The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1893-03-08
CHAPTER XVIII.

CHAPTER XXV1IL
lam strong man, ordinarily above
| trivial weaknesses Of frame or mind, but
In that impressive hour extraordiary
rules Of unnerve moved me.
The accumulating revelations and cpl.
sodes of the night had proven too much
| for me, and, mind and frame wrought up
| to the highest tension, gave way in a
collapse, sudden and blighting.
Wien I awoke again, was lying on
couch in comfortable room.
recognized the apartment at once.
It was the detectives cozy room. II
was brUad daylight; and Ketcham him.
self sat at q window, smoking and think
ing.
sKetcham!'
Ispoke the word, and arose on my Ok
bow.
sHello!" he said. coming to where !
lay. awake, eh2"
aYes-how came I here? Oh, I re-
member. Ketcham, you heard all
and"
1Hold on, Doctor, no spasmodics,
smiled the detective. "Don't get excited
| or worried. The case is ended"
sEnded?" gasped.
Eyes"
sThen Leonore?"
II am sorry to say is under arrest.
fell back with a groan. Hops
seemed to die in my breast. Even thcn
1t seemed as II I would have given my
life to save her own.
sNow, Doctor" spoke the detective,
gently, adon't give way. see where
you are caught-you love that women.
Allowing that you can't help it, married
or not, I do say you arc very foolish.
She is teetotally bad one, or else
crazy ono, and in either case dangerous.
The law is hard keeper, 50 you must
take affairs as they are. Ny duty wai
plain. There arc o scoso OF clews thai
prove her guilty. I had 10 arrest her.
As to your foolish thought OF putting
Cain out OF the way as s. witness, OF
spiriting the woman away, that would
not only hove involved yourself lu
trouble, but also have been an act oi
great treachery to me-"
sYou sro right, Doctor" choked out
II guess l was half crazy last night"
II guess you we're. Woll, give up SON
timent about this girl. The hard, prac
tical facts orc what demand your atten'
tion now"
81 .PS 81 you think her su'lty''
belief?"
MOST assuredly."
sWill she be convicted?"
Eyes"
HSane or insane?"
@Ah, there is your only chance to save
her. My work Is ended. l bring
prisoner, with clear case proven, to
justice. It Ill BELTS me to start out and
undo my work. Your only hope is to
prove her subject to insane illusions
to have been insane when the deed oi
murder was committed. cannot, !
could not, hclp you."
at is hopeless!" ISgroaned.
aNot at all," RI !liied the detective.
quickly. sPeople not at all demented
hayo been released on less apparent
grounds than those that exist in thii
woman's case. She acts honestly ig
norant of the crime. There are proofs
that DR.. Seabury feared her, yet he
nIrtured and loved her Prove her
somnambulist in childhood, eccentric
later on, trace her disease carefully, and
at the first real clew Of insanity you are
safe to hope that she will not be con
victed."
"Then you believe"
"Nothing," interrupted Ketcham, ab
ruptly II cannot sec trace OF insan.
ity in her cool, deliberate method OF
striking sure blow and secreting the
weapon later, for the creese found hid.
den in her room certainly did the deed"
@Where is she?" asked.
He informed me-at an uptown STA
tion. He had not yet made the arrest
public. He wished to still further forti.
fy his case before making final report
at the Central Police Station.
"And Cain?"
"On parole. That Is, he is at the same
station, but he is not locked up. He has
agreed to report there or remain there
until I need him; but have arrested
young Seabury."
This amazed me. ARRESTED htm?"
ayes; I had to. He occupies cell at
the station. 1t Is to question and corner
him that have acted so secretly. He
refuses to talk. I want 10 get at a mo-
tive for this crime. So far I can find
none.T
l grew hope1uL
@Ah!" ! cried, "then that is the defect
In your case?"
II admit It,"
"No motive proven?"
"None in the world. DR.. Seabury
apparently cherished and loved his
ward"
"But fortune-money?"
aFor some strange reason he had long
since made over to her absolute control
of every dollar he possessed. No, can
didly, Doctor, it will puzzle the shrewd-
est lawyer to- apportion any motive to
the woman for the crime"
sThen she Is not guity!" cried.
@Perhaps not-knowingly. Come; are
you strong enough to come with me?"
"Where?"
ITO the police station"
Eyes" replied, eagerly.
aAn hour at toilet and breakfast re-
vived me. I felt chilled again, however.
as we took cab and reached a gloomy
public station.
Colonel Cain sat smoking in the drill
room and nodded placidIy to me.
"Now, Doctor" spoke the detective,
"can rely on you?"
"To do what?"
ITO sec those people below, and report
fairly to lie what they say"
neslIaJeu.
II want you to make them talk; I
can't"
81 will not further incriminate this
poor GIRL" replied.
"Wel, see them, anyway. You may