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Show . .p - ! in.. i ! ii ii i. ii Jha BY WHOSE HAND?! By EDITH SESSIONS TUPPER," Author ot "Br a lUlr't Bnadth," Tbt Dhck nitmoid,' Etc. Copjrltht, HOT, bt Wlllird Fucker & Co Copjtllhl, J900, bj Street & Smith. CHAPTER II. I havo passed a most eventful day! I began It by discovering myself to bo a hero! Let mo explain. This morning 1 saved little Marcollo from drowning. It was In this wise. Mrs. Dalrymplo and tho child were walking on the cliff, a fow rods from tho houso. I had Just drlvon down from Sea Vlow, and, spying them, left tho carriage, and was walking toward thorn, when I was liorrlflod to sco tho little one, who was dancing near tho edgo of tho cliff, atumblo, mako n vain effort to save herself and then disappear. At tho Instant tho shriek of agony broko from tho mother's lips, I flung off my coat and hurled myself nftcr tho child. I saw tho fair head rlso abovo tho waves saw tho sweet, frightened little faco turned nppcallngly toward mo. I am a capital swimmer, and a fow sharp strokes brought mo to her. Seizing her, I hold her triumphantly up to tho gazo of her frantic mothor. Then, with tho poor, sobbing llttlo crca'turo undor ono arm, I swam slowly In. Uy this tlmo tho screams of Mrs. Dalrymplo had brought tho entire household, nnd there was no lack of assistance. Hopes wcro lowered lower-ed from tho cliff and I sent tho child up to her mothor, who clasped her, uninjured, In her arms, and thon promptly fainted. I was soon piled up, surrounded by tho servants, embraced In tho truo Gallic enthusiasm by Bollcau, and thanked nnd blessed by Miss Capo). After n hurried run to tho house, a good drink and somo dry clothing, I I hurled myself after the child. wan nono tho worso for my llttlo adventure ad-venture As I camo down tho stairs an hour lator, Mrs. Dalrymplo'a maid nccostod mo. Tho lady wished to seo mo In tho library, I bastoned thoro. Bho was lying on tho broad couch, (till vory much unnerved. Miss Capol intl tho Professor wore with hor, but both at onco loft tho room. ' Mrs. Dalrymplo roso to a sitting pos- ttiro and held out a trembling little ftind. I took It In mlno nnd gently pressed It. Sho laid tho othor upon mlno and looked up at mo with eyes llllod with tears. I saw sho could not speak. ''Do you foel better?" I clumsily ked. Sho bent her head without speaking and two great tears broko from hor lovoly oyos and rolled down hor pale cheeks. It cuts mo to tho heart to see a "woman weep especially, n fragllo, '" delicate, little creaturo, llko this ono. fiho looked so sad, so unhappy, so llko tho llttlo holplcss child I had roscuod from tho waves that morning, that I could not holp but sit down bosldo her and gather that slender, shrinking, trembling form In my nrms. Sho did not resist sho simply lay thoro convulsively sobbing llko ono -who Is spent and oxhaustcd by long and cruel Btorms. "Don't dear," I said, holding tho - . silken head close to my heart, "don't dear. It hurts mo to sco you weop llko that. You know I lovo you, An- gelo I may speak, may I notT I will 'f- wait any length of tlmo as long as , you pleaso I will not annoy you In any way, only glvo mo ono llttlo bit - ; of hopo' " , Though sho clung dosperatoly to mo, ;. she kept hor faco turned obstinately away, and still sobbed and moaned, as 1 though hor heart would break. I did not speak, but smoothed hor ' soft hair and pressed my lips gently upon It. Suddenly, with an effort, sho r wlthdrow from my embrnco, and sat wiping hor eyoa, a forlorn llttlo picture pic-ture of woo. "Listen, dearest," I said, "I would rot dlstresr, you. I will not say another an-other word now. I perhaps have been too premature. I know you were devoted de-voted to Rex, and I do not fancy that ' ' you havo forgotten him. I did not Intond to spook so Boon, but I havo loved you for months. Your very un-happiness un-happiness has mado you dear to me. I havo so longed to tako you to my hoart and comfort you, poor, hurt, grieved child. Can you not glvo me ono word dear? Iook at mo." With gentle force I drew down her hands, and turned her face to me. O God! that awful look again. Tho terror, ter-ror, tho despair, the agony of that glance! "Angelo," I cried dismayed, "why, why do you look llko that? Is It sotcrrlblo to think of loving mo? Am I so obnoxious to you? Answer mo, darling, I beg," No reply. Sho sat like a statuo of despair; speechless, white; her great oyes seemingly stnrlng at nothing; gazing boyond mo nt space. I roso and paced the room. What could I say? What do to rouso her? "Tell mo, dear," I asked at laut. "shall I go away?" Suddenly shu staggered to her feet and cried wildly. "No, no, do not leave me, Gerald; do noi desert me. What could I do without you?" I drew her In my nrms. "Then you do lovo mo a llttlo?" I questioned. "Yes," sho moaned, "I lovo you." I laid her head back upon my breast nnd bent my lips to hors. but sho pushed my fnco violently away, and in a horror-stricken voice, cried; "No no you cannot must not. You must go go nt onco I must nover seo you again never never " Dut even ns sho spoko her fragile, shaking hands clung to me, as had Marcelle's that morning. I looked at her, as sho still lay back against my obouldor. Pale, hcavy-oyed tho great blau't Bhadows under her eyes plainly plain-ly Indicating sleepless nights. Sho looked llko the sweet, whlto wraith of tho beautiful girl Hex Dalrymplo married. "Darling," I firmly said, "I shall nover lcava you like this. Do you think I could go away, and know that you wore suffering as you aro, Angelo. An-gelo. What is It? Toll mo! Thero Is something preying on your mind. I havo often felt It. I havo studied your dear faco too closely. I havo scon tho look of pain In your oyos, nnd, An-golo, An-golo, thoso eyes havo sometimes appealed ap-pealed to me. Thoy have plainly snld, 'help mo.' Toll mo toll mo," I urged, holding her closer, "what Is it that so distresses you? I may bo ablo to help you. My lovo, my lovo, I would glvo my heart's blood to tako away forover, from your sweet faco that look of Intcnso agon), I so often 800." "Your heart's blood," sho repeated. In a low, s trail go volco. "Your heart's blood. That would not holp mo. Thero Is nothing nothing that can help mo. I am boyond help." "You aro not," I retorted. 'Angelo, I will help you in splto of yourself. You must tell mo speak, speak," I Imperatively demanded. A violent fit of shivering seized hor. Her teeth chattered and hor breast roso and fell In tumultuous agitation. I cannot I cannot," sho groaned. "Why not?" "I cannot toll you lot mo go." "I will nover lot you go. You shall nover leave my arms until you Bpenk." "Oh, Gerald, you aro cruel." "Yes, yos, I know I am cruel I must bo but speak you Bhall." "You will hato loatho O, God! I cannot will not" "Thoro Is nothing you could toll would mako mo loatho you speak," "Spare mo spare mo!" "You must speak." "lie merciful bo pitiful I ilaro not!" "I will bo morclful I will bo pitiful, but you must speak." Sho was struggling now to froo hor-solf, hor-solf, but I hold her as If In a vlso. Moaning, gasping, cowering, shivering, shiver-ing, sho stammered Incoherently, "Tho cobra tho cobra!" "Yes, yes, what of it?" "It was I I who opened the cage." "Great Ood! Angelo, do you roallzo what you aro saying!" 'Yes, yes strlko mo curso mo kill me I was Ilex's murderess!" CHAPTER III. There was an Instant's awful silence, broken only by Angolo's panting sobs. I did not release hor, but still hold-lug hold-lug Iter closoly against my heart, tried to think. I know sho bellovnl what sho had said, but I know, too, that thero was somo monstious mistake. This twaner-hcartod, aensltlrev ablo woman a murderess? O Impo stblel Hut how to prove tho fallacy of such an Idea. For prove It I would. In that terrible moment I rosolvod to mako It the pursuit of my life. My poor, llttlo lovo! How she must havo suffered. I lookod down upon tho pathetic, childish, tcar-ataln-od faco, tho pretty blonde hoad lying on my breast. "Speak to mo," sho sobbed, "Gerald, Gerald; tell me how much you loatho mo but speak to mo." "I will speak to you, my darling, but nover to toll you that." Sho lifted her head and stared incredulously in-credulously at mo. "Why why what do you moan?" sho faltered. "I moan this, Angelo. I know you aro innocont of this crlmo with which you havo charged yourself," "O God! If I were," sho wildly crlod, "but, alas, I know only too well that I am guilty." "You nro not," I firmly said. An-gele, An-gele, It Is absurd. You havo dreamed this, You havo brooded over this Idea until you bollovo it. Come, my lovo, shako off such a hideous chimera, and bo yourself." "O Gerald, do not trlflo. I tell you It Is tho frightful truth Satane knows it" I shook her desperately. "What do you moan? Satnno knows Angelo, toll mo Instantly What does sho know?" "Let mo sit down," pleaded tho poor child. "I will toll you what I mean." "I am a brute," I Bald; "forgive me, dearest. Come, then, sit hero and tell mo everything." I led her to n chair, and, taking another, sat by her, still holding hor trembling hands In mlno. Sho fixed her eyes on mlno with an expression of dread In tholr depths which gnvo mo absoluto pain, for I saw that sho was terrified of mo. "Speak, dear,' I gently urgod, "do not bo afraid of mo. Keep nothing back." "On that fearful night," sho said, "I waited for Hex to como In. I wanted want-ed to sco him. I had thnt day discov ered something which hnd caused mo great anguish," nh, yes! I thought, sho had heard about tho llaltlmoro widow "I resolved that I would speak to him, whon ho camo in, but 'when I heard his step on tho stair, I could not bear oven to see him. I hastily turned out tho gas, and lay, pretending to bo nslccp, when he stopped at tho door to Bay good-night. After ho had gone, I felt that I must' boo htm, and toll him what was troubling trou-bling mo. So rising, I throw on my dressing gown, nnd went to his door, only to hastily return. It was thon flvo minutes of ono. Do not ask mo what causod mo to chango my mind again, for I shall not tell you. It has nothing to do with tho statement I am making. Sufficient to say that, after I entered my room, I underwent a 'completo motamorphosls. I was changed from a loving, suffering woman, wom-an, into n (lend. I longed, yos, longed, to kill my husband. How whon- whero throbbod ceaselessly through my disordered brain. Suddenly, I thought of tho cobra! How easy to unfasten tho door of hor cngojind lcavo tho rest. I acted upon this diabolical dia-bolical Impulse. I went to tho Professor's Profes-sor's room, nnd carefully slid tho cage door opon. Then, llko n thunder clap, thero camo tho realization of what I was doing. I must havo been crnzod by my cruel Buffering. With a half-muttered half-muttered prayer for forgiveness I shut tho door O God I O God! I thought I shut It, but In tho nwful morning I know that, In my hurry and confusion, I had neglected to do so, and thus Hox mot tho hideous death I had It in my hoart to glvo him. It was whon I was coming out of tho Professor's room at two o'clock, that Satano saw mo " "Ah! Saino saw you?" I Intor-tuptod. Intor-tuptod. . To bo continued.) |
