Show A WONDERFUL WOMAN BY MAY AGNES FLEMING Sir Peter Dangerfield sat flat alone in inthe inthe the tho library of the silken curtains were drawn firelight and lamplight mado made the room brilliant his purple cas easy chair chah was drawn up I before writing table littered with I decd deeds deed and documents and antI Sir Peter In gold bowed spectacles was trying to tu read Tr Trying not Trying not reading For ever between between between be be- tween him audi and the lie parchment page a t face menacing and terrible kept coming the face of or Katherine as he had seen her last Where was Dead or alive she had sworn to be bo revenged Was Vas she dead Ho lie shuddered through all his little craven soul and heart healt at al the thought Men had looked cd at him hint darkly dankly arty und and askance all day lay and turned coldly away from him he spoke e. There had been whispers of oC suicide What hat if Ir while he sat here herein herein in this warm lighted luxurious room she lay a stark starl and frozen under the stars stars dead dead by her own hand There Thero was a tall smoke colored bottle on another table with glasses Ho lie was usually a a. very ery for COt abstemiousness but he hc sprang up now with a muttered oath filled lIed himself a stiff glass of brandy brand and drained It at a l dra draught ht I r t wish to Heaven I had given her that Infernal three thousand and ond bo ho hanged to it W he muttered flinging HInging himself back sulkily In his chair Curse the luck What's hats the tho use of or ofa ofa ora a title tithe and a fortune if a n fellows fellow's life is to be bo badgered out of or him in this way There's Theres that greedy little devil Mrs hs not 11 u penny would she throw olY olT And now theres there's Kather- Kather ine inc I wish I hadn't said ald what I 1 did to her If It thc they ever cr find find I I mean when they find her Ill her Ill I'll give Ivo her that three thousand If she takes tal It and have done with tho the whole confounded thing But she's so confoundedly proud that likely as ns not shell she'll turn cantankerous cloUS and refuse Then Theio's s 's no pleasing pleasing- a woman anyway anway refuse it and you ou insult her otTer offer It and you Insult her more Oh come In who- who j et t you are UC and be he hanged S' S ll to ti j you you you- oU This pleasant pheasant ant concluding concluding- adjuration was in iii response to a rap at the door A tall taH serious footman In purple plush breeches and white white- stockings appeared appear appear- ed Dr Graves Sir Peter spoke this majestic menial and vanished Sir Sil Peter arose as s Dr Graves hat hatIn hatin in iii hand ver very pale and solemn of or visage visage vis 18 vis- vis age stood before him News of or Katherine Katherine Kath- Kath erine at last He lie grasped the hack back backof of his chair with one hand and faced his visitor almost defiantly as one who should say 81 whatever has hap hap- happened I at least have o had nothing to todo todo todo do with It it Well Vell sir sin he ho demanded Sir Peter Pete Dangerfield I 1 bring news of of or-of of Katherine She Is found The rue little baronets baronet's heart gave a great leap Found then she had not committed suicide S Ah At he said with a look hook of sulky sulk Injury r I knew v as much I thought she wasn't the sort of girl to tal take e arsenic arsenic arsenic ar ar- ar- ar or throw herself Into the nearest nearest near near- est mill mm stream So she's found Is she And where has she been pray since she sho ran away from lIe He resumed his chair folded his arms an and looked up at his visitor But nut still Dr Dl Graves kept that faco face of su supernatural supernatural supernatural su- su solemnity When she sho ran away from Scars- Scars wood Sir She Peter she went to her hol old nurse at Bracken Hollow About three hours ago while hilo I was wag as at Otis' Otis cottage cottage cot cot- tage seeing that unlucky chap Dan- Dan tree she sho cane came She did To see too I suppose Extremely forgiving of herI her het I must mut say but not In the least like Katherine Dangerfield Perhaps she Is 15 going to tn turn romantic sick-nurse sick to her hei wounded cavalier and end b JJ by getting him to marry marry marry- Stop Sir Peter D theold theold the tho old doctor said hoarsely not another word Katherine Dangerfield will noer never nev no er or marry Gaston or oi any other mortal man She Sho Is dead Dead Sir Peter leaped from his chair as thou though h he had been speared Dead Graves Good God I thought you ou said said said-I I thought thought thought-OO ills His white lips hips refused od to finish tho the he stood staring with hor hor- stricken nor eyes at the older eider man mati Yes Sir Shy Peter Peter dead dead Of or heart heart- disease no doubt latent and This Is how It happened She Sho came to see ee before leaving lea Cast Castleford those t leford-t those hose were her hel words Sh Sho looked shockingly ill III and haggard and her mind seemed to wander a little She fell into a n. sort of or stupor as aM she sat Hat before the lire t and complained com coin of or her head We re aroused he her hel after a little time and sho she wont into tho the sick room loom Sho She shut the door und we wo hoard heard her kneel down Then there was as a n. long silence so o long Jong so so profound that we grew alarmed Mrs Otis knocked again and anu n again aln nt at the thedoor thedoor door and received no answer Then wo we opened It and went in iii She Sho had fallen tallen on her face Cac and was stone dead lead Great heaven She must have havo been dead some minutes minutes tort ton or more moro for tor she sho was already growing growing- cold I left her there thelO when whon I found life liCe utterly extinct an antI and t nothing moro po possible to bo be done and came cune here horo It Is 18 shocking Sir Peter It it Is 18 horrible And only yesterday as It were this house was all all alight ht for Cor tho the wedding And then them the old doctors doctor's voice broke and ho he turned his back abruptly abrupt abrupt- ly h on Sir Peter and faced the fire Dead silence fell Cell The Tho clock ticked the thc dropped chopped Dr Graves looked look ed cd fixedly Into tho the ruddy coals and Sir Pet Peter I sat stiff and upright In his chair quite ghastly to look at Dead or alive alivo I will h bd bu revenged Tho The horrible words rang ranI in hI his oar ear like his own death knell Tho They meant nothing perhaps the they were but bitt the passionate Impotent rn rage e of ot un an outraged outraged outraged out out- raged woman who knew his cowardly I nature to the full but hut they did work worl Katherine was dead and I Ka Ka- a- a was as vindictive enough to carry carry car car- ry iy her hatred and revenge Into that world of shadows whither she had gone and come back from the tho grave I to pursue him Greater Gre and wiser than poor little HUlo Sir She Peter Dangerfield ha have hac c devoutly believed In ghosts hosts ho 0 was wa superstitious to the core And Katherine dead dead lead dead was dead Great heavy drops stood on his pinched pinch pinch- pinch pinch-I ed cd pallid face and amI his voice was husky as he spoke Dr Graves there thero must 1 be e some mistake here there here thero must Sho She could not dlo cilo in that way way way-It It is too loo horrible and and she se was so 50 young young and and so strong strong never never never sick a 0 day hay in her hel life lire b by George Oh It Is impossible you know mow know entirely Impossible Its It's a fit or a 0 faint If IC you like not not c-not not death Let Lct Lettis Letus us go back and see sec what can be lone done for COl her her Ill Ill I'll go with you Let us be beon off on at nt once I tell you she he cant can't be beo dead I dont don't want her to die lie Its It's a n prolonged cd fainting fit doctor take doctor take e emy my word for Cor it nothing ll nothing more Strong healthy girls like Katherine dont don't drop oil oft in a n. minute like that Sir Peter the thc old physician salu saiu quietly I 1 am sixty five years of age and for the thc past forty years rem I havo i seen death In all aJ its phases phases lingering lingering and instantaneous And I tell teJ you she sheI I is dead But nut we will wilh go to her a ayou ayou you OU say You say you can convince yourself cr with your our own eyes But still Sir Peter would not be convinced convinced con con- vinced would not not could could not make her dead He lie hurried from flom the room changed his dress Iress round his horse and in fifteen minutes the two men were galloping full speed through h the l keen een frost frosty night into Castleford The Thc town lay luy hushed and dark darl lark lark-it ft I Iwas was as close upon eleven cleven now Neither er spoke a word tho the breathless pace did not admit of talk talle The They reach reached cd theOtis tho the Otis OUs cottage its whole front lit and ark figures flitted rapidly to and fro And Ami Peter Pete heart under hl his riding coat was as throbbing so rapidly he turned and reeled dizzily fen dizzily tot tOI an Instant an as he lie sprang from froni the tho sad sad- tIll dIe The next he lie rallied and followed his leader in On the sofa in the little sitting slUIng room where they had placed her Katherine still lay Thc They had removed her hat and cloak and loosened all her hor clothes but over that rigid face the solemn sea seal of or eternal sleep had fallen They had closed lie her eyes and folded the hands and calmly camly as thou though h sleeping and fairer than ever er in life she lay The ha haggard n ard look had all al gone and a a. great calm cahn lay upon It So Peter Pete Dangerfield saw her again There were three persons in the room Beside Mr 11 Otis and his mother the thc old Indian ex nurse from Bracken Hollow sad gaunt and gray sat close b by lie her swaying ceaselessly to and fro tie and uttering a a. sort o of moaning cr cry like lII a dumb creature in pain Sho She lifted her Inflamed eyes and fixed them with savage hatred upon the pallid face of the baronet Ay y she said bitterly youre afine a n afine fine gentleman now little HUe Peter Dangerfield Dan Dan- gerfield and you OU do well to come conic anc and look looe at at your handiwork for youre you're lien her murderer you OU and that dying false faced villain lying yonder onder as assure sure as ever eve men were murderers The law wont won't hang you I suppose but it has hun hung men who deserved It less I wonder you OU arent aren't afraid as you look at her her afraid afraid she he will vill rise up from her death bed and accuse you He lIe turned his tortured face toward lien her quite horrible to see In its Us fear and ghastliness For heavens heaven's sake hush he lie saidI saidI said I r never meant this I never thought though she sho would die lie I would give he all I Iam Iam Iam am worth to bring her back to life I r couldn't help It It-I It I wouldn't have had hud hadIt It happen for fOl worlds Dont Don't drive e me mc mad matI with your our talk Liar old Hannah cried towering up and confronting him double liar and coward Who ho refused her her dying lying fathers father's bequest who who who offered her tho the deadliest and mo most t dastardly Insult it Is possible to offer woman And Anti you ou say 1 you ou are forr sorry and a ask k i ime me not to drive you mUI mud mad I tell you I If tho the whole town rose roso up and stoned you It would not be he half your our deserts I m say again I wonder wOI that dead as she sho lies thieve there before you ou she he does not rise to accuse o her murderer Mr Mx rr Henry Otis this I is IR your house and antI she he thought you OU lie hOI her friend Show yourself he her hel friend now and turn her murderer out Hannah Hannah hush Interrupted Interrupt interrupt- ed od Mrs Otis scandalized and alarmed Whatever cr Sir Peter Poter might aught be bl it as wac not in this good womans woman's nature nature- to do other othOl than reverence tho the lord of or Scars- Scars wood tho the man of or eight thousand a ayea yea year ear But nut her hor son stepped stopped forward forward pale pale cold stern Hannahs right mother molher he said and ho shall go Sir She Peter leter Dangerfield Dangerfield Danger Danger- field fIed thil this la Is no place for y-u y You have come here hero and convinced cOl yourself sho she Is is- dead driven dead driven to all aU by you ou antI and that man yonder IJ He Ho is be he beyond beyond be- be yond the lie pale of Justice ou you are arc not and by heaven you shall shaH gri d not He lie threw wile the house door his dark ryes eyes es flashing and pointed out Into th the I darl darkness Go lo Sir Peter anti never ne set sot foot across 8 threshold t of oC mine again Sho She turned to mo me In her trouble she the came to me In her dark ark hour and she Is mine now now mine Go you you coward you robber and Insulter of ot helpless girlhood and come here hero no more The for fler fiery words scourged him averted avert avert- ed cd faces facos met him on every o co side And calm and antI white Katherine I lay hc before foro him with closed wih eyes and folded hands most awful of ot all al Without a word he slunk away like liko a whipped I hound the door closed upon him and ho he stood alone alono under the tho black winter r night Alone Would he ever eer be alone again agin Sleeping and waking would i not that terrible white fixed face tace pursue him Dead I will come back from tho the grave o if IC 1 tho the dead ded can Would the words she had spoken tho lie dreadful words ho lie had 1 lau laughed at once ever c cease e to ring in his cars now Would they not haunt him until until un un- un- un I til t th they y drove him ma mad Sir Peter Poter Dangerfield rode home Home What was wal SC bettor better beter than a haunted house now He lie shut slut himself up UI in his library his library lighted the room to more than the brilliance of oC day locked ocl ed tho the door doe seized the thc brandy brand bottle and ami deliberately rity drank himself into 1110 a 0 state of or beastly beasty stupor When morning dawn dawned d Sir Peter Petel l lying 01 on the hearthrug was far Car beyond all al fear Cear I of ghosts or goblins In fn heavy heay bestial bestal sleep And Katherine Dangerfield was wat va dead Tho The papers d it i tho the I town rang rang- with it i the It-the the the whole neighborhood neighborhood neigh neigh- I was utterly shocked That Tha little cottage colage on the outskirts outskirt of or Ca- Ca Cas Cas- awoke an arid and found itself famous Crowds flocked Hocked hither hiher all al day day on foot foo and in carriages poor POOl and rich to look on that placid dead face And so the tho tragedy of or had ended ended ended end end- ed thus Sir John Dangerfield lay Ii In his tomb Gaston Dan tree the brilliant adventurer lay hay in his darkened room hovering between life and death dath and Katherine so bright so dashing s so full Cul of ot life und anti hope and love lov ant and happiness only a 0 few Cew brief weeks ago ngo lay here like like this In tho the midst of ot Ute life we wc ae are in death shook their heads and quoted quotel that the thc funeral sermon was preached from it It All Al who had over ever known her hel bowed bow how cd ed down now in reverence before th the solemn wonder of or the winding sheet People came forward forward twp or three thre of ot the county families the tho Talbots a at their hair head and head and offered to f take e 61 th the body and have havo tho the obsequies of of ap appropriate ip P grandeur But Dut Henry Henr Ot Otis set those resolute lips of ot his and doggedly dog dog- og- og gedly godly refused It I was to me mc she came In ho her trouble ho lie answered not to you 0 No man alive alve has a a better right or a stronger claim caim now than I. I And I ri II J n never el give her hel Ul up She Sho r r refused fused a ayour all al your our aid ail alive alve she lic shall shul not seek |