Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1918-09-08

umph over suffering the depths Of
which they We're just beginning to
sound. she held his gaze in hers and
you have driven me to the wall.
carleton: II / answer, nothing remains
to us OF hope or honor nothing upon
which to stay our souls but n conscious
ness OF truth. Shall we let all 60 and
meet our fate as people should who
stand on a desolate shore and see the
them?"
what was her manner"
At his look, at this repetition Of his
question. she Strengthened up and ad-
dressed herself to Mr.. Gryce:
"You were 'astonished and regarded
me curiously when at the sound Of that
foolish little clock entered this
room. That little clock means every
thing to me. gentlemen" Here she
surveyed them one after the other
Is the ono witness I have-is 1t not,
CarletonT she asked, turning quickly
upon him. "You have not failed me
in this?"
He shook his head.
"A witness to what I am still ready
to ignore. II such Is your will. Carle-
Terror! terror far beyond anything
they had seen in him yet, paled his
cheek and made his face almost un.
Recognizable; but he could still speak,
and in the murmur he let fall she
heard no word of protest. VIZ
MAY ask one Of you to take down
that clock p ~, Il
In a few. minutes 1t lay on the table
to which she had pointed. Mr.. Gryca
who had at that moment in his pocket
copy of the inscription pasted on
its back, expected her to turn It over
and show them the token Of Mr.. Rob.
erta' and her united initials. so
But 1t was not this she had in mind.
Though she. took up the clock. she
did not turn 1t round. only looked at
IT., steadily; her trembling lips and =
Ing to, the rush Of old memories which
this simple little object brought back
to her long suffering heart. Then she
iald IT down again and seemed to
II want to get at the works inside"
she appealed to them with a helpless
accent. Can you tear on the back?
That would be the quickest way. But
no, know quicker" and lifting the
clock again she turned it upside down
and shook 1t. t ~ e..
They heard-what did they hear? No
one could say, but when she again re-
versed 1t, there fell out upon the table
and rolled to the floor a small gold cir.
clet. Lifting it. Mr.. Gryce held It out
to her. Taking 1t, she carried Il over
to the district attorney and placed It in
his hand.
"Read the inscription inside" ,ass
He did so, and looking quickly up,
said: :. =. -. /. :. =
''This is wedding ring!. Yours!, You
believe yourself to have been married to
~ was married. to him in Switzerland.
The marriage was legal; he knows 1t,
he acknowledges it. or why should he
keep this ring. I have endured seeing
him put another woman in my place. !
have kept silence for years; but when
ne asks the fight name Of the child shot
down In the museum, and asks it in q
way which compels answer, then must
make known my rightful claims. For
that child was not only mine, but his;
born after he left me, and reared with
out his knowledge. first in this country
and then in France" t' 81
And breaking down now utterly, she
fell on her knees sobbing out her soul
at the feet of him from whose honor she
had torn the last poor. pitiful shred.
AS for him, he said nothing; even his
lips refused the smallest cry. Only his
hand which had hung at his side went
to his heart; and thus he stood swaying
-swaying. till he finally fell forward
into the arms she suddenly threw out
to receive him.
searching for consciousness In his fast
glazing eye. ut was to show you your
child that I made the appointment at
, the museum. Not for myself. Oh. not
for myself. but for your. sake, that you
might have" -
Useless: all useless. ., .'.4 =
He was dead.
Would she have had II otherwise?
Would any of them? When they were;
quite sure Of the fact. she placed the
ring in his still warm hand: then she
solemnly put 1t on her finger. and turn
ing. faced them all. >, - S7i
. do not blame me too much for this
final blow gave him. He had already
seen the truth in that mirror over there.
His face-look at 1t and then at this
picture OF her taken after DEATH, and
see the resemblance! 1t 10 showing
palmer every minute. 1t was tho some-
thing which had worried and eluded
him. Nothing could have kept back
the truth from him after that one
glimpse he caught of himself and her in
the mirror. / loved him. Mine Is the
grief; you, will let me- stay here with
him tonight. Tomorrow win answer
all questions
XXXIv.
THE BUD-THEN THE DEADLY =
FLOWER.
You who have read thus far will care
little for the LOCALITIES which followed
the events just. related. but you may
wish to know to a fuller extent some Of
the facts in Ermentrude Taylor's life