Show Jt fl I J h J c Ga m THE ASTONISHING GRACE DRAPER ASKED OF MADGE For a a. long moment I stood silent look lookIng Ing down I 1 tear fear almost vacantly at the envelope which the man whom Bett Betty Zane Kane I called Tim and handed to me The I sight of the handwriting of Grace Drap Drap- er er the graceful hated chirography which I r had hoped never ne to pee again agam was for the moment fixed upon the letters lettel's i of my own name as if the they were magnets I j I from lom which 1 I could not lIot remove my glance 0 Mrs Margaret Graham the envelope read and through l my numbered emotions ran a sudden little flame of anger at I what I knew the intentional as substitution tion of Margaret for Richard My apathy fled lost In the sudden gust gustof of anger How dared she write to me this evil girl who was to all intents and purposes a murderess who had been a R traitor to her country and who had f than caused e I me had more experienced eer misery sc f from and heartache all fr other sources In my life The bare effrontery of her ner I TIMS TIM'S GREAT FEAR AVIth suddenly fierce fingers ers I held the I envelope up determined to- to tear it in two and give it back to the mess messenger who whoa I my had a I intention brought r it Ike he stepped But as f forward if r he realized i ly Iy with such a frightened expression upon that my fingers were in involuntarily involuntarily in- in voluntarily arrested and 1 looked at him I with tense inquiry Please dont don't do that he begged Jj The lady said that was what ou would do and she said for me mo to tell you if It you ou ever hoped for happiness here br or in tha next world to read the letter letter let let- ter and send back bacle an answer by me There was an insistence In his voice that was strange to hear from a messenger but I was not surprised at It it V I. had experienced before the singular influence which Grace Draper had upon the men whom she sho employed to do her bidding They seemed to have a feeling for the beautiful evil creature that was queerly queer queer- ly compounded of ot admiration and fear But It was not the evident desire of this messenger to acquit himself creditably creditably credit credit- ably in his employers employer's eyes that Impelled me to break the seal of ot the letter instead of tearing it into pieces Though 1 loathed despised Grace Draper yet yetI I have a very lively respect both for her mentality and her capability of doing unusual things If she had sent word to me that my happiness In this world and the next depended upon my reading it and that without further delay I walled walked to the window In the farther end of the room more to remove myself as a's far as possible from the proximity of ot Tim needed the man than because I the extra light The next minute I had unfolded a most astonishing epistle epistle to to tome me an almost unbelievable thing u AN EXTRAORDINARY PLEA For Gr Grace ce Draper the girl whom I had thought to be my bitterest enemy to hold toward me the most savage rancor had written me my me-my my leaped from phrase to phrase phrase phrase-an an impassioned plea for for tor- I ghene s I I creed the the I I Is it not your strange range letter began without heading or saluta salutation saluta-I saluta I tion that Uon that expiation is possible to the i guiltiest I have wronged you and yours I admit It as I 1 never any anyone one I else else- I My heart fairly stopped Its beating Did she mean mean mean-I I sternly crushed the unworthy un un- worthy orthy thought thou which had flashed into my brain and went on with the letter But I 1 have been punished How I have been punished Did you ever se see the Inside of a prison even for a brief sight seeing visit Then you OU know what a hell upon earth has been mine since 1 those doors closed upon me Oh Madge I I had time to think over every slightest action of my life time to reflect upon what I 1 had done time at last after atter the tho f first wild rebellion to repent to plan how I could best atone for my crimes I for I will call a spade a spade at last I There are arc some things things' I can never I undo but I can at least plead for for for- That Is why I 1 am writing you Even ven when I hated you OU most I 1 always recognized the charity and forgiveness of you It Is that I am counting on now will VIl you forgive me and send me just justa a word that you have done so rl 1 will not see you yet though h I traveled 00 miles just on the chance of doing so Hut But you OU have Mends my dear who ho guard you which is as it should be and ancl they distrust mI me which is nl also o justifiable because of the past although I swear to you that now it is undeserved I would not harm a hair of your our head my dear Instead I 1 would gladly serve you OU in any way no matter how humble Or I will keep away from rom you forever But please send a word of forgiveness to a broken penitent penitent Grace Grace |