The herald-advance. (Milbank, S.D.) 1890-1922, 1917-09-28
@MARY POBFRTS RTNTHART
CHAPTER x-contlnued.

CHAPTER x-continued.
d
Something In her thinly drawn voice
was familiar.
II See" Ward said slowly. ut was
you who telephoned me and then rang
off,"
"When you say that I am good and
tender" Elinor went on, you shame
me. ! am all that Is bad and wicked.
Everything. You were to have been
robbed tonight. l brought you here
under false %pretense."
Ward was as white as she. His 6g-
ure Strengthened.
"Then all the time that I have been
telling you"
II did not hear. I was wntching the
time"
Personal fear Ward had none He
did not even follow Elinor's eyes as
they glanced once more ut the clock.
Mrs. Bryant's venomous in~sinuations
came back to him, all the village talk
of the girls strange rearing. Fearful
thoughts flashed into his mind, to be
dismissed, shaken Off %doggedly.
II shall believe anything that
you do. not tell me yourself. But 1t
is only fair to me that now at last
there be frankness between u.s."
"There are Others" Elinor said. with
dry lips.
"Your father1"
Tile Is dead. I cannot talk OF him.
This much l can tell you. The parish
house was burned deliberately 1t was
planned and carefully carried out"
And you knew"
II had forbidden It."
"You had forbidden it1'
He went to her and caught her by
the shoulders, forcing her to look up
into his face.
"You? Then all this time that you
have seen what you must have seen In
my eyes, you have been"
AT the head Of a band Of thieves"
Elinor said slowly.
Ward released her, and turning took
q slow survey Of the room.
"Then ! suppose this is o trap1' he
said.
1T is not q trap" Her voice was
dead. Il opposed this-this plan from
the stnrt. That ID the reason one Of
the men-of my friends-uspected
that L."
Go on. What did he suspect1"
'4That but that doesn't matter.
He burned the parish house and
planned oil this. Tonight he meant
to get the money from you, and Twas
desperate. l could think Of no other
way"
Wards faith In her was slow to die.
He took a step toward her, his hands
out. then dropped them at his sides.
'Then-the night the parish house
burned, when | came down In the dawn
and found you sitting there'-he
clenched his hands-'all the time you
knew. You knew! And / had
thought"
He went to the table and, opening
the box, slipped the notes and money
II contained into his pocket. Then he
buttoned his cOat about him. Elinor
W0Icne0 MIN SlOnlly.
you are going back down the hill?"
II nm going home" He did not ven
look at her.
III you would only 60 some place
else" she said pitifully. ITO the club,
or to Mrs. B~ryant's. Please believe
me. Whatever l nm, and I have told
you the worst, ! nm trying to think of
you tonight, not OF myself"
II am going back to my house." said
the assistant rector Of Saint Jude's.
He got as far as the door on to the ter
race and there he turned It was rs
II he dared not look at her, Us II he
meant to carry away with him some
tenderer memory than Of this white
Tipped, guilty woman before him.
III I seem hard" he said instead
lily. ut Ii because / am suffering. You
arc quite safe. Of course. / shall not
60 to the police" Had he cared less
he would have been more merclful.
Old Henriette watched his figure a.
he went down the garden steps and
into tho road.
strange things IN this house" she
mumbled, shaking her head. "Pre0ch-
err coming and going ut oil hours, and
ELMER In 4 church this morning.
Strange things, Hilary Kingston. since
you went away"
She stunned along the terrace and
into the house, her thin black shawl
drawn about her shoulders. In the
library Ellnor lay face down on the
door. Old Henriette bent over her.
MY lamb, my pet" she soothed her.
He's 4 ane man. but there are many
others. And when one y young and
lovely
Since Ellnoe made no response but
only mO0ned, old Henriette rose from
her knees and shuf1ed out Of the room.
but cautiously, ~ she passed. she took
from 4 table drawer old Hilary's re-
yolvef and carried Il out under her
ShaWl.