Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1893-07-27
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CHAPTER x.-CoNTIruED.

anguish in the sweet white face before
him, he added:
''She went away from mel Thank
God, the last words she ever heard me
say were in apology for that brutal out.
break. I had never spoken angrily to
her before. had never had occasion
to do so. I believed in her utterly and
entirely. Yes, she went away from me
and returned TO the women downstairs.
could hear her voice above every
other one, the gayest, clearest one
there, as went out of the house again
dined at the clubhouse that day. ]
wanted time to think the whole misera-
BILE business over fully before met her
again. I was afraid / might forget
that I was a gentleman and she a
woman; false, damnably untruthful,
but yet woman. Nothing would be
easier than for me to prove an alibi if
need be. I did not care for my own
company that evening. 1 picked two
club men up on leaving the house, drove
them to the club, dined with them,
played whist with them, until-until-a
messenger-Bennett, / believe it was
came to the club and informed me that
Mrs. Norcross' maid, surprised at her
went to lool, her up, she found her-as
you know. You are her sister, and you
arc entitled to this much.'
He stopped talking, and, reaching for
ward to a decanter on the table, poured
out a large wineglassful of Madeira,
which he drank off at gulp Nora's
eyes had never once left his face while
he was talking
''You believe me, do you not?" he
asked, leaning YEARLY back in his
chair, and drawing his handkerchief
slowly across his lips.
You have left me no choice 1 must
believe you. do"
This is the first and only statement
i shall make on the subject. / have of
fered the reward, as / told you before
In few days leave for Europe. There
is one thing should like to do. Before
you came, it looked impossible"
She looked at him inquiringly
What strange turn things had taken!
He began again, in broken voice:
s'In that-letter-she spoke of child
should like to know that it would not
become pauper-would never know
the need which sometimes drives
women to deceive men. If you will help
mel do not know it's name. There
were no names mentioned. She only
spoke of her little girl. By that knew
she was a widow"
''There is no need for that. The child
will be well cared for. But it is gen.
erous of you.''
She put out her hand to him impul-
sively. Perhaps, after all, he had been
mo CIV ,aI v>14
took the profered hand:
Thank you. I am glad, after all,
that have been able to rid your mind
of that hideous fancy, before leave the
country. 1t might have looked like a
flight. And don't know but what it
is. Life, here, is intolerable-will be
everywhere, in fact"
4'And you have no theory? 1t was not
a suicide?'' she asked.
''No. Of that am quite sure. She
was too tinid, and not miserable
enough, by half! I had theory-the
same one the detectives seem to have
hit upon"
He pointed to the papers she had
thrown on his table.
You mean the strange, plainly
dressed woman who was admitted to
Mrs. Norcross in the afternoon, and
who. according to the papers, stole out
by side entrance, evidently stunning
observation That was l."
$50 l presumed. That was why l
said had a theory. have none now"
Nor any clew whatever?"
<'NOne. Unless"-he opened drawer
of the writing table and took from it a
small pastebOard boX-''this may even
tually prove to be one" He extended
it, unopened, to Nora Lorimer. st
was found clasped in one of her hands.
But she had SO many trinkets and bau-
bles that lay no stress upon it-scarce-
ly know how to connect it with the
crime"
Nora drew from the box with tremb-
ling fingers a broken piece of gold
chain. Attached to it was a seal of
ssor,c clear translucent stone. An in
taglio with q device which it was not
easy to read at first glance marked
It 1t was such a seal as years before
had been used for impressing the wax on
letters. 1t was large, and not particu-
Larry fine in workmanship. She felt
quite reit had not been amongAmelia's
few possessions in her girlhood; nor
was it such a seal as the wealthy Mrs
-Norcross would have been likely to pur-
chase. Moreover, seals were not in
fashionable demand just then.
MAY keep this, Mr.. Norcross?" she
asked, replacing the possible clew in
the box. She had studied it carefully
He was leaning back in his chair
with closed eyes. His face was worn
and haggard. He waved his hand in
consent, sat up presently, and held out
his hand to her:
Il believe must ask you to cut this
interview short. 1t has been more try
ing than / anticipated. We have ex-
Generated each other, but intensified the
mystery. Perhaps time win solve it;
perhaps we Will never know until
''She solves the mystery for us her
self, over there" said Nora, turning
away from Amelia's husband and the
-darlSencd home which would never
again resound to the chatter of gay
voices or be converted into bower of
roses.
As she passed out into the lamp
lighted streets, she repeated his words
with sense of absolute poweriessness:
I'VE have exonerated each other, but
intensified the mystery"
She melted some wax as soon as she
got back to her room, and made sue
cession of impressions with the seal she