Waterbury evening Democrat., 1893-05-01

sively. Perhaps, after all, he had been
more sinned against than SHINING He
took the proffered hand:
THANK you / am glad, after all,
that have been able to'rid your mind
of that hideous fancy, before Ileave the
country. 1t might have looked like a
fight. And don't know but what it
is. Life, here, is intolerable-wil be
everywhere, in fact"
'tAnd You have no theory? 1t was not
suicide?S she asked.
mo. OF that am quite sure. She
was too timid, and not miserable
enough, by half I had a 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 presumed. That was why /
said I had q theory. have none now"
"Nor any clew whatever?"
"None. Unless"-he opened drawer
small pasteboard box-''this may even
tually prove to be one." He extended
1t, 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 q broken piece of gold
chain. Attached to it was a seal of
some clear translucent stone. An in
taglio with device which it was not
easy to read at first glance marked
it. It was such u 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 sure 1t had not been amongAmclia'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. lie 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. II has been more try
ing than | anticipated. We have ex-
oncrated each other, but intensified the
/ 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
larlzened home which would never
lgain resound to the chatter Of gay
voices or bo converted into bower OF
roses.
AS she passed out into the lamp
lighted streets, she repeated his words
with n sense of absolute powerlessness:
1--WE have exonerated each other, but
intensified the mystery"
She melted some wax as soon as she
4 got back to her room, and made q 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 a monogram, at
least an initial, by way of clew. There
stared her in the face. instead, dozen
more or less perfect waxen effigieS of a
'martlet," an absurd bird with abbre
| waited legs and wings. She held it
1 close to the light to examine it minute
I ly:
Not at all pretty. Therefore il
must mean something"