Highland recorder. (Monterey, Highland County, Va.) 1877-1972, 1894-06-29

love her, welded WIG thOuSn shc WaS-l
cried ont, vehcmcntly:
Colonel Cain, love that woman"
"A murdCrcSs"
81 cannot help it. / must save her
l will give YOU all possess to disappear
from the city at Oncc-to afford me an
opportunity to get her beyond the reach
OF a cruel, misjudging law"
"Don't try it, Doctor"
| started. Cold, clear reason immcdi-
ately supervcned to fcvcrcd dclirium as
the strong tones spoke.
And from the shrubtcry, his i'm
rrcssive face telling that hc had over
heard all my conversation with Colonel
Cain. the burglar, stepped Abhcr Kelch-
am, the detective.
CHAPTER XXVIiI
lam strong man, ordinarily above
trivial Weaknesses of frame or mind, but
in that impressive hour extraordinary
rules Of unnervc moved nc.
The accumuatng revelations and cpl
sodcs of the night had proven too much
for me, and, mind and frame wrought up
to the highest tension, gave way in
collapse, sudden and blighting.
When | awOkc again, was lying on a
couch in comfortable room.
recognized Che apartment at once.
It was the detectives cozy room. 1t
was broad daylight, and Kctcham him
self sat at a window, smoking and think
ing.
"Ketcham!"
spoke the word and arose on my e.
bow.
"Hcllo!" he said, coming to where
lay. awake, ch?"
"YeS-hOw came | here? oh, | re-
member. Ketcham, you heard all
! and"
"Hold o., Doctor, no spasmodic',"
smiled the detective. "Don't get excited
or worried. Tic case is ended"
"Endcd?" ] gaspcd
eyes "
"Then LcOnOrc?"
81 am sorry 10 say is under arrest"
] fell lack with grOan Hope
seemed to die in my breast. Even then
it seemed as if / would have given my
life to save her own.
"Now, Doctor" spoke the detective,
gently, "dOn't give way. ] sec where
YOU arc caught-you love that women.
Allowing that you can't help it, married
or not, | do say YOU arc very foolish.
She is tcctotally bad one, or else
crazy ore, and in either case dangerous.
The law is hard keeper, so You must
take affairs as they are MY duty was
plain There are a score OF cleWS that
prove her guilty I had to arrest her.
As to your foolish thought OF putting
Cain out OF the way as witness. or
spriting the woman away, that would
not only have involved yourself in
trouble, but also have been an act Of
great treachery to me-"
"You are right, Doctor" I chOkcd out.
81 CUES, was half crazy last night"
al guess you were. Well, give up san
(imcnt about this girl The hard, prao-
tcal facts arc what demand your attcn-
ton now"
"Do you think her guilty?"
81 do"
aWnl a court sustain that line of
bclef?"
"Most aSsurcdly."
"Wil she be cOnvictcd?"
"Ycs"
"Sanc or insaneP"
"Ah. there is your only chance to save
her My work is ended. l bring a
prisoner. with clear case proven, tC
iusticc It i'll BELTS me to start ont ano
undo my work. Your only hope Is tC
prove her subject to insane Illusions
10 have been insane when the deed O.
murder was committed. | cannot,
could not help YOU"
at is hopeless." I grOancd.
"Not at ALL" replied the detective
quickly. "Pcoplc not at all dementet
have been released on less apparcn
grounds than those that exist in thi
woman's case. She acts honestly g
, norant of the crime. There are proof
that Dr. Scabury feared her, yet h'
nurturcd and loved her Prove her ;
somnambulist in childhood, eccentric
later on, trace her disease carefully, ant
at the first real ccw of insanity you ar
} safe to hope that she will not be con
victed."
"1hcn you believe"
"Nothing," interrupted Kctcham, ab
| ruptly 81 cannot see trace o; insan
ity in her cool, deliberate method 0
) striking sure blow and sccrctng th'
! weapon later, for the crccse found hid
den in her room certainly did the deed.
"Where is she?" | asked.
He informed me-at an uptown sta
ton: He had not yet made the arres
] public. He wished to still further forti
/ fy his case before making a final repor
at the Central Police Station.
"And Cain?"
"On parole. That is, he is at the sam
station, but he is not locked up. He ha
\ agreed to report there or remain ther
until | need him; but ! have arroste
] young Seabury."
This amazed me. "Arrested him?"
ayes; | had to. He occupies a cell q
the station. 1t is to question and cOrne
! him that have acted so secretly. H
refuses to talk / want to get at a me-
tive for this crime. So fal ] can fin
none"