Year: 1877

an impatient movement of the head, he ex-
claimed, "Pho what put that into your
head2"


Slowly drawing long breath, as If some.
thing had not happened she expected, the
woman answered.


"You put it there, William. I've seen II
in your eye; I've read 1t in your manner.
can't be mistaken. I'm sure the thought
OF getting me out of the way has come to
you more than once. 1t hasn't frightened
me for myself. What good is life to me
| I'd be glad TO leave it-but not by your
hand. Yet it's not that that's breaking me
down aud has closed my lips till the words
come in spite of me. It's not of myself and
you together that I've been thinking, but OF
you and murder together. You say that l
always came back to the same subject.
That is why did, because there is murder
in it,"


"Are you crazy ?" here Dempion broke
in. "In what was there murder? Do you
know what you say?"


Perhaps 1t had not surprised him that she
had entertained some personal apprehen-
sions indeed, he had somewhat played up
| on her fears. But her last words evidently
touched upon something for which be was
not prepared. There was a startled as well
as inquiring look upon his face as he raised
his head abruptly. Her reply, though still
in the samo repressed voice, was prompt
and distinct.


az ought TO know, for I've been saying it
over TO myself for years, and as much Of 1t
to you as 1 dared-for your sake, William,
more than for my own"


'Say il out then now, once for all, and
have done with it. The last time you broke
out in this way, told you that once more
would end IL, and now we've got there. AS
sure as we are living now, one or both Of
us will be dead before there's another
chance"


81 knew it," said the woman II knew
| it wasn't only because l wanted you TO give
up living here, and kept telling you that
your plans about it would never end well,
that you looked so black and spoke as you
did,"


"Any man would look black" returned
her husband, "who had such a dead drag
on him as you have been since we first set
foot on this place"


II would have dragged you back if 1
could when you took the first step 10 come
here. 1 knew before we started we were
coming for no good"


"Why did you come then? told you TO
stay behind till sent for you, but you
would come


$50 you did; and your sister wanted me
| TO stay. But you knew l couldn't live with
| l. nj
as God hears me, wouid come because
was your wife, for worse as well as for bet
ter and | believed the worse was at hand.
l meant it should not be the very worst, il
1 could help it,


"This was all for my sake, was il ?" said
DemptOu, with n sneer, yet in n tone of in
| qulry that seemed designed TO lead bis wife
| on.


at was for your sake, William, and my
own, too for when married you / meant
to keep my promise, God helping me, 10
| the end. He knows did not look for this;
but He knew this was 10 be, and that this
was my part, and mean 10 be faithful TO
Him as well as TO you"


ooh, yes, yes!' be exclaimed impatient
| ly; "I know all that. We've lived a hell
on earth, because you were too good 10 let
| 1t be anything else. See here, Jane"-and
as he spoke be laid his hand on her arm,
which shook in his grasp as though the pas
sion he suppressed in his voice was quver-
ing through his nerves-"lct's have 1t all
out now in plain terms. What | under
stand about your meaning is this. You
think I've wanted TO kill you rather than
stand your croaking about going back TO
respectability and the old home, and your
| prophesying evil TO come Of it. Keeping
| that, sort Of talk up aud nothing else for
| years is enough to make a man think of
killing himself or somebody. If have let
such thoughts out sometimes, it's you and
your doleful ways that have made me. But
l begin to think that you mean more, and
that is just what / want to understand.
| What is it, woman? What did you mean
by saying there was murder in the old sub
ject? Speak out I'm not afraid to hear If
| you aint to tell"


She met his stern gaze with steady eye,
and answered still in lhe same distinct,
subdued tones; but there was a huskiuess
| in her voice that indicated the agitation
within.


81 hoped you would understand me,
william, without any palmer words. There
shall be no doubt about them now. The
time has come when there's nothing len
but 10 speak out. What am going to say
came TO my own eyes and ears-no one
helped me to it. When father died and left
the old homestead and all his securities to
brother James, because lie was feeble in
mind and body both, and couldn't make
his way as you could, 1 saw the change
that came over you. Every one saw it, but
not as did-for you were always grave,
and no one wondered that you were cut
down at getting only the money in the
bank and the little house and acre lot we
lived in. You were never bitter or sullen
TO me Till then. l had learned before to be
afraid of offending you, but never thought
you were a dark man who could have any
deadly secret. When you married me,
William, you said you liked me because l
was quiet and quick" AS she said this
she caught her under lip between her teeth
and a movement in her throat showed her
effort to keep down her emotion. The man
never moved, and continued to regard her
with the same fixed look.


"The six months after fathers death
made me quieter than ever, and quicker tC
notice all that was going on. 1 knew that
you fell one way about Jim and talked to
him another. People thought it good of you
after the first disappointment was over, to
be peasanler with him than you ever were
with any one else. 1 soon began to feel
that II was bad. saw you were playing g
game, and don't miHd saying that sci
myself to watch you. Not as your enemy,
| Williamn-she said This ouickly breaking