The Irish standard., 1893-05-20
CHAPTER K.

CHAPTER K
''The Norcross affair."" as it had come
70 be called with the brutal fippancy of
the newspapers, was ten days old. The
wonder and the horror of it all were on
the wane for every one but those I'M
mediately connected with it, and for
the detectives, whose professional pride
and pecuniary interests were involved
in the solution of mystery which
threatened to prove insoluble.
1t was becoming difficult for the most
enterprising of reporters to CLEAN
fresh items concerning it for the col
umns of his especial daily. The freshest
were
That eugene Norcross proposed go
ing to Europe for an extended tour Of
the continent Might perhaps be gone
years."
That "Eugene Norcross had offered q
reward of five thousand dollars for the
apprehension of the murderer or mur-
derers.'
That "the detectives were on the trail
of an unknown woman who had been
admitted to the house on the fatal Fri
day of the murder
That "Mr. Norcross had preserved
the strictest silence on the subject, re-
NAMED closely confined to the house in
Esplanade street, and sternly refused to
be interviewed. No papers were per-
mitted in the house."
Into this gloom-wrappeds isolation
visitor penetrated late one afternoon,
and was announced to his master by
Bennett IN sta: ed undertone:
"A person for you, sir The same, l
think. that was in the dressing room
that day."
The study was SO dark that the butler
could just discern the tall dark form in
the big chair by the writing table. He
added a personal apology:
81 was listening for your bell, sir.
Sha'n't light up?"
There was restless movement in the
big chair, the sound of a hand brought
heavily down among the loose litter of
the writing-table, then curt demand:
Light up. Let her come in. Leave.
And see to it that there is no listening
among the maids
AS the gas-jet sprang into existence,
Eugene Norcross, looking across Ben
nett's shoulder, saw a sad white face
framed about with plain black bon
net. It's owners eyes were fixed upon
him searchingly. Evidently she had
planned her approach. If she had hoped
to surprise any evidence of guilt upon
the stern, handsome, haggard face OPP
posite her, she was. disappointed. He
met her intense gaze with one equally
intense. His calmness remained abso-
lutte, his whole attitude one of undinch-
ing fortitude.
That he had suffered at all could only
be conjectured from the black rings
nnder his eyes, and a certain pinched
look about his fine, thin nostrils.
The habits of lifetime are not easily
forgotten. There was woman stand
ing while he was seated. he rose,
waved her to q seat, staggered from
physical exhaustion, laid one long
brown hand resolutely on the back OF
his chair, and waited for Bennett to
close the outer door of the library after
him. He spoke first:
lou nave t6hcu d uoAIAH SVSp' DO
Won know what you are suspected OF?
Arc you not afraid of arrest?"
She looked him composedly over. from
head to foot A shudder ran through
her slight frame as, she frightened her
clasp of roll of newspapers she held.
'No," she said, II am not afraid OF
arrest. That was what came here to
say. 1t was daring step for you to
take
II do not understand"
''But it was in keeping. The man
who could murder one woman might
readily seek to throw suspicion upon
another one."
He was visibly trembling; was It from
physical weakness? She had refused to
be seated, and he had remained stand
ing. He dropped heavily into his chair.
rs that slight frail woman hurled the
monstrous accusation at him. in q voice
which, though perfectly under control.
was fierce in its intense emotion. She
misread his agitation: 5s. n I
81 do not wonder that you tremble.
The man who could take woman's
life, who could clasp his brutal hands
around her slim white throat and keep
them there while her strong young life
current ebbed out forever, is just the
Sort Of man to pale and tremble ct fear
of detection. Brutel Cowardly brute
that you arel &c would have denonnced