WKST SII0I5K.
11
awny from him, ami that forever. If nhe ho
knew that ho was her murderer, ami the thought nl
imiHt overthrow hi not over-well balanced rcanon.
A (lain ami again ho muttered: ",l,m iVm ,' .1,.n
7iVm if only ma rArrv'i lifo ran lie npared!" and al
most he proniixod to return her to Iter family.
At Eugene City ho had intended to again 1ihm
carriage, deeming t It i h the la-nt plan to avoid detection
(naturally IVtV friend would cxoct thent tocnea'io
hy rail), hut her eondition forbade it. A iiiiet, home
like Ixuirding-houHe whh happily wvureil, alnocnmpo
tent phynician and nume. In a few bourn the hi iiHir
panned, giving plaeo to a raging delirium. I'iteouxly
nhe called for "Auntie "day and night. Hour after
hour the niinoriiblo Kreuehman paecd It in room, listen
ing and starting at every nound or hahhling incoherent
ly in bin. native tongue. At hint they told him oho
mi nt die.
" I it, die!" he ahrickcd, "then I am her murderer
and will die, too. iVm, mini Itiru!" mid liefure
1 1 i h informant could even guenn hi intention, the tiny
Kiinard wan drawn and plunged in hi own hrea.t. A
eniiHiderahle mini of money wan found on bin (tcrmm,
and he wan given at leant a ronpeotahlo hurial, hut
whether one lielitting the hint of the line of I.c (irandn
will never le known. The widowed hride did not die.
Her attendantM withheld the knowledge of ln r bun
hand'H death until die ank.il for him; then told it an
gently as HHHihlc.
"MoiiHieur dead!" nhe exclaimed, incredulously,
then burnting into team noUn-d out :
" fv I did not nave him after all."
The morning nunlight touched and brightened the
elegant nervioe on the Prapcr breakfast table a the
family lingered alwitit it. Presently the mnd
brought in, and an wan hi wont, the husband and
father retired with bin hhare to Inn Ktudy.
"A letter from Portland for you, mother," mid Ar
thur touting an envelop across the table, nnd tin it he
took up a morning pacr, ostensibly to read, but in
reality to while away the time until he nhotild kirn
the content of that letter, nor had he Un t wait
Throwing up her hand with a cry of Urnr. Mr.
lraor let fall the nheet
" Head it Arthur, I can nl. "h a-nieiliing dr. ad
ful, dreadful ban happened."
Snatching it up he read aloud, imr pnn-d until
the end of the terrible account in Mildred' hand writ
ing on blotteil, tearntained pagii
" I'et, our preci.mn child, burned alive !" cried Mr.
Kraper bursting into hynteri. al weeping
Without noticing her the ym """ ,,'r'
letter anido and linking hi. hand. ..11 hi. br...t.
the (I.H.r with white, drawn faee. and ry.- fr-m
the light Deemed middenly to have faded. liaising her
head at hint, the mother htndicd her noisy grief at
night of the nileut woe in her non' faro, ami rifting nhe
called bin name mice, twice, thrice. At the hmt he
paused and then came and ntood before her.
"Mother," he began hoarsely, hi im w itching
foiivulnivi ly, " I have grown old in these hint few
minute, life can never I.' the name to me again. I
could almost wish I were dead, t', ninoe the only wo
man I ever loved nave youmelf ban gone from earth
forever. Yen, I loved I'et drowning, nhe tilled my
every thought denpite the fad nhe wa likely to marry
another; ami I have nometime U-cn no prcnumptiiotin
an to think after all, in npite of everything, that nhe
wan nt iudillereiit to mo, I can not have mistaken
her; but may heaven help me now, If I could have
gone there in the fall noincthing til Id me I could have
won In r, and navod her thin terrible fate."
Ilin mother ntod through the passionate harraugue
like one receiving heavy blown that nhe could Uo
dodge or parry, and at the lat. a nhe delected the
tone of censure mingled with the rrl, be sank back
in her chair.
"Arthur, Arthur!" nhe gan-d, "I thought you
were to marry Caroline Cramer "
" Vnii thought I wa to marry her!" lie almost
Iiihxi , "Voii have known ever mnce you brought
I'et here that I cared f"r no one but her, and ymi have
fought against it by fair mean and foul, You Hiiim
her mind again! me by talking Mis Cramer to her,
pretending I wan to marry her You have, nt the name
time, made it almost iuiponmble for me to break with
Caroline entirely, true ymi have not had no much to
nav since the uainclcs waif ha proved to l' Pr"f tietl
wil'n heiress, but it in too late imw. I will try and
forget ymir part in blighting tny life, mother, but
heMii kimw it in hard," and be .trodc into hi
father', ntudy ngardb. of hi. inolher'n tear and
protestation
Half an hour lat r he came out and Informed her
that he would .tart for rortland mi the morrow
" There I mine mistake ln Hire I'et a not dead
Anvway I iniit go ami f"f my.elf "
How changed wa everything imw with the little
party that had lately U' li oJ-.yoii le had taken
rmy old hoiix ill the lielghUirhi.xl of their old
I, p Only the m, e.rln fr rating nd erpiiig
err purchased, and even lhre rrliirl almost iia-ra
tlilMin . tin fe ft llttl" of Other iloiie by thelii
Tlieaii ldn illne of Mr Mm l lel another bur
den to her imi nd daughlrr'a already over writfhted
hr.irli The 'fnfiir le and llelit haunted the
rmi. frmii morning till night eing that every bit of
,, in. t lnHM--l, ml rvrry handful of In ifte