Grand Forks herald. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1916-1955, 1920-05-27

the black sheep of his family, and
deeply involved in debt. 1t was to
trepaiE his wasted fortunes. as l now
believe, that he deliberately planned
The cough threatened to come
back. She held her hands tight upon
her breast till she had mastered it,
and then hurried OF as IL afraid her
strength might not hold to a all
that had to be said.
1.-THE very holiness of him fas-
c G my cousin Day by day his
never realized how great till one
night, without taking ever ME into
her confidence, she utterly. astonished
us all by clipping with him. I will
never forget the day that followed.
My uncle disowned her, and sent aft
err her a message that she was never
again to set foot inside his door. He
raved and sworc: drank himself into
drunken madness; and finally ended
by driving me away, also.
Your father had already declared
himself. My uncle's cruelty fastened
our marriage. That same day he
took me, to his home as his bride-to
the beautiful gray mansion overlook
ing the river. We've sometimes
passed it in u neutrality-suspicious.
cane a wistful pause-"but l eve
ySN ~ nAlO"s N..-. L.-.
There followed a year Of such
happiness a. I knew could
come to this world-a year that has
left barren all the years that follow
ed; that begEared all that went be-
fore! One evening, almost a year to
a day afterward, as l sat rocking you
IA baby in the cradle, and waiting for
your father to come in, thinking,
strangely enough, of my cousin,
whom T had navoH ooor cir0a Tho
night of the elopement, a slight
sound at one. of the low windows
caused me to turn. 1 vas far steadier
nerved than I now am, but l could
hardly keep back a scream. There
stood my cousins husband. He was
speaking in a half whisper. But for
the moment l was too startled to
make out what he said. He came
out from behind the curtains and
drew ear. I shrank away. In low
whispers, for the maids were Just
outside the door, he was begging me
to leave your father and come to him
that he had W loved my cousin
that l must come-that it was al
ways me. His voice was hot as flame,
but 1t turned me cold. 1 couldn't
move. He came close-stooped over
me. A second n his hands &would
nave been upon me, but I sprang up
and shrank away.
"A step sounded in the hall. Half
frantic. l tried to push him back to-
ard the window. At the instant the
door opened, and in it-your father;
with the maids behind him. never
knew a mans face could look as his
looked. 1 sank into a chair and hid
my
on?' he thundered." -
The 1ron-Gray-W Woman ~shuddered.
The man kneeling at her side, eager-
~ drinking in every word, frightened
his fingers reassuringly upon her
II answered never a word. I
"cou1dn't,"' she faltefed eon.. my
breast was hollow: empty as a gray
1.-THE lady can answer 1u, that, I
heard the voice Of the-other man
sneer.
There was a cry, and your father
sprang at him. The maids screamed.
| uncovered my eyes, expecting to
look pom death. But the-other
man leaped through the window and
was gone. T.. Up
the room and stood over me. I dared
not look up. His FACET was terri
BILE! Once he raised his great arm
to strike. I've prayed a thousand
times he had-it would have saved
me many a death.
YOU! But I'll not speak the
name that belongs to YOU His voice
was hard: hoarse; awful. And 1 be-
lieved you! There's the window,
through with you
HE strobe out at the door and
it after him. I have never
seen him since."$a The Iron-Gray-