The Caucasian. (Clinton, N.C.) 188?-1913, 1893-10-12

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va, large w.Deg .a->@sui of Madeira
X hlch he drank Of A. : galp. Sora's
eyes had never once III, hts face while
he a. talking.
You believe me ao you not ne
asked leaning YEARLY bark in his
chair. and drawing his handkerchief
SLOWLY acrrsss bis lips
You have left M no choice tnus.
believe you d..
This - the hr~t and only statement
shall make on the -uhJ~-t- have Of
fered the r. ard. a. I ta'i you t"fore-
IL few days .-av~ for Europe There
j. one thing shoul& Ike - do. Before
sou came, it locked inpoesible-~
She looked 81 him jnquiringly.
What Il strange turn things had taken!
lie began again. In . broken voice
In that-lctter-eh" spoke Of "A child-
] should like !" know that II would not
become paupcr-w"uId never know
the me- which sometimes drives
women L. deceive rnrn. II YOU will help
me- do not know it~ name There
were nn names mentioned. She only
spoke Of her little girl by that knew
che was ii widow"
There is uo need fpr that The child
will lie well cared for But it Is gen
erous Of you-
She put out her hand 10 him impul-
sively. Perhaps, after all, he had been
more sinncd against than shining. He
took the pro:fcred hand:
Thank you am glad, after all,
that have been able To rid your mind
of that hideous fancy, before Leave the
country II might have looked like a
flight And don't know but what 1t
Is. Life. here, is intolcrab le-wlll be
everywhere. in fact.
And you have no theory? 1t was not
a suicide?" she asked.
NO OF that am quite sure. She
was too timid, and not miserable
enough, by half! had theory-the
same one the detectives seem 10 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."
so | presumed That was why /
said had theory. have none now"
Nor any clew whatever"
None. Unless"-he opened drawer
Of the writing table and took from it
small pasteboard box-"this may even
tuallv prove to be one" He extended
it, unopened, to Nsra Lorimer. 1T
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
some clear translucent stone. An in
taglio with a device which it was not
easy to read at a first glance marked
it. It was such a seal as years before
had been used for impressing the wax on
letters. 1t was large. and not particu-
larly fine in workmanship. She felt
quite sure it had not been amOngA melia'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 n
fashionable demand just then
MAY keep this, Mr. Norcross?" she
asked, replacing the possible clew in
she 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:
Ill I oc1, = &c
interview short. 1t has been more try
ing than | anticipated. We have ex-
onerated each other, but intensified tho
mystery. Perhaps time will solve it;
perhaps we will never know until"
''She solves the mystery for lis her.
self, over there said Nora, turning
away from Amelia's husband and the
narkcnCd home which v aid never
again rcsOund to the chatter of gay
voices or be converted into a bower of
roses.
AS she passed out into the lamp
lighted streets, she repeated his words
with sense of absolute powerlessness:
1--WE 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
had brought away with her until the
design was fully revealed. The result
was disappointing.
She had hoped for monogram, at
least an initial, by way of clew. There
stared her in the face. instead, dozen
more or less perfect waxen etfgies of a
''marlet," an absurd bird with abbre-
waited legs and wings. She held it
close to the light to examine it minute
":
mot at all pretty. Therefore it
must mean something"
To BE CONTINUED.