Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1892-11-28


is all on account of that terrible fright.
What can there have been behind it all?
Now that the Twelfth is coming home
and you have everything running
smoothly, don't you think it possible to
| find out something about that strange
affair? You have never written word,
and can see Nita's eyes questioning
me every time she knows | have a let
ter. The other day l was in her room,
and looking over some old albums that
drew from the bottom of a desk | came
across picture of hers just like the one
that is in the little silver frame on the
toilet table in her room at Pawnee, ex-
cept that this was blurred and worn.
why, Nita!' l cried unthinkingly, as
she entered, L thought you told me mine
was the only one left of this kind, and
here's one that looks as if it might have
been worn next some fellows heart and
been kissed a million and then
stopped short and dropped it, for she had
turned white as death and was stretching
out her hands. Where did you find thatY
she whispered at last Between the
leaves of this old album l said. 1T was
lying there loosely L had not seen it
for six years. thought had burned it
with
.And then she broke off suddenly and
shuddere1, but seized it and took it
away. If she would only talk to mo of
Jack: but she will not, even though
know that evec since the suicide Of Mr..
Percival last August Mr.. Guthrie has
been working day and night reUpening
the old matter. All the friends of the
Centuries are now more than ever conf
dent that Jack was absolutely innocent
that Mr.. Percival as president of the
bank had made away with those missing
funds and securities and charged it to
Jack and to his friend Harold Worden.
An effort has been made to get at Mr..
Percival's papers, all of them, but his
widow is still 80 broken that she cannot
be seen by any one, say her physicians.
1t is believed she knows something of
the inner history of the whole case, and
that she is striving to hide what she
knows for her children's sake. OF
course people say she has behaved very
ill-that she ought to sell and restore to
the bank real estate and property that
from time to time Mr.. Percival had set
tied upon her. But she only goes into
Mysteries when lawyers are mentioned.
MIR. Guthrie is now in a highly nerv-
GUS and excitable state, which natural
ly reacts upon Mia. | wish we could
get her away from here. He went west,
you remember. when he left her with
US at Pawnee He went in the hopes of
finding some trace of Mr.. Worden, SO
learn now. and to urge the immediate
return to ST. Louis of Jacks old and in
innate friend to demand justice at the
r ha for ha
ruined irretrievably by Percival's accu-
sation when dismissed from the bank
But he has vanished utterly, and / know
that they have about given him up for
dead. A detective agency has been at
work for months. and twice of late men
have come to the house asking if it were
not possible to find somewhere a picture
of Mr.. Worden: but Mia says none ex-
list that she knows Of believe that
she burned all that she had.
.'Why will she not trust me and tell
me about it-she who used to have nc
secret from me? We know that he was
deeply in love with her and that she was
believed to care for him, but there was
a fearful scene between him and Mr..
Guthrie over poor Jacks body. The
old gentleman was wild with grief, and
in his misery he upbraided Worden as
the cause of it all-accused him of be-
ing the thief and cursed him for con-
cealing the crime at the expense of
Jacks life and honor. Possibly he did
believe it then. but since Percival's
death everything is changed. believe
he would give all he owns to make
amends to Worden now, and sometimes
think that that is what is killing Nita."
THAT that is what is killing Nita,'"
read Holden again, this time half aloud.
as he pondered over the word Then a
sound at the door attracted him. He
glanced up quickly.
.'Oh, come in, sergeant. did not
hear you knock"
Il beg your pardon, SIR" was the an
swer. in Ellis deep voice, faint flush
rising to his pale, black bearded face
II knocked twice at the outer door, and
then, knowing the doctor to be here,
yentured into the hall. Am too early.
STRIP
You are just in time. Come in. Shut
that door and sit down. How's the arm
to day, Ellis?'
Obediently the tall trooper had stepped
within and closed the door, but he still
remained erect, shade of hesitation in
his manner. 1.-The arm seems doing
we'll sir
And yet you yourself do not pick up
as could wish Take that chair, Ellis;
we shall not be interrupted, and / want
to talk with you about your case. You
have won honor and troops of friends in
this caTpnaiOr op1 xvbo,, <I,o xorr;,pov,+