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Show I I I v j '" " ""'"' "' - TT BY WHOSE HAND ? By UDITH SESSIONS TUPPOR, ' Author ot 'Uf lUlr, nrtaiSth," " Tht Ultck llmoad. IVc Copjrliht. 18.19. br Wlll.td Fr.cker Co Coprrliht. 1900, bj Streel & Smlih. CHAPTER IX. For an Instant the room grew blnck. V "Then, ns consciousness roturned, I t heard him say: '$', '. "So. my dear Rlrl. If you hnve An- .. - golo In your power, I as assuredly V navo y" ln m',lu- " w" either the i,S," slim hand of your slater that unfaBt- encd my cobra's cane, or this 'white " V -wonder,' " gently smoothing my hand, X., which still lay passively In his. !j "Can It ho," he continued, "that this - beautiful velvet hand Is the hand of yj a murderess?" 't- At that awful word I groaned aloud. j'f -"Don't call me that," I cried. "No x. ' , no not that. I am a wicked woman. i Vov ycnrs I havo nourished hatred ii and roengo, but " t "Hush! Satane," said this terrlblo . , man. "I do not ask you to tell me f more. There must, thowever, ho no ,' , scandal. You are to cease at once, and forever, your persecution of An- f, gole. You aro quite safe so long ns ' .you bchrfve yourself I shall not hnrm 5 you unless you break faith with me. , ' Satane," hu. concluded, taking my j,-;' other hand, and holding both within ' his own. and regarding mo earnestly, "P ' t almost tenderly, "I wish I had known ' you years ngo. I wish I could havo prevented nil the sorrow and anguish ' which you must havo undergone. Had I ' I loved you, I would havo made a dif ferent woman of you than Reginald ' , Dalrymple has succeeded In doing. Ton have Btifforcd yes and so has poor Angelo. You aro now to bo mer ciful, as you hope for morcy." I did not answer. I was cowed, ' -subdued. This man's fnlendld cour- , ago and virility awed i. All at onco I seemed to sco myself ln my truo light my frightfully dwarfed, distort- yet may dawn for mo a day of love and rest nnd peace. PART II. I Tho Truth. CHAPTER I. The Story of Gerald Severance. It Is now x year since tho tragic death of my friend anil client, Regl-nald Regl-nald Dalrymple. Onco more I feel tho thrill of the horror that shot through my breast us ( learned the horrid detnlls of his taking off. Tho shock was well nigh Instipportnble. He had spent tho last few hours of his llfo with mo, and now, while 1 write, 1 recall him ns ho looked that night. I can see him handsome, graceful fellow that ho war sauntering tip and down tho broad piazzas of the Sea Ylow Hotel, bend lug over tho fnlr woman who hung on his arm, and looked up nt him wIWi eyes that plainly said that which tho; had no right to tell, Ills pronounced lllrtatlon with a charming Ilaltlmoro widow had boon for duys tho talk of Sea View. Everybody Every-body know ho hnd a beautiful, neglected neglect-ed wife nt his place, n fow miles down tho beach. Opinions regarding his conduct con-duct wcro being freely expressed In most forclblo terms by tho mcn.and ns for tho women well, with ono accord thoy condemned nnd envied tho widow. Ho had novcr been moro do-voted do-voted to his bronzo-hnlrcd temptress than tonight. Ho was at hor Bide tho entire evening. Dehlnd hor great black fan sho coquettlshly smiled and whispered. His hand was constantly arranging her dainty wrap or toying I "Let me got I can bear no morel" K ' . moral nature Tho garden of my I heart, filled with ugly nettles nnd woods, was laid baro to mo. I covered M my face with my hands and Blind s' dorod. U "Lot mo go, I can bear no moro. I H can bear no more, Havo your way. I 1 submit." I'M I hoard him unlock tho door. I M know I was at liberty. I staggered past, without looking at him, Some- H way I found my room, and alone In I tho darkness, wrestled with my de ll spalr. M Is thlo man a flond or a god? I K fear him and I admlro him. I fnncled 1 hlra a mcro bookworm, absorbed In his curios, his travols and his natural history, I novcr dreamed him to he n -student of human nature a dlsscctcr of hearts. How his eyes hold and coerced me! I seem now to seo their liquid, somber nplcndor, lighted with mysterious flro. What a will ho possesses! Ho bent too llko n reed mo! I went to him, us Kunnhln to Auro-llan, Auro-llan, confidently expecting to vanquish and cnalavo him; nnd Instead, ho has chained mo to his chariot wheels. I seem no longer to bo myself Sa- tano Cnpol a wronged, vlndlctlvo woman; but rather n creature that I has boon refined and chastened by somo trying ordeal. How gontly he said, "Hnd I loved !you I would havo mado a dlfforont woman of you." Had ho loved mo! How strange to think of that! Ho would not hnvo stung me, roused my 'anger, tantalized me to dosperntlnn, only to subduo mo Ho would not havo mado mo worship him only to tramplo on my lovo. Ho would have dovoloped tho good In me, nnd hnvo helped mo to corroct my faults. I , might havo been u gentle, tender woman, with lovely children about me, Instead of of oh, Ood! I cannot boar to think of what I am. How black and hldeouB my past! How hopeless my present! How blank my foturot And Angola. My sister, Hod will Judge 'twlxt you and ms. Perhaps you have been more sinned against than sinning- You nro free now. In tho pit I sought to dig for you I havo mysalf fallen. In tho not I spread for you I havo myself been enmeshed. I am powerless to hnrm you now, and even cold I I should hesitate. A feeling cf pity for your sorrows seems to stir my savage breast. Seo, It Is almost morning. As I loan from my window and watch tho ' I faint, far hints of the comis dawn, I long, qh, how fervently! that there with tho flowers bIio cnrrlod. His bold, bltio eyes wcro fastonod on her unblushing face; his lips wero over at hor ear, and from all corners of tho piazza camo oxprosslvo nods and winks, shrugs of shouldors, and uplifting uplift-ing of eyebrows. nut Uox paid not tho slightest hoed. All his pnmpered, petted llfo ho had sought plonsuro In his own fashion. If tho world disapproved, ho morcly snappod his finger and wont his way. His social position was so assured and his fortuno so great, he could afford to defy all cavil and criticism. After tho women had gono to their npartmonts, a select company mot In tho card roomn of tho hotel. There was a good deal of drinking nnd much furious fun. My last recollection of Ilex Dal-rymplo Dal-rymplo Is not a particularly pleasing one. Flushed, noisy, n bit unsteady on his legs, his fair, curling hair tumbling over his long forohend, his eyii hnlf-shut, ho rnlsod his glass high In tho nlr nnd stnmmorod forth: "Here's to tho nmluVn of blushing slxtcon, Horn's to tlio widow " Tho rest or tho toast was lost in tho uproarious laughter nnd clinking of glasses, which greotcd tho second linn of his toast. 1 was weary of tho fun, and soon nftor retired for tho night. Tho next tlmo 1 saw him was whon. In answer to thu wild ojnculatlons of his man Williams, who enmo riding, baro-hcad-ed and wlld-oycd to tho hotel, a party of mon hurried down to his placo nnd saw thnt ghastly, livid object, that distorted, grinning thing, that a fow short hours boforo had boon tho llfo of his rollicking sot tho ring-leader of n fashionable rovel. Six months boforo his death, I was sitting one day In my otllco, hnrd at work, whon Dnlrymplo enmo ln, looking look-ing rather voxed. After greetings had been nanged ho said' "Jerry, I'm in a devil of a fix, and I want to retain you. You must help me out." "What's tho matter now?" I asked, for many a time nnd oft had I pulled him out of very miry places. "Matter enough," ho said savagoly, "I'vo boon n blasted fool again." "Another woman?" I asked. "Yes, another womnnj and n deuced-ly deuced-ly clover ono, too. She's going to mnko mo no end of trouhlo, I fear, I'm to seo hor this aftornoon. If sho won't ho reasonable, then you must take her In hand, and And out what will qulot her. She's such a devil that sho wouldn't hesitate to go to my wife, and make no end of a row, and l thnt mtiHt, at all hazards, IO pn vented." "Who Is sho?" "Well, I'm not going to toll you now. Wnlt until I'vo seon her onco more. I may pe fortunate enough to control her; If so, It's Just as well that you shouldn't know, I wilt run In tomorrow to-morrow again, and toll you whpthcr 1 succcod or not." Hut ho did not corao, and day after day passed, and I did not seo him, Klnnlly, one night, ns 1 was leaving tho chili, of which wo wero both mom-tiers, mom-tiers, I enmo full upon him. "Ah I Sovernnce," ho cheerily called, "how aro you? Hy tho way, old boy, that llttlo Hffnlr of which I spoko to you was settled very amicably. I should havo told you, but havo boon so Infernally busy. Hood night," and he hurriedly passed on. Slnco his death, I havo heon Bottling Bot-tling up his estate. I havo had occasion oc-casion to open my eyes very wldo at some of tho clnlms which havo been presented ngnlnst It; nnd It has required re-quired all the plausible resources, which u lawyer Is supposed to command, com-mand, to conceal certain very unpleasant un-pleasant facts from tho knowlcdgo of thnt sweet, white-faced woman who bears his name. I havo felt very guilty at times when she hns asked embarrassing questions, nnd I have most roundly lied In reply. Her fair, sad face, with Its nppcnllng oyos, has mnny u, time drifted between mo nnd my books. It has looked up to mo from bond nnd mortgage. It has, moreover, often floated boforo mo with that look of stony despnlr upon It so terrible to seo. What Is that look? I so often watch It croop Into hor face, when wo aro talking together. At times sho will bo cheerful, almost mulling, when suddenly her oyos, her features, tako on that expression of frozen horror n look that Doro might hnvo revelled In. I cannot understand It. Of courso, sho loved her husband, nnd equally, of course, his death must have been a frightful shock, but it lw something boyond a look of suffering or sorrow; It Is a look to make ono shudder; It Is I hnto to wrlto It tho look of a lost soul. Tho family Is onco again at tho placo below Sea VIow. "I could scarcely bear tho thought of coming horo,' sho plnlntlvely said to mo ono day, "but llttlo Mnrccllo's health must be considered. Sho Is so much hotter at tho seashore." Her sister. Miss Capcl, Is with hor. What n regal crcaturo bIio Is! Her tender devotion to this dellcato, fra-gtlo fra-gtlo woman Is amazing. Thcro Is another member of tho fnmlly, who Is equally ndmlrablo a hnndsomo cousin, a sort of Orientalized Orientaliz-ed Frenchman; a man who has all kinds of wondorful curios and books nnd rollcs. Ho was tho owner of tho vile roptllo which stung poor Dal rymplo to death. Tho serpent Is now dead, I am glad to say. Tho Professor Is n profound student, stu-dent, a brilliant conversational 1st and story-toller; a man of vast oxpcrlcnco and wldo travel. After my business consultations with Mrs. Dalrymplo aro over, It Is with delight I meet nnd chat with this remarkably clover man. Ho Interests mo; ho instructs and ontcrtnlns me. His manner toward tho beautiful sisters Is worthy of montlon. Tho chivalrous consideration ho glvos tho young widow Is charming; tho courtesy court-esy nnd deference ho shows Miss Cnpol Satane, thoy cnll hot- yo gods! what a ntuno for n civilized being! convoy an Intlmntlon of some emotion moro profound than moro cousinly regard. I suspect that hnndsomo Frenchman has his eye on Miss Capol, (To be continued.) |