Evening star., 1899-04-01
CHAPTER XVIII.

burden of guilt on the label brothers.
CHAPTER XVIII.
Frederick rose early. He had slept but
little. The words he had overheard at the
and of the lot the night before were still
ringing in his ears. Going down the back
stairs. in his anxiety TO avoid Amabel, he
came upon one of the stable men.
Been to the village this morning." he
asked.
mo, sir; but Lem has. There's great
news there. I wonder If any one has told
Mr.. Sutherland"
What news, Jake3 I don't think my
father is up yet.
why, sir, there were two more deaths
in town last night-the brothers label, and
folks do say Q4em heard it a dozen times
between the grocery and the fish markeD
that it was one of these old men who killed
Mrs. Webb. The dagger has been found in
their house and most of the money. Why,
Sir, what's the matter? Are you sick?"
Frederick made effort and stood up
right. He had nearly fallen.
No: that is, l am not quite myself. So
many horrors, Jake. What did they die OF?
You say they are both dead, both?'
Yes, sir, and it's dreadful to think of,
but it was hunger, sir. Bread came too
late. Both men are mere skeletons to look
at. They have kept themselves close for
weeks now, and nobody knew how bad off
they were. l don't wonder it upset you,
sir. We all feel it a bit, and just dread to
tell Mr.. Sutherland"
Frederick staggered away. He had never
in his life been SO near mental and physical
collapse. AT the threshold of the sitting
room door he met his father. Mr.. Suther-
land was looking both troubled and anx-
iOus: more so, Frederick thought, than
when he signed the check for him on the
previous night. As their eyes met both
showed embarrassment, but Frederick,
whose nerves had been highly strung up by
what he had just heard, soon controlled
himself. and, surveying his father with
forced calmness, began:
This is dreadful news, SIR
But his father, intent on his own thought,
hurriedIy interrupted him.
You told me yesterday that everything
was broken of between You and Miss
Page. Yet 1 saw you re-enter the house
together last night little while after L
gave you the money you asked for
Il know, and 1T must have had bad ap-
pearance- l entreat you. however, to be-
lieve that this meeting between Miss Page
and myself was against my wish; and that
the relations between US have not been af-
fected by anything that passed between
US"
Il am glad to hear it, my son. You could
not do worse by yourself than to return
to your old devotion"
L agree with You, sir And then, be-
cause he could not help ii, Frederick in
Quired if he had heard the news.
Mr.. Sutherland, evidently startled, asked
what news; to which Frederick replied:
The news about the labels They are
both dead, sir, dead from hunger. Can you
imagine it?''
This was something so different from
what his father had expected to hear that
he did not take 1t in at first When he did
his surprise and grief were even greater
than Frederick had anticipated. Seeing
him affected, Frederick, who thought
that the whole truth would be no harder
to bear than the half, added the suspicion
Na1 nz yrsI1rn ntplr
ones name, and then stood back, scarcely
daring to be q witness to the outraged feel
ings which such a communication could not
fail to awaken in one of his fathers tenn
permanent.
But though he thus escaped the shocked
lcOk which crossed his fathers cUunten-
ance, he could not fail to hear the indg-
nant exclamation which burst from his
lips. nor help perceiving that 1t would take
more than the most complete circumstan-
tia evidence to convince his father of the
guilt of men he had known and respected
for so many years.
For some reason Frederick experienced
great relief at this, and was bracing him
self to meet the fire OF questions which his
statement must necessarily call forth. when
the sound of approaching steps drew the
attention Of both toward a party of men
coming UP the hillside.
Among them was Mr.. Courtney prosecut-
ing attorney for this district. and as Mr..
Sutherland recognized him he sprang for
ward. saying. There's Courtney, he will
explain this"
Frederick foiowled. anxious and bewiI-
dered, and soon had the doubtful pleasure
of seeing his father enter his study in COM
pany with the four men considered to be
most interested in the eiucidation of the
Webb mystery.
As he was lingering in undecided mood
tr the small passageway leading upstairs
he felt the pressure of finger on his Shout
der Looking up, he met the eyes of Anna
bel, who was leaning toward him over the
banisters- She was smiling and, though
her face was not without evidences of phys
fcal languor there was a charm about
her person which would have been sufff-
cientiy enthralling to him twenty-four
hours before, but which now caused him
such a physical repUlsion that he started
beck in the effort 10 rid his shoulder from
her disturbing touch.
She frowned. 1t was an instantaneous
expression of displeasure which was soon
lost in one OF her gurgling laughs.
rs my touch so burdensome?" she de-
r-Gnded- IF the pleasure of one finger is
So unbearable to your sensitive nerves. how
will you relish the weight of my whole
hand?'
There was fierceness in her tone a pur-
pose in her look that for the first time in
his struggle with her revealed the full
depth of her dark nature Shrinking from
her appalled,. he put up his hand in protest,
"a which she changed again in n twinklng
and with a cautious gesture toward the
room into which Mr. Sutherland and his
friends had disappeared. she whispered sig
nifcently:
I'VE may not have another chance to con-
Ter together. Understand, then, that 1t will
not be necessary for you to tell me, In so