People's voice. [volume] (Wellington, Sumner County, Kansas) 1890-1917, 1894-04-13
CHAPTER VIII

Seth Treloar was murdered, he
said. WHO murdered him."
| neither turned my eyes away
from him, nor answered save by
struggling my shoulders. and shak-
ing my head.
He was killed first. then thrown
down that trap-door He pointed
to iO. why was he killed. l re.
peat. who killed him."
That is what | am trying to find
out" l said.
The Syrian looked at me with
eyes that searched my very soul.
You do not know" he said.
al do not know"
docs any one know" said the
Syrian.
Seth TrelOar."
The Syrian laughed harshly, 30
course-but the man who killed
Seth Treloar?"
al believe Seth Treloar killed him
self"
And who threw him down the
trap-door?"
Another person--for reasons
wholly uncOnnected with his death. .
The Syrian sat rigid, and con
centrated in thought.
at is strange story" he said.
"a man dies, is thrust into cellar.
If he had died by his own hand why
not bury him? To whose advantage
was it to hide him? Whoever did Sc
must surely have come under sus-
picion?"
said nothing, the filling of my
pipe occupied me.
You are playing the fool with
me, said the Syrian in a hoase gut
tural voice." "but the truth | will
have, even if it cost your life"
| laughed contemptuously at his
melodramatic tone.
at is not my life that is in CUES
tlon," | said, "but that of, as be.
lleve, an entirely innocent person.
The manner of Seth Treloar's death
did arouse suspicion, and the person
accused is now in prison" Ipaused.
Found guilty?" said the Syrian.
Under sentence of DEATH" l con.
tinueG, "but that person no more
murdered him than you or did"
who was the person." said the
Syrian.
The woman" l said, with whose
portrait you fell in love, and whom
you have come all the way to seek
the woman,"I added slowly, "whC
was his wife"
The Syrian thrust back his chair,
leaped to his feet, and turned on me
with the ferocity OF a mad bull.
His wife-HIs WIFE! You are
mad, and liar! She was his sister
he would not have dared to fool me
SOP
He literally lowered over me, hi:
great stature seeming to rise higher
with the wrath and fury that swelled
him; his clenched fist involuntarily
moved to fall with crushing force on
my head, but | did not stir, and with
an oath he dropped it by his side
though his features remained dark
and convulsed with passion.
He lied to you." said quietly
"he was always liar and a rogue.
And he wanted to make her some
thing worse than himself. So far he
meant honestly by you, that he
would have taken her to you, and
sold her as his sister-if she would
have let him"
And she killed him when he TOLD
her of his Intention" said the
Syrian more calmly, land hid hin
yonder? She must be a strong wo
man and her will must be as strong
as her heart" He snatched at :
slender gold chain hanging round hi:
throat and drew out a locket, which
he opened, and looked at with &
frown that gradually softened into
extraordinary tenderness and love.
"She did right" he said suddenly
and passionately. The man was :
hound and liar, it was not her fault
that he deceived me, and he deserved
all he got; she must have been a good
woman to be SO aagry; and he i:
dead, she is free nrw-free-n He
stopped suddenly as one palsied BY q
sudden thought; for some moments
he did not speak. then striding over
to me he seized my arm and, shaking
me viol entity. said.
Where is she? Speak! o! God
She is in prison. She is to die-tC
die for killing that scoundrel?"
"She did not kill him." said. 81
told you that before. But she will
be hanged all the same"
As spoke | released myself with
a sudden exercise of strength that
sent him Keeling backwards. and
seemed to astonish him.
Tell me the truth" he said, with
more respect in his tone than he had
hitherto shown me. You do no,
believe her guilty, and l forgive her
If she is"
| could have smiled at his sultan.
like assumption that Judith was alb
solutely at his disposal, but the
grandeur Of his simplicity impressed