Wichita eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1886-1890, 1889-11-24

| "That you love the man Fountain with
a strong, powerful love-a love which
excites my respect and admiration; that
the object of that love is man who
bears name by sufferance only, not by
right; and that even when you beloved
him to be murderer you shed the bright
light of your love upon him."
"How do you know these things"
'They come to me professionally
am the legal adviser of the dead Temple
toms mother and sister"
"Mother and sister," she exclaimed
II thought he had neither mother nor
sister-nor any relative"
'That is strange, since he was rela-
| tive of yours-a remote one"
Flora blushed.
'That was fib, Mr.. Holbrook, Isfree-
| ly confess it; confess also in the game
Of wits am beaten. Though l am not
pleased that you know so much"
"Be not alarmed. But one other per-
son possesses these facts, and you can
rest assured neither he nor l have any
desire to use the knowledge thus OBJ
tanned to your disadvantage or to that of
Mr.. Fountain"
"Thank you. But may not ask what
your purpose is in telling me these
things!'
II might fall back on the statement"
replied Holbrook smiling, ''that having
feeling of regard for you desired to
relieve your mind of unjust suspicion
against one you love so well and the en-
tertaining of which must have given
you so much torture; but such statement
would not be the whole truth, for have
another purpose as well, not an entirely
unselfish one.
"And that purpose Isl"
"Let me explain. The fact of Mr..
Fountains innocence came out inciden-
tally in the pursuit of certain inquiries
and the proposed initiation of some ac-
tions touching the murder of Mr.. Tenn
pleton, and perhaps it may be said also
in an effort. feeble as yet, to connect the
late Mr.. Tempieton with the late Mr..
Pierson. shall be very frank-brutally
SO, 1 fear, Miss Ashgrove. The fact that
you suspected Mr.. Fountain of the MUIR
der of Mr.. Templeton-that Mr.. Fountain
had remarked, with reference to an en-
terprise he was engaged upon, that Provi-
dence had removed Mr.. Templeton from
his path, and the final fact that that en-
terprise was made known to me by MIR.
Fountains call upon me, to be an effort
to obtain the late Mr.. Persons property,
shows that in some way, unknown to
me, Mr.. Templeton was connected with
Mr.. Pierson, and the interests of Mr..
Fountain and Mr.. Templeton were an
tagonistic. l have the audacity to ask
you in what way Mr.. Fountain touched
Mr.. Pierson, and how it was that Mr..
Templeton's interests were antagonistic
to those Of Mr.. FountainS In that point
lay your reason for accusing in your
mind Mr.. Fountain of the deed"
MAY ask to what use you would put
the information were to give it to you
always presuming had such informa-
tion?"
II believe had the honor of inform
ing you that l am the legal adviser of
Mrs. and Miss Templeton. The interests
of the brother are now the interests of
the mother and sister,"
Flora showed clearly that the knowl-
edge of the existence of mother and
sister of Templeton was not pleasant to
her, and she remained in profound
thought for moment or two.
Holbrook waited patiently for her to
speak. Finally she said:
tsMr Holhrooly ch,11 no% oonon,1
from you that know the relationship
you ask to be informed of. In the brief
time I've had to consider have made up
my mind that cannot speak of it, for /
cannot explain it without giving you
secrets have no right to give to third
person without the consent of Mr.. Foun-
tain-they are his-they belong to him
and concern him only. You have reas-
oned most accurately. Therein lay the
reason Of my unjust suspicion of Mr..
Fountain; the motive was so strong, and
he himself felt the bitterness and disap-
pointment of finding Mr.. Templeton in
his way so much, that l feared in mo-
ment of passion he had been led into a
frightful crime. l must, however, de-
cline to answer your question"
Holbrook bowed courteously and re-
marked:
"Of course, that sends me to Mr..
Fountain"
eff Mr.. Fountain determines to in
form you, I, of course, can offer no OBJ
lection"
Perhaps you may find yourself able
to answer another question:"
Flora seemed to give him consent by
an inquiring expression Of face.
"You will perhaps remember" he con-
tinued, "that on the occasion of our pre-
vious interview in this house displayed
diamond button l had found that
morning at the place of murder"
Perfectly WELL"
"You seemed to recognize it then.
May ask to whom you thought it be-
longed!"
49," said the lady laughingly, but
partly vexed as well, "your display of
the button was trap laid for me?'
II confess it. Laid on the impulse of
the moment"
Il have no objections to tell you. 1
had seen similar one worn by Kendrick
Noble"
ABR
HE was very proud Of it, as he had
inherited it from his grandfather, who
had received it from an Italian nobleman
in whose family it had been for many
generations. 1t was given the grand