel"
Unwillingly he met her eyes.
How did you find out?" g.
He was an inexpert liar. Under the
witchery Of her eyes, his resource
failed him absolutely. He started to
repeat, stammered, fell still, and then
in a breath capitulated.
Before you were up-I meant to
keep this from yorktown there on
the beach, found Drummond."
"Drummond!"
1t was cry Of terror. She started
back from him, eyes wide, cheeks
whitening.
"Im sorry But I presume
you ought to know. His body
/ buried 1t. :"
She gave a little smOthered cry,
and seemed to shrink in upon herself,
burying her face In her hands-an liz
Of cyT-In of
there upon the gray stone wall, set
against all the radiant beauty of the
exquisite, un-gladdened world.
He was patient with her, though the
slOw-dragging minutes during which
she neither moved nor made any sound
brought him inexpressible distress, and
he seemed to age visibly, his tace,
settling in iron lines, gray with suf-
fering.
At length a moan-rather, a vail
came from the stricken figure beside
him:
"Ah, the pity of 1t! the pity of
it! What have / done that this
should come 20 me!'
He ventured to touch her hand In
gentle sympathy.
Mary" he said, and hesitated with
a little wonder, remembering that this
was the first time he had ever called
her by that name-"Mary, did you
care for him SO much"
She sat, trembling, her face averted
and hidden.
Don't blame him." she said softly.
He wasn't responsible"
81 know"
How long have you know?" She
swung suddenly to face him.
For some time-defnitely for two
or three days. Ember took him away
meaning to put him in a sanitarium
l don't understand how he got away
from Ember. It worries neon
Ember's account. l hope nothing has
happened to him"
ooh, l hope noti"
"You know mean about the cause
the morphineY
II never guessed until that night
after he had come down into the
cabin TOTO drug himself. II
cabin, with the swinging, smoking
lamp, ard the mailman sitting there
muttering to himself over the glass In
which the morphine was dissolving,
1t happened three times before
the wreck; l thought / should go out
of my own mind"
She shuddered, her face tragic and
nit II oh
bowed, brooding.
"Hughr' she cried, looking up to
search his face narrowly-"Hugh
you've not been pretending-T
"Pretending| he repeated, thick.
witted.
---.-, vvuIu never forgive you
If you'd been pretending. 1t would
be too cruel All, but you haven't
been! Tell ne you haven'tw
Il don't understand Pretend.
ing what?"
pretending you didn't know who
Was-pretending to fall In love with
me just because you were sorry for
me, to make ne Think 1t was me you
loved and not tie woman you felt
bound to take care of, because you'd
you had"
MARY, listen to me-" he interrupted
81 swear l didn't know you. Only,
that night on the stage, as Joan
Thursday, you were that girl again.
/ never dreamed of associatlng you
with my wife. Dear, I didn't know,
believe me. 1t was you who bewitched
fought against what thought tnfatua.
ton for you. I loved-I love you only,
you as you are-not the poor little
girl Of the Commercial House."