Show ake trap by H FORREST copyright by dally story put co I 1 hale to do it said Aylo fl chain ing the trap to the tree my better nature rebels against such an act he put the trap la the center of the narrow garden path it was a huge thing that clicked together like hands locked with the fingers over the hedge a rim of moon shone it was slipping quickly and down as though aghast in the last faint light the trap dawned yawned I 1 wide thought it seemed a foolish mouth spilt in a laugh abloff was going to start on a long trip that night his wife who was so pretty and so sill would weep and entreat him to hurry back it was nice 0 o havo som one care or him thit way everything was dilce even the rap would be kind silent it ia waiting he walked toward the house in an hour he would be gone the garden that now lay in a mist ol 01 silver would be but a memory the last sigh of the little moist breeze the sudden twitter of a bird dl at his step theolie the olce of faustene Faust lne calling from the door that was what he would carry away with him after he was gone after the dark nes had come over the land so even the blackest shadows were blotted out after faustene Faust lne had locked the doors and said good night to the aal and marta had gone tolling up the dark stairs with a candle then that other man would come whom he did not know how did he know there j was another man how did he know be lived bow did be know his heart j was burnt from his breast his soul dead his brain in a whirl what else caused the little scared look in eyes and the sud den paling and flushing when her glance met his her bongs that were low and tremulous began with a laugh and ended almost as soon as they began with a sob she started at the sound of his voice and laughed when she should have wept and wept when she should have laughed oh what a tell tale face was hers he bad guessed her childish love for himself long before she discovered it but lova la a vagrant thing he knew he knew pshaw hy should he deceive himself last night as many eights before she had come from the garden her hair with dew her cheeks glowing and her eyes god what a light in her eyes she said she had been talking to the stars to make her soul lovely he knew ehe lied her lips were red and warm as hough others had crushed them he knew aylott was going away later that unknown some one would come stealthily down the burning for a pretty shamed fice quietly some one would slip through the shad aws pausing and tiptoeing and pausing staring at he lone lighted window breathlessly step b step that dark form would move another twist in the path a few sard sand the stairs under he black of the trees that thing would hesitate then leap forward A click A scream a moan and silence bloir licked his lips early the next day some one would be found and set free a cripple about three 0 clock in the morn ing abloff suitcase n hand came stalking through the garden he had come back to look for something A strange desire to return had filled him he wanted to see the horror in her eyes the agony sn his whom fid not know in the thick gray 0 the half night he stumbled awkward ly on he whistled a merry tune as he hurried down the path jolly alno morning at he next turn he would find something huddled across the path he lifted his face to aba tra grant mist to the east a faint etite streak was showing ha felt sac good be wanted to shout impatiently throwing aside his luggage h sprang forward A click A scream a mo moananu anand sly lencel IH the house faustino peacefully a picture was under her pillow and she dreamed of a ht tie child whose soul would be as lovely as the stars later the gardener found caught in the trap ahls analo crushed by the iron teeth |