The Miller press. [volume] (Miller, S.D.) 190?-current, 1917-04-26

brain almost refused 10 accept VIVA
her eyes beheld:
Beloved Dick: Don't hate me fol
! compelling you to make this trip. bu'
l am frantic with Jealousy of Gloria
end IL you fail me ! will do somethin;
desperate Your adoring and once
ndored LOIgn
Gloria dropped on a marble bench
while the ground seemed to be shaken
beneath her. SO Freneau had planned
to make a journey with Lois! 1t was
plainly at Lois demand. yet he had
consented and arranged to go. The
story Frank Mulry told her had been
a lie, TOO. Freneau had had an affair
with Lois, with the wife Of GIoria's
own brother!
This treachery In her own house-
hold was like a nausea; 1t sfckened
her. She turned to Royce, no longer
demanding, but appealing: 'In heav-
ems name tell me the truth"
Royce felt that the time was over
for deception. The truth could not
hurt Gloria worse than appearances.
"You shall have the truth, Gloria,
or as much of ii as I know. I tried
10 keep Ii from you because you were
i'll and you were young and 1 was
afraid that the ugly reality would kill
While you were still very Ill
With pneumonia l stumbled on the
that Freneau was carrying on
affair with-with the woman, the
wretched woman who wrote that let
Ter. l happened TO oyerhear him tell
her to meet him at midnight at the
pavilion "a the monument. I had
known that he was q scoundrel. and
had always been a oue But you had
loved him, SO l had begged him to
play fair with you. And he had prom
ISed.
when l heard him make that rem
with-with that woman, I
right to him and told him that
knew of his vile scheme. | demand.
I'd that he break Off the affair. Be-
sides, the woman's husband was one
IF my dearest friends and l wanted to
his home as well as our heart.
"Freneau laughed at my earnest
and ridiculed me, resented nv
Interference, called me meddler and a
.)usyhody. / told him 1 would pre-
his treachery at all costs. II
ook my revolver with me. / didn't mean
kill him. The revolver was not
wen loaded. But 1 intended TO fright. !
IN him with 1t.
n never dreamed, of course, that
he binoculars I gave you to amuse
.7ourself with would give you q sight
d n whole tragedy. / waited and
for Freneau to appear. At
asst l walked down the drive, expect
ng TO meet him. / found his body ly-
ng In the snow. / knelt down and
listened to, his heart. 1t was still He
vas dead beyond all rescue.
4 saw that envelope in his pocket.
} didn't know what was In, 1t, but was
afraid Of what IT might contain. I'll
imagined the police discovering him
the newspapers publishing what
Fas found on his person. Before II
realized what I was doing I took the
Envelope. Isaw somebody coming along
he drive ! didn't know who 1t was.
don't know now. butt ran away.
"When / got back to my Office I got
yord that your nurse had called me. L
an to your house. You told me you
lad seen the murder done. You had
'een me without recognizing me. II
old you 1t was a delirium like the
'ther you had had. r looked through
he binoculars. When I went out on
drive. Freneau's body was gone.
vas dumfounded. I almost believed
hat | had imagined the whole thing
myself.
Il went to the pavilion. There I saw
woman. the woman, waiting for Ere
leau. l told her that he had been