Evening star., 1899-04-08
CHAPTER nix.

CHAPTER nix.
What she did say was in seeming ex-
PLANTATION of her previous sentence. 1T
was not the same old man 1 had seen on
the doorstep, and while 1 was looking at
him became aware of some one leaving
the house and passing me the road up
hill. OF course, this ended my interest in
what went on within, and, turning
quickly as / could, l hurried into the road
and followed the shadow l could just per-
ceive disappearing in the woods above me.
I was bound, gentlemen. as you see, to fol-
low out my adventure to the end. But my
task now became very difficult, for the
moon was high and shone down upon the
road so distinctly that 1 could not follow
the person before me as closely as l wish
ed without running the risk of being dis
covered by him. l therefore trusted more
to my ear than to my eye, and as long as l
could hear his steps in front of me l was
satisfied. But presently, as We turned up
this very hill, 1 ceased to hear these steps,
and so became confident that he had taken
to the woods. l was SO sure of this that
did not hesitate to enter them myself, and,
knowing the paths well, as l have every
opportunity of doing. living. We do, di-
rectly opposite this forest, l easily found
my way to the little clearing that have
reason to think you gentlemen have since
become acquainted with But though from
the sounds ! heard l was assured that the
Il
vance of me. 1 did not dare to enter this
brilliantly illumined space, especially as
there was every Indication of this person
having completed whatever task he had
set for himself. Indeed, l was sure that l
heard his steps coming back. So. for the
second time, I crouched down in the dark
est place / could find and let this mysterl-
Gus person pass me When he had quite
disappeared l made my own retreat. for
Ii was late, and l was afraid of being miss
ed at the ball. But later, or rather the
next day. 1 returned and began search
for the money. which l was confident had
been left in these woods by the person L
had been following. / found 1t, and when
the man here present. who, though mere
fiddler, has presumed to take "a leading
part in this interview, came upon me with
the bills in my hand, l was but burying
deeper the nl-gotten gains L had come
upon :,
.Ah and so making them your own,"
quoth Sweetwater, stung by the sarcasm
in that word fiddler.
But with a suavity against which every
attack fell powerless. she met his sign1f-
cant look with one fully as significant, and
quietly said:
IF / had wanted the money for myself 1
would not have risked leaving ii where the
murderer could find it by digging up few
handfuls of mold and bunch of sodden
leaves. No, / had another motive for my
action a motive with which few. If any, of
you will be willing to credit me- L wished
to save the murderer, whom had some
reason, as you see. for thinking knew,
from the consequences OF MS OWN
Mr. Courtney, DR.. Talbot and even Mr..
Sutherland. who naturally believed she re-
ferred to label and who. one and all, had
lingering tenderness for this unfortunate
old man which not even this seeming act
of madness on his part could quite destroy,
felt a species of reaction at this. and sur
veyed the singular being before them with,
perhaps. the slightest shade OF relentlng IN
their severity. Sweetwater alone betrayed
restlessness, Knapp showed no feeling at
all. while Frederick stood like one petrified
and moved neither hand nor foot
Crime THAI is the outcome of forethought
is despicabie." she went on. with deliber-
ateness so hard that the more susceptible
of her auditors shuddered. But crime that
springs from some imperative and overpOw-
ering necessity of the mind or body might
We'll awaken sympathy, and l am not
ashamed of having been sorry for this
frenzed and suffering man. Weak and i'm
pulsive as you may consider me. did not
want him TO suffer account of a mo-
ment's madness, as he undoubtedly would
If he were ever found with this money in
his possession, so i plunged 1t deeper into
the soil and trusted to the confusion which
crime always awakens even in the strong
est mind for him not to discover my subter-
fuge"
''Hai wonderful Devilish subtle, eh?
Clever. too clever!' were some of the whis-
pered exclamatiOns which this curious ex-
PLANTATION on her part brought out. Yet
only Sweetwater showed his open and en-
tire disbelief of the story, the others pos
sibly remembering that for such natures
hers there is no governing law and no
commonplace Interpretation.
To Sweetwater, however. this was but so
much display of feminine resource and sub
uety. Though he felt he should keep still
in the presence of men greatly his su-
pertors he could not resist saying:
Truth is sometimes stranger than fiction
] should never have attributed any such
motive you mention to the young girl
saw leaving this spot with many a back
ward look at the hole from which we after
ward extracted the large sum of money in
question But say that this reburying of
stolen. funds was out of consideration for
the feeble old man you describe as having
carried them there. do you not see that BY
this act you can be held as an accessory af-
ter the faet?''
her eyebrows went up and the delicate
curve of her lips was not without menace
as she said:
Iou hate me. Mr.. Sweetwater Do YOU
wish me TO tell these gentlemen why?''
The flush which, notwithstanding this
peculiar young mans nerve. Instantly
crimsoned his features was a surprise to
saw In it a possible hint as to the real
cause of his persistent pursuit of this
young girl, which they had hitherto
ascrbed entirely to his love of Justice
Slghted love makes some hearts yenomous
Could this ungainly fellow have once loved
this bewitching piece of unreliabiiity and
suffered from her disdain?
II was a very possible assumption though
Sweetwaters blush was the only answer
less. had amply served its turn.
To fill the gap made by his silence Mr.
Sutherland made an effort and addressed
her himself
Your conduct" said he, has not been