Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1891-03-07

| there were nothing else can prove an alibi I
| was in this house the night Of the mufder-in
bed and asleep before II, and you saw me your
self before 8 che next morning-had to wait
while dressed
Geraldine made an imperative sign Of silence
to Romaine, but kept her eyes, with curious.
watchful look in them, fixed on the elder mans
| face.
Eyes, know that" she said slowly, deliber-
ately, but for all that you were not in this
house at all between IL o'clock and 3-for / was
here. Stay, don't deny again till you hear me
out, Mr.. Marsden. had come from n case l
had IN charge then. 1t was Of the utmost i'm
por:ance to the business in hand that l should
see you that night. came on here direct; a
policeman saw me go to this house door. 1t
was not barred up as when you have retired,
for entered with my latch key as u struck. 1
lighted . candle and looked for you on bare
chance all over the house except in old Mrs.
Leaf 8 attic-every other place looked into;
knocked loud at your chamber door"
Il sleep sound" said Marsden, sitting down,
| and with an evil SMILE
but as l got no answer / opened 1t and
looked init also was empty, Mr.. Marsden.
You were absent. / waited in this room until
3, reckoning You would surely be home then.
| You were not, and left to get some food and
8. but l never mentioned my knowledge of your
late absence-it is best sometimes not to know
| too much"
Very considerable of you," interposed Mars
den, with fierce sneer, 'but such story
| would look respectable for you if /"
''You devil, be SILENT said Romaine between
his teeth, with such fierce passion that the
girl interposed quickly, her check flushing:
Hush! What matter? have no name to be
lost in the worlds eyes; have simply my duty
| to do and speak. Now, Mr.. Marsden. EN- going
to fetch in the police and Mr.. Romano will
guard you until we return"
The prisoner glowered at her. then said sud-
denly: stop! tell me the evidence you bring
against me: For all you have hurled is none
| worthless"
lis it? There is no time to waste on words;
but this much will tell you-the most fatal, if
! silent. witness which links Leopold Langton
with George Marsden and George Marsden with
Mrs Romaine's murder is the handkerchief
with the faded rod mark"
The man leaned back in his chair a. she
moved to the door.
''You id traitress ~ he said savagely, and
never spoke or stirred again till she came back
with the two police officers to make the arrest:
then pointing to Geraldine Laval he said, with
| rough brutality. gloating over the wound he
| inflicted SO vengefully: 1T is base conspiracy
between you, my agent, and your lover there,
who has bought you to screen his guilt at my
| expense"
She only turned haughtily away then, while
Wiifred set his teeth, but when the prisoner
and his captors were gone the girl broke down
only q miserable, suffering woman now ter
ribly overstrained, cruelty stabbed.
my poor child, my own Geraldine" deep,
| soft voice whispered tenderly. and strong
arm stole round the quivering form; ''you will
let Mllfred be indeed your true lover and try
to win You for happier days?"
That You cannot do, she responded.
Geraldine" said he suddenly, and caught
loosely by her side. Let me speak to you. I
| know-1 can guess all you would say. We let
| ourselves be separated that time in Russia. but
it seems to me today that there was never any
time when you we're outside my life. Perhaps
l ought not to speak now--so soon after you
have made me your heavy debtor"
mo, you should not" said she, in q choked
tone.
yet why, why?" asked he ardently, impa-
tiently
"Oh. sir ~ said she. her beautiful lips curl-
ing. consider! l would have you forget me
and consider-others.' She had not had the
courage to make the last word less than plural.
1T seems to me that there is no one to con-
slider in this world but just you and me-" said
he. He still held her unwilling hand, but had
| learned that it unwilling. AT the risk of
making myself still more hateful to you," said
he slowly, 81 will tell you that /"
She broke away from him and put up both
hands az il to ward him of. "Oh, mo-" she
| cried in sharp, agonized tone. Leave me
something. some thought Of you that can dwell.
upon. Tell me nothing"
Il must" said he almost coldly. SIT has
gone too far now; reject me if you will, but at
least let me say that love yOu."
She leant back against the table behind her,
and a miserable little laugh broke from her.
.''Do youY' said she. Are you sure? Was
there never momen. when you fancied that
another woman might be-
sudden light broke in upon him.
"fou thought WAS in love with my step
mother. You saw US together in Russia and
were jealous. That was why you drove me
away. And in resentment you let me think the
worst OF your life with your father?"
I'm one thing ! was mistaken. MY work in
this case has convinced me that your only re-
gard for Mrs. ROmaine was because she was
your fathers wife,
"And was wrong in harboring for amoment
the thought that you were less than a noble
girl"
The tenderness in his voice overwhelmed her.
She covered her face with her hands. That
perhaps prevented her from knowing that he
had come up to her. 1t prevented her, indeed
from knowing anything until his arms were
round her and she felt her head pressed against
his breast.
What a sensation that was when Iate- on that
trial of Leopold Langton, alias George Marsden,
came on. How step by step the evidence had
been traced and fitted into completeness. How
strangely that clever, handsome Geraldine
Laval, the prisoners own detective, had found
1t all out through the fatal handkerchief with
its odd red mark. Mrs. Pyke repeated all her
evidence; the laundress stated how she knew
the handkerchief; the houskeeper of Marsden
deposed to having put away the pile of hand
kerchiefs usual in his drawer where he
must have took the handkerchief from by
chance that night" she thought. He had torn
up a lot of old letters two weeks before and
she thought they'd been tied up in the old
handkerchief for years. She had noticed the
bundle in drawer once. OF course too,
Marsden's false assertion told badly for him.
and Mrs. Pykes recognition of him as Langton
and Geraldine's of the photograph as Marsden.
clearly linked the two in one. taken with col
lateral evidence and the revengeful oath over
heard by Pyke-an oath too evidently carried
out by the murderer, whose defense soon crum-
bled. The verdict was foreseen; 1t could only
be guilty. And for wonder, after condemna-
ton no sickly sentimentalists, eager for no
toriety, got up any petitions for the guilty
mans respite.
Some in the crowd. however, asked each
other what would become of tina. late agent of
his III whose hands the artist Romano had by a
lucky chance placed the case. Who could say
then?
But little later a good many people knew
well enough that Wiifred Romaine and his
young wife had gone abroad for a couple of
years, to be received on their return doubt
lessly with open arms. Artists were always &C.
centric, and she was ss good she WAS charm
ing, and Romaine was well of and a rising man.
Who would ask or care to recall the sorrowfu!
past that had conferred around q little faded
red mark on handkerchief?
TWAS VALENTINES NIGHT.
Gushing Love Scene Under the Soft Texan
Skies.