Daily camera., 1897-07-17

Il must say / thought so too, dear" in
terpossd Fred Walters. Don't you re-
memEer mother said something about
the sIiNices at church toll g.lt! v ell,
before anyone had time to rely you
began talking again about whe her it
could be proved That WILDLY had not
been out of the house to distribute the
notes.
Lillian seemed to forget her anger in
her interest in the subject. She rose
ard stood IN the doorway. Gas far
as tlat is concer"cd,' she said, with
animation, Wildly cou,d ave had an
lccomplice. Itwas a,strange. y dramatic
thing the way he called up the police
at the telephone and remained with the
corpse till they came, noteven allowing
the servant to enter. If he is guilty, he
is at least original. In these days of
masculine stupidity it would be pity
to execute an original man. | never
could see why murderers should be such
short-sighted fools. l read the other
and went to the Jail pretending to be
insane to escape punishment. How
much more effective would it have been
if he had Systematically pretended TO
be insane a month or so before he com
mitted the deed!-I mean if he had
done little things which would scarce
ly cause remark at the time, but which,
coupled with the crime afterwards,
would have pointed conclusively TO i'll
sanity. If I wanted to drown myself in
the river, and did not want anyone to
think it was done Intentionally. I
would first do a great many things to
make it look as if | had never dreamed
of such thing. would make engage
ments. leave things unfinished, as if
intended to return to them the next
moment, and"
"Oh, hush, my cbild!" interrupted
Mrs Eoundtree. 'What can make you
say such things? I have never heard
you talk SO peculiarly
"EVerything is peculiar to mamma"
the girl coldly laughed, as she turned
into the drawirg-room. The next mo-
ment they heard her playing on her
violin. 1t was a strange, weird air, and
she played it with skill and power The
others listened silently for a few mo-
ments; then Mrs. Roundtree said to the
mayor:
I'VE really must not talk about that
affair before her; her mind has been
dwelling on it all day. She has been
to me three times to say that it would
be quite natural for such a criminal to
desire to be revenged on you for Of
fering the reward. She tries to hide her
interest in the subject but ii shows it
self every minute. She was so eager
to hear the news that she went down
to the gate to meet the newsboy with
the afternoon paper, and | had to speak
to her twice to get her attention after
she had read the account of the crime
Listen to her music! Can't YOU detect
her nervousness in her playing? She
doesn't play that way usually. Hush!
she has stopped!'
"It is tea-time," said Lillian, coming
to the door. "Why don't you come in ?"
With a solicitous expression on his
face, Fred Walters rose, and. putting
his arm around her slender waist. led
her before the others into the dining
room. She was tall and graceful and
quite pretty. Her eyes We're large and
hazel, her hair light brown and abun-
dant. Her feet were small and we'll
shaped, her hands long, tapering and
strengthening.
The family talked of other things
than the murder during the meal. but
Lillian took no part in what was said.
She ate slowly and daintily and seemed
thoughtful. After tea, Marion, his
father and mother and Fred Walters
had a game of whist in the drawing
room Lillian had never liked the game.
She improyised some soft airs ON the
piano, and then rose and went out on
the veranda. Through the open Will
dow her mother could see her chair
rocking back and forth. Later Mrs.
Rourdtree became interested in the
game, and did not think of her daugh-
ter for balf an hour. When the game
was finished. she looked towards Lilian's
chair. 1t was vacant.
''Why, where is Lilian?' the mother
asked, eXcitedly. ''She was on the
veranda just now" Mrs. Roundtree
called the girls name aloud, but there
was no reply.
They all rose hurriedly and went to
the door, vaguely alarmed.
Lillian! Lilian!" Mrs. Roundtree
called from the veranda.
'Here I am. mother
The reply came from down the walk
the boXwood Undergraduates.
81 am coming; don't be frightened"
why, my child, how can you be so
cried Mrs. Eoundtree, as
the girl came into the light of The gas
in the hall. Lillian was trying to con-
ceal something under the light shawl
she wore, and walked rather awkwardly
as she came up the steps. AS her hus-
band approached her. she retreated into
the shadow of the wall near the door.
Then suddenly she broke into low,
mechanical laugh.
"The truth is,' she said, seeing that
the others We're waiting for an explana
4 1;op of l,a,- ctipnS corna Dpar laN-