Waterbury evening Democrat., 1893-05-01

lie looked at the slight, fratk woman
who had just arraigned him SO fiercely
with eyes from which the blazing
wrath had died out, leaving instead in
tense sadness and commiseration for
his fellow-suiferer.
There was that on this woman's sad,
sweet face that stamped her lxinship to
his dead wife. Amelia had lied to him,
had betrayed his absolute trust in her
frivolously and cruelty. But she was
gone, and this woman was sorrowing
for her. Could he not bear with her a
little while?
"And-so-you are hor sister," he
said, almost gently.
"Yes. Her only sister. Her only
relative"
1.-THE Nora to whom she wrote that
fatal letter."
"Why do You call it that fatal let
ter'?"
She looked at him with loathing. He
was lighting cigar! The table in front
of him was strewn with dead stumps.
She had no means of knowing that it
was his sedative-the one thing that
had kept his brain in working order
during the fierce ordeal of the past ten
days.
why do call it that fatal letter?
Because it caused my sisters death.
Your callousneSs is monstrous, Eugene
Norcrossl'
"You are absolutely saturated with
an insane idea see what you mean,
but it is not clear to me how you got
your wild impression"
81 was in the dressing-room that
day"
"Well?"
"And heard you tell her, after tell
ing her about the letter coming back to
you, that what you ought to do was
He put up hand imploringly:
II knowl know! I frightened the
poor child A man, unless he is more
| saint than man, does not suddenly make
the discovery that he has been lied to,
duped, entrapped, by creature whom
he has regarded as almost fiawless,
without being temporarily thrown off
his balance. If you never saw that let
ter you do not know how monstrously
had been deceived"
YES, do know it. 1t was all wrong
had been telling her so. She had no
| right to marry you. But could you not
have put her away from you in some
other fashion? This is such a great big
| roony world"
SPY God! believe you ore lunatic!
loved my wife! l tried to treat her
as ] SUPPOSED q woman liked to be
treated. l was not young when I mar
| ried her; was not skilled with
| woman-llind, but believe she was hap
py-yes, do believe she was content.
gave her everything she wanted"
Aud took from her the thing she
loved best of all-her life"
Your dreary insistence makes it hard
to be patient with you. If I were a
guilty man, should regard you as my
| Nemesis. did not kill Amelia. am
not that sort of brute, You must be-
| lievc me-"
"Who did, them" In spite of herself,
| she was almost persuaded.
81 do not know. | have offered five
| Thousand dollars for the answer to that
question"
Il heard you say that you ought to
kill her That night she was killed. Oh,
the horror Of it uladdcns me-"
"A pretty piece of circumstantial evil
dcnce, admit Yes, your memory is
correct; did tell her that Il ought to
| Kill her: but it is not on record that
| Eugene Norcross ever did the thing he
ought to do"
Then, in less Extensively defiant tones,
perhaps in conmiseration for the great
/ anguish in the sweet white face before
him. he added:
she went away from me! Thank
God the last words she ever heard me
~ were il apology for that brutal out
nix hal never spoken angrily to
.er before. had never had occasion
to do so. believed in her utterly and
entirely. Yes, she went away from me
and returned to the women downstairs.
could hear her voice above every
pt'r"r one, the gtyest, clearcst one
thcrc. as / went out of the house again.
| dincd at the clubhouse that day.
wanted time to think the whole misera-
BILE business over fully before met her
again. WINS afraid l might forget
that was gentleman and she a
woman; false, damnably untruthful,
but yet wclnan. Nothing would ba
castor than for me to prove an alibi If
need be. l did not care for my own
company that evening. 1 picked two
club men up on leaving the house, drove
them to the club, dined with them,
played whist with them, until-untn-a
mcssenger-Bennett, believe 1t was
came To the club and informed me that
Mrs. Norcross' maid, surprised at her
mistress not ringing for her ut bedtime,
went to look her up, she found her-as
you know. You arc her sister. and You
arc entitled to this much"
He stopped talking, and, reaching for
ward to decanter on tho table, poured
out large wineglassful of Madeira
which he drank off at a gulp. Nora'i
eyes had never once left his face while
he was talking.
"You believe me, do you not2" ht
asked, leaning wcarily back In hi
chair, and drawing his Handkerchief
slowly across his lips.
"You have left me no choice. mus
believe you. do"
"This is the first and only statemen
1 shall make on the subject. I have OF
fered the reward. as told you before
= In few days leave for Europe. Their
is one thing 1 should like to do. Befor
> you came, 1t looked impossible"
She looked at him inquiringly
= What strange turn things had talker