Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1917-08-05

as though he were the elder by the forty
years which separated us:
You have listened to Mrs. Postle-
thwaite's wishes. You will respect them.
Of course
THAT was all. He knew and she knew
that was to be trusted: but neither of
them has ever known why.
"A month later her child came, and was
welcomed as though it were the first to
bear his name. 1t was a boy, and their
satisfaction was SO great that I looked to
sec their old affection revive But it had
been cleft at the root, and nothing could
restore 1t to life. They loved the child.
but there their feelings stopped Toward
each other they were cold He was a child
in a thousand. and as he developed the
mother. especially, nursed all her energies
for the purpose of insuring for him
future commensurate with his talents.
She associated all the boy'ssprospects with
money-great money.
Hence came her great temptation-a
temptation to which she yielded. 10 the
now make confession. though it kills me
to do SO. and will soon kill her
Violet held her breath to listen. Pos
sibly the doctor. hidden in the darkest
corner of the room, did SO also.
II never knew how she became ac-
quainted with the terms of her brother
in-law's will He certainly never confided
them TO her. and certainly the lawyer
who drew up the document never did.
But that she was well aware of its tenor
Is as positive fact as that | am the
L.
wise. why the darksome deed into which
she was betrayed when both the brothers
lay dying among strangers. of q dreadful
accident?
companied her on her hurried ride and
was at her side when she entered the inn
where the two Postlethwaites lay.
We found the inn seething with terror
and the facts worse than had been repre-
sented in the telegram. Her husband was
dying. She had come just in time to wit
ness the end. This they told her before
she had taken off her veil.
Take me to him. was the quiet COM
mand with which she met this disclosure.
Then, before any OF them could move.
And his brother, Mr.. Andrew Postle-
thwaite? Is he fatally injured. too
The reply was unequivocal The doc
tors Were uncertain which of the two
would pass away first.
You must remember that at this time
/ was ignorant of the rich mans will
and. conseque ntly. Of how the fate of "A
poor child of whom | had heard only one
mention. hung in the balance at that awful
moment. But in the breathlessness
which seized Mrs PoStlethwaite at this
sentence of double doubt | realized
from my knowledge of her that some
thing more than grief was at prey upon
her impenetrable heart.
They were lying in one ROOM her
husband nearest the door. the other in
a small alcove some ten feet away.
Both were unconscious; both were sur
rounded by groups of frightened at
PENDANTS who fell back as she APP
preached. A doctor stood at the bed
head of her husband. but as her eye
met his he stepped aside with shake
of the head and left the place empty
for her.
The action was significant. / saw
that she understood what IL meant. and
with CONSTRUCTED heart watched her as
she bent over the dying man and gazed
into his wide-open eyes. already sight
less and staring. Calculation was in
her look and calculation only, and cal
culation, or something equally unin-
telligible. sent her next glance in the
direction of his brother. What was in
her mind? ! no longer knew her for
my dear young madam.
Alarmed by the strength of my feel
ings l sought for a refuge from all eyes
and found it in a little balcony opening
out at my right. Had only been con-
tent with my isolationi But no. must