The Yakima herald. [volume] (North Yakima, W.T. [Wash.]) 1889-1914, 1893-03-30

1 mad never before seen, and whom /
could not have offended In any way in
the few minutes we had been together.
was thoroughly mystified and could
only bow in aconfused way. recovered
myself In q moment, however, and as
she turned away to join her companions
] said hastily: There seems to be some
extraordinary mistake, Mrs. Gregory.
You have evidently taken me for some
one else"
She turned her head at this, and with
o quick, searching glance said, mo, I
have never met you before, as you say
yourself, and certainly do not mistake
you for any one ever saw before" And
she was gone. 1t was impossible under
the circumstances for me to ask for any
explanation, for during the following
two hours, while the party remained on
board, the lady avoided me carefully.
When they left the yacht she addressed
me particularly, it is true, saying Good
afternoon, Mr.. Saunders" but she was
with her friends, and could only bow
and answer in the same fashion.
And when had met her the following
winter at three or four social events, as
had truthfully told the inspector, she
had taken particular pains to seek me
out and speak in most tremendously
courteous manner, but she had also
taken particular pains, it seemed to me,
to be leaning on the arm of some other
man each time.
| had been in her house, too, as the
night editor had said when. he had given
me the order which l had refused to
obey the night before. The occasion
was the giving of grand fancy ball by
Mrs. Gregory, which was one of the
| prominent events of the winter in social
circles. The Item paid great attention
to society news that winter, and had
been sent to the ball as reporter. Mrs.
Gregory had given me the same polite
recognition on this occasion as on the
others, but had said nothing beyond q
few words Of greeting. Nevertheless
there had been in her eyes, which were
remarkably beautiful ones. a strange
look each time she met me. had tried
again and again to read her expression.
1t seemed to me that could see fear
and defiance both. and yet could not
be certain,
Naturally had thought this all over
many times before, and had tried often
to imagine what it was that had inspired
her to make such strange speeches to me
the first time she saw me, and to treat
me afterward as though she desired both
to propitiate me and to keep me at a dis
lance.
1t would have been perfectly natural
for me to suppose that she mistook me
for some other person but for two things
First was her positive declaration that
she did not. was inclined to give more
weight to this than | might otherwise
have done because of the very strange
circumstances which accompanied the
loss of my fortune. Those circumstances
constituted the second reason why l
thought that she might not have been
mistaken, and that had really seen her
before without knowing it.
1t sounds mysterious, but all the cir
cumstances were mysterious. Inspector
Wilson had declared that was good
amateur detective, but he little knew
how hard had worked to unravel the
story of my own life-or perhaps he
knew a good deal abou. itt de certain
ly knew that | had been rich, and per-
haps he knew more about me than l
knew myself. In any case had grave
reason to study it all over again before
going out, for was suspected if not of
actual murder, at least of being accessory
to it, Not knowing why was suspected,
could not tell how my most natural and
innocent act might serve to strengthen
the case against me.
Remembered how Pesach Rubenstein
had been convicted of the murder Of
Sara Alexander on purely circumstan.
tial evidence in one of the most famous
murder trials in New York, and also
remembered how. long after he starved
himself to death in his cell and SO cheat
ed the gallows, another man had made q
voluntary confession of the murder, ex-
planning every one of the circumstances
that had helped to convict Rubenstein
and explaining them in perfectly ra-
tional way, although his story was one
that no lawyer would have dared to
submit TO u jury as an imaginary one
It had led me to fear and distrust any
chain Of circumstantial evidence, no
matter how strong it might seem.
1t is now five years since lost my
money so strangely. My name is really
Arthur Levinson. had been left an
orphan when lad only fourteen years
Of age, and had been allowed by my
guardian to do pretty nearly as chose
after that. He was strict on one point
only. That was that must apply my
self to study until should reach my
majority. he allowed me to choose my
own schools, and had attended an ex-
cellent private school in Boston until at
seventeen had qualified for a college
course. When he asked me what college
preferred going to chose university
course in Germany. He approved of the
choice, and l went abroad. So it hap
pened that, although was born in New
York and had spent my childhood there,
had not seen the city more than two or
three days at time for ten years, for
after finishing my studies had chosen
to travel for some three years before
Gaming homa