They bore him into the parlor and laid him down. He was dead--the
handsome, genial, kind old father, who had been Elaine's truest friend
in her trouble and disgrace. It was strange and terrible to see the
women, each of whom had loved the dead man in her own fashion, weeping
around him.
Their gala robes looked strangely out of place in this scene of death.
There was Bertha in her ruby satin and shining jewels, Elaine in her
shimmering silk and blue forget-me-nots, Mrs. Brooke in crimson and
black lace, lighted by the fire of priceless diamonds. Saddest of all,
little Irene, crouched in a white heap on the floor at his feet, adorned
in the modest bravery he had brought her for a birthday gift. Poor
little Irene who has lost in this one fatal day all that her heart held
dear.
A physician was called to satisfy the family. He only said what was
plainly potent before. Mr. Brooke was dead--of heart disease, it
appeared, for there were no marks of violence on his person. He was an
old man, and death had found him out gently, laying its icy finger upon
him as he walked along the shining sand of the bay, in the beautiful
moonlight. His limbs were already growing rigid, and he must have been
dead several hours.
"Dead! while we laughed and danced, and made merry over yonder in their
gay saloons," Elaine wailed out, in impatient despair. "Oh, my God, how
horrible to remember!"
Only Guy Kenmore saw that the right hand of the dead man was rigidly
clenched.
"What treasure does he clasp in that grasp of death?" he asked himself,
and when no one was looking he tried to unclasp the rigid fist. He only
succeeded in opening it a little way--just enough to draw from the
stiffened fingers a fragment of what had once been a letter--now only
one line remained--a line and a name.
Guy Kenmore went to the light, spread the little scrap open on his hand
and looked at it. The writing was in a man's hand and the few words were
these:
"_That the truth may be revealed and my death-bed repentance
accepted of Heaven, I pray, humbly._
"_Clarence Stuart, Senior._"
Suddenly a cold little hand touched his own.
"I saw you," said Irene, in a low, strange voice. "What does it mean?"
"A great deal, or---- nothing," he answered, in a voice as strange as
her own.
She read it slowly over. The fragmentary words and the proud name seemed
to burn themselves in on her memory.
"Who is Clarence Stuart?" she asked, wonderingly.
"I intend to find out," he answered. "When I do, I shall tell you,
little Irene."
In his heart there was a deadly suspicion of foul play. Who had torn
from old Ronald Brooke's hand the letter whose fragmentary ending he
grasped within that clenched and stiffened hand? Had there been murder
most foul?
He went back and looked attentively at the corpse. It was true there was
no sign of violence, but was that the face of one who had died from one
instant's terrible heart pang, who must have died before he had realized
his pain? No, the face was drawn as if in deadly pain, the open eyes
stared wide with horror.
"I shall say nothing yet," he said to himself, gravely. "Let them think
that death came in the quiet course of nature. But if old Ronald Brooke
was murdered I shall bring his murderer to justice."
And on the man's handsome face, usually so gay and debonair, was
registered a grim, firm purpose.
Mrs. Brooke and Bertha had been led away to their rooms now. No one
remained for the moment but Elaine. She came slowly to her daughter's
side.
"Irene, you must come with me now, she said, pleadingly, but the girl
broke from her clasp and ran to throw herself on the dead man's breast.
"I cannot leave him yet," she sobbed. "He was my all!"
Elaine shivered, as if some one had struck her a blow. She followed her
daughter, and solemnly took the dead man's hand in her feverish,
throbbing clasp.
"Irene, my daughter, this, my own father whom I deceived and deserted,
whose loving heart I broke by my folly--he pitied and forgave me," she
said, mournfully. "My sin against you was far less, for it was not
premeditated. Here by papa's cold dead body I ask you, darling, to pity
and forgive me. Will you refuse my prayer?"
Irene lifted her head from its chill resting-place and looked at her
suppliant mother with a strange, grave gaze.
"We forgive every one when we are dying--do we not?" she asked, slowly.
"Yes, my darling, but you are young and strong. You have many years to
live perhaps. I cannot wait till your dying hour for your love and pity.
I need it now," sighed poor Elaine.
There was a moment's silence. Irene looked down at the dead man's face
as if asking him to counsel her in this sad hour. As the wide,
horror-haunted eyes met hers she recoiled in terror.
"_He_ forgave you," she said, solemnly. "He cannot counsel me, but I
will follow his example. Mother," she reached across that still form and
touched Elaine's hand, "I forgive you, too. Always remember that I
pitied and forgave you."
There was a strange, wild light in her eyes. It startled Elaine.
"My darling," she cried, half-fearfully.
"I must leave you now, poor mother," continued Irene, with that strange
look. "I must go down to the shore where death waited for papa to-night.
He is waiting there for me!"
She turned with the words and ran swiftly from the room. Frightened by
her strange looks and words Elaine followed behind her, but her
trembling limbs could scarcely carry her body.
Young, light, swift as a wild gazelle, Irene flew down the steps and
across the garden. The moon was going down now, and only the flutter of
her white dress guided the frantic mother in her wild pursuit. The
garden gate unclosed, there was a patter of flying feet along the sands
outside, there was a wild, smothered, wailing cry of despair,
then--then Elaine heard the horrible splash of the waves as they opened
and closed again over her maddened, desperate child.