Show BY WHOSE HAND by EDITH SESSIONS TUPPER author of bf a half breadth the black diamond etc copyright 1889 by W hard fracker A co coper 1900 by street smith CHAPTER 11 I 1 have passed a most eventful day I 1 began it by discovering myself to be a hero let me explain this morning I 1 saved little marcelle from drowning it was in this wise mrs dalrymple and the child were walking on the cliff a few rods from the house I 1 had driven down from sea view and spying them left the carriage and was walking when I 1 was horrified to see the little one who was dancing near the edge of the cliff stumble make a vain enon to save herself and then disappear at the instant the shriek of agony broke from the mothers lips I 1 flung off my coat and hurled myself after th child I 1 saw the fair head rise above the waves saw the sweet frightened little face turned appealingly toward me I 1 a capital swimmer and a few sharp strokes brought me to her seizing her I 1 held her triumphantly up to the gaze of her frantic mother then with the poor sobbing little creature under one arm I 1 swam slowly in by this time the screams of mrs dalrymple had brought the entire household and there was no lack of assistance ropes were lower ed from the cliff and I 1 sent the child up to her mother who clasped her uninjured in her arms and then promptly fainted I 1 was soon piled up surrounded by the servants embraced in the true gallic enthusiasm by bolleau and thanked and blessed by liss capel after a hurried run to the house a good drink and some dry clothing I 1 suddenly she staggered to her feet and cried wildly no no do not leave me gerald do not desert what could I 1 do without youa I 1 drew her in my arms then you do love me a littlee I 1 questioned yes she moaned I 1 love you I 1 laid her bead back upon my breast and bent my lips to hers but she pushed my face violently away and n a horror stricken voice cried no no you cannot must not you must go go at once I 1 must never see you again never never but even as she spoke her fragile shaking hands clung to me as had marcelle s that morning I 1 looked at her as she still lay back against my shoulder pale heavy eyed tha great black shadows under her eyes plain ly indicating sleepless nights she looked like the sweet white wraith of the beautiful girl rex dalrymple married darling I 1 firmly said I 1 shall never leave you like this do you think I 1 could go away and 1 now that you were suffering as you are an gele what Is ita tell me there is something preying on your mind 1 have often felt it I 1 have studied your dear face too closely I 1 have seen the look of pain in your eyes and an gele those eyes have sometimes appealed to me they have plainly said help me tell me tell me I 1 urged holding her closer what Is it that so distresses youa I 1 may be able to help you my love my love I 1 would give my heart s blood to take away forever from your sweet face was none the worse tor my little ad venture As I 1 came down the stairs an hour later mrs dalrymple s maid accosted me the lady wished to see me in the library I 1 hastened there she was lying on the broad couch still very much unnerved miss capel and the professor were with her but both at once left the room mrs dalrymple rose to a sitting pos ture and held out a trembling little band I 1 took it in mine and gently pressed it she laid the other upon mine and looked up at me with eyes filled with tears I 1 saw she could not speak do you feel betters I 1 clumsily asked she bent her head without speaking and two great tears broke from her lovely eyes and rolled down her pale cheeks it cuts me to the heart to see a woman weep especially a fragile delicate little creature like this one she looked so sad so unhappy so like the little helpless child I 1 had rescued from the waves that morning that I 1 could not help but sit down beside her and gather that slender shrinking trembling form in my arms she did not resist she simply lay there convulsively sobbing like one who is spent and exhausted by long and cruel storms dont dear I 1 said holding the silken head close to my heart doat dear it hurts me to see you weep like that you know I 1 love you an gele I 1 may speak may I 1 not I 1 will wait any length of time as long as you please I 1 will not annoy you in any way only give me one little bit of hope though she clung desperately to me she kept her face obstinately away and still sobbed and moaned as though her heart would break I 1 did not speak but smoothed her soft hair and pressed my lips gently upon it suddenly with an effort she withdrew from my embrace and sat wiping her eyes a forlorn little pic ture of woe listen dearest I 1 said I 1 would pot distress you I 1 will not say an other word now I 1 perhaps have been too premature I 1 know you were de voted to rex and I 1 do not fancy that you have forgotten him I 1 did not intend to speak so but I 1 kave loved you tor months your very un happiness has made you dear to me I 1 have so longed to take you to my heart and comfort you poor hurt grieved child can you not give me one word deara look at me with gentle force I 1 drew down her hands and turned her face to me 0 god that awful alook again the ter the despair the agony of that glance angele I 1 cried dismayed why why do you look like thata Is it so terrible to think of loving mea am I 1 so obnoxious to youa answer me darling I 1 beg no reply she sat like a statue of despair speechless white her great eyes seemingly staring at nothing gazing beyond me at space I 1 rose and paced the room what could I 1 eay what do to rouse her tell dear I 1 asked at last ahall I 1 go that look of intense agony I 1 so often see your heart s blood she repeated in a low strange voice your heart s blood that would not help me there la nothing nothing that can help me I 1 am beyond help you are not I 1 retorted angele I 1 will help you in spite of yourself you must tell me speak speak I 1 imperatively demanded A violent fit of shivering seized her her teeth chattered and her breast rose and fell in tumultuous agitation I 1 cannot I 1 cannot she groaned why nota I 1 cannot tell you let me go I 1 will never let you go you shall never leave my arms until you speak oh gerald you are cruel yes yes I 1 know I 1 am cruel I 1 must be but speak you shall you will hate loathe 0 god I 1 cannot will not there is nothing you could tell would make me loathe you speak spare me spare me you must speak be merciful be pitiful I 1 dare not I 1 will be merciful I 1 will be pitiful but you must speak she was struggling now to tree her self but I 1 held her as it in a vise moaning gasping cowering shiver ing she stammered incoherently the cobra the cobra yes what ol 01 ita it was I 1 I 1 who opened the cage great god angele do you realize what you are saying yes yes strike me curse me kill me I 1 was hex s murderess CHAPTER III there was an instants awful silence broken only by angele s panting sobs I 1 did not release her but still hold ing her closely against my heart tried to think I 1 knew she believed what she had said but I 1 knew too that there was some monstrous mistake this tenderhearted sensitive ami able woman a murderess 9 0 imps sible but how to prove the fallacy of such an idea for prove it I 1 would in that terrible moment I 1 resolved to make the pursuit of my life my poor little love how she mus suffered I 1 looked down upon the pathetic childish tear stain ed face the pretty blonde head lying on my breast speak to me she sobbed gerald gerald tell me how much you loathe me but speak to me I 1 will speak to you my darling but never to tell you that she lifted her head and stared in credulously at me why why what do you mean eh faltered I 1 mean this angele I 1 know you are innocent of this crime with which you have charged yourself 0 god it I 1 were she wildly cried but alas I 1 know only too well that I 1 am guilty you are not I 1 firmly said an gele it Is absurd you have dreamed this you have brooded over this idea until you believe it come my love philio off bucl a hideous aimers AI mern bifi be yourself 0 gerald do not I 1 tell you it Is the rightful truth catane kiowa it I 1 her desperately what do you meana catane knows angele tell me instantly what does she knowd let me sit down pleaded the poor child I 1 will tell you what I 1 mean I 1 am a brute I 1 said forgive me dearest come then sit here and tell me everything I 1 led her to a chair and taking another sat by her still holding her trembling hands in mine she fixed her eyes on mine with an expression of dread in ther depths which gave me absolute pain tor I 1 saw that she was terrified of me speak dear I 1 gently urged do not be afraid of me keep nothing back on that fearful night she said I 1 waited for rex to come in I 1 want ed to see him I 1 had that day dincov ered something which had caused me great anguish ah yes I 1 thought she had heard about the baltimore widow I 1 resolved that I 1 would speak to him when he came in but when I 1 heard bis step on the stair I 1 could abt bear even to see him I 1 hastily turned out the gas and lay pretending to be asleep when be stopped at the door to say good night after he had gone I 1 felt that I 1 must see him and tell him what was brou trou bling me so rising I 1 threw on my dressing gown and went to his door only to hastily return it was then five minutes of one do not ask me what caused me to change my mind again for I 1 shall not tell you it has nothing to do with the statement I 1 am making sufficient to say that after I 1 entered my room I 1 underwent a complete metamorphosis I 1 was changed from a loving suffering worn an into a fiend I 1 longed yes longed to kill my husband how when where throbbed ceaselessly through my disordered brain suddenly I 1 thought of the cobra how easy to unfasten the door of her cage and leave the rest I 1 acted upon this dia impulse I 1 went to the probes sor s room and carefully slid the cage door open then like a thunder clap there came the realization 0 what I 1 was doing I 1 must have been crazed by my cruel sufferings with a half muttered prayer for forgiveness I 1 shut the door 0 god 0 god I 1 thought I 1 shut it but in the awful morning I 1 knew that in my hurry and confusion I 1 had neglected to do so and thus rex met the hideous death I 1 had it in my heart to give him it was when I 1 was coming out of the professor s room at two clock that catane saw me ah catane saw youa I 1 inter lupten to be continued |