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THE CURSE OF HER LIFE OR A DARK SECRET.

J r CHAPTER XXXV.— Continue! Heathcote smiled. A blue circle was already creeping over his lips. "It is of no use," he said, "I know what I've taken : I shall be a dead man in ten minunes, in spite of you! You have beaten me at laot, Edith." Edith stood like one stupified. She had not anticipated anything like thi3.

Heathcote lay silent a moment,

gazing at her. "1 believe I have been mad," he said, "but it's all over now. Doctor Sanitas, I killed Captain Tyrrell, and bound my cousin Edith by an oath not to betray me. She know nothing of it till the deed was done. Write it down and I'll sign it. Be quick. '1 here's pen and paper over on (ha desk yonder. I've been a curse to you, Edith. But it's all over now." "Oh, Randal!" Edith gaspe" falling on her knees by hid side. Doctor Sanitas was a man of rapid action. Hastily writing down Heathcote's very words he brought the paper to him to sign, and called in two .of the people of the house to witness it besides himself, Rial, and the two men from the asylum. . Heathcote had not owned to killing poor Lois; there was not time. He was a dead man as he said he be in ten minutes after he said it. He died with his staring gaze fastened on Edith almost ! to the last gasp, and his eyes haunted her for weeks. Lady Disbro, of course, heard no more of that false charge against her. Heathcote's amply attested confession quashed projeedings.

Frank Tyrrell was release.3 from his uncomfortable quarters by Edith herself. He was half-starved, and In a repentant and emaciated condition by the time he got out. He swore solemnly never to doubt his wife again, on anybody's testimony. Rose was the most to be pitied ! when all was done. The woman she hated was triumphantly happv in spite of her, aui she was henelf the disgraced widow ofja murderer. Sbe almost wished, in this dreadful hour, that she had kept her word to Kial and married him, instead of Heathcote* ' ■ '

Happy Edith forgave her all, but banished her from her house. "It seems mean and vindictive," she said remorsefully to her husband; "but I know she hates me yet. and will to the end. I dou't feel as if I could breathe the same air with her any longer." "You should not try, even if you •wished to," Frank'returned bitterly.

Dorcas Lynn was only less happy than her darling Miss Edith. "When we have lived together one year longer," nldith said to he.v husband, "I will tell you why ihat miserable cousin uf mine broke his engagement with me." "You need never tell me," Frank exclaimed eagerly; "I shall never be unhappy about a secret of yours ai»ain." "I choo-e to tell you, but not for a year, It is not a necessity, but a whim." "Very well, rny darling," Frank answered, and never alluded t~> the subject again till the year was up. Then Edith told hinn. "My cousin Randal was. always a little strange," shejsaid. "The day he told me he thought our engagement had better be broken off he refused to tell me why at first. But he finally did. He said that the reason lie did not want to marry me was because he believed t had a taint of

insantity in me. I was very angry, for 1 thought he was deceiving me, and that he made that only for an excuse. But at the same time I suffered such horror and shame at the dear possibility that he might have spoken the truth, or that others might imagine the same if they knew what he had said, that I would speak of it. I had even a fear that you, Frank might some time imagine you detected traces of insanity in me, if you knew, and, therefore, I did mean never to tell you why my cousin broke oft our engagement. But when I found that that other secret had worked up such serious mischief, I resolved you should know this one, though I wanted you to sea me free of trouble and anxiety one twelvemonth first. Now, then, upon your honour, sir, do you think there is any ■danger of your wife over becoming insane?", Edith sdoke playfully, but her husband heard the stifled pain in her voice, and knew that she had suffered more than she would acknowledge in telling him this, the last secret that was ever between them. He detected also, the anxiety she strove hard to conceal as she waitod for his answer. "No," he answered emphatically, .and he did rot what he r.everths:

By HELEN COR WIN PfEECE, Aivtaor o£ "At His Own Game," "Carrie Emerson Wilde," "Badly Matched," "The Cheated Bride," Etc.

less firmly believed, that her cousin did have a twist in his brain, that fell little short of madness. He saw that she was sensitive upon the subject, and forbore upon that account to dilate upon it. The question was never mooted between them again. But he knew as weil aa she did that there were times in the past when the thought of her cruel and wicked cousin, and of the possibility of his words beitrg true, came over her with a temporary but awful fear. Frank knew this, and made her life as full of brightness as he possibly could in the hope of entirely dissipating that shadow at last. I dont' think he ever quite succeeded, but as the years went on the phantom of Edith's youth receded farther and farther away from her, tiil it remained like some half-for-gotten, horrible dream, THE END.

Permanent link to this item
Hononga pūmau ki tēnei tūemi

https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/WAG19090208.2.3

Bibliographic details
Ngā taipitopito pukapuka

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXII, Issue 3110, 8 February 1909, Page 2

Word count
Tapeke kupu
967

THE CURSE OF HER LIFE OR A DARK SECRET. Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXII, Issue 3110, 8 February 1909, Page 2

THE CURSE OF HER LIFE OR A DARK SECRET. Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXII, Issue 3110, 8 February 1909, Page 2

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