"

"He isn't to blame," Jean cried. "Don't try to clear yourself, Nell
Strong. You have stolen him, and you know it. But you won't have him.
He shall never be yours."

Quick as a flash, Jean thrust her right hand into the bosom of her
dress, and ripped forth a sharp knife. Like a tiger she sprang upon
Nell. Instinctively the latter stepped back and raised her left arm to
ward off the blow, which thus received the knife meant for her heart.
With almost superhuman effort Nell hurled her assailant from her, drew
forth the knife from the quivering flesh, and threw it behind her. The
blood was streaming from her arm, but she kept her eyes fixed upon the
baffled girl before her, not knowing what she might do next. But the
sight of blood seemed to satisfy Jean. She gloated over her deed, and
with a wild mocking laugh, she opened the door and sped out into the
night.

With a great effort Nell overcame the deathly feeling of faintness
which came upon her. Quickly she locked the door, and then turned her
attention to her injured arm. The wound was still bleeding profusely,
and it was with considerable difficulty that she was at length able to
stop the flow of blood. The gash was not as deep as she had first
expected. The knife in falling had struck a glancing blow just below
the shoulder on the outer part of the arm. For this Nell was thankful,
but she shuddered as she thought of what her assailant really intended
to do.

When the wound had been carefully bound up, Nell sat down by the side
of the table and thought over what had just taken place. But for the
pain in her arm she might have considered it nothing more than a
terrible dream. She had never imagined that Jean, who in the past had
been so gentle, good, and loving, could be so changed. But she knew
that jealousy was the cause, and jealousy could be as cruel as the
grave.

After she had burnt up the clothes with which she had staunched the
wound, and wiped up the stains on the floor, Nell went slowly up to her
own room. But she could not sleep, for the excitement through which
she had recently passed caused her brain to throb and her head to ache.
She tossed restlessly upon her bed, and finding that she could get no
rest she got up and paced rapidly up and down the room. At times she
thought she would go mad like Jean, as she recalled all that had taken
place. She glanced into the mirror, and was astonished at the haggard
face which confronted he