Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1899-11-16

but this morning | felt depressed, and
when | opened this paper, ont of your
very words of yesterday, ont Of the very
episode that had momontarily shaken
my confidence in his guilt had grown
another incident that, interpretations
as am, seemed nothing short of mi
raculous coincidence If you had not
spoken Yesterday these words that am
going TO show you now would never
have been written. the mistake could
not have occurred. and it might never
have entered my mind that justice had
perhaps mlscarricd
He placed the paper on the table and
pointed to the editorial with the mis-
placed space, "Astra niger scene it has
never been our lot to witness
For some moments Ethel Kingston
could scarcely master her emotion as
she gazed at the printed lines. and,
sinking back into her seat. she covered
her face with her hands
Darrent waited until she had in some
measure regained her composure and
then, speaking very quietly, said
Miss Kingston, have already told
you m not a superstitious man, and
don't believe in signs and oluens but
this accident or coincidence--call it
what you will-has weakened my belief
III myself and has determined me to re
test this case in every detail, to follow
AGAIN every clew, and see if | can find
anywhere where the chain is faulty
any single instance whore have erred
whore | have assumed too much or
have allowed too little.
A thankful look lghtoned her face
for "a moment as she answered
ooh, if it only is so--if you who
have so painstakingly followed the clews
to this awful end, should find some 9TH
er evidence that should prove him inno-
cent Oh, merciful heaven, it must be
proved He is innocent is inno-
cent!
Again Darrent waited until she had
become calner.
"Can you. he asked as he took his
notebook from his pocket, give me
any reason why old Marsdon was so biz
ter against the marriage of yourself and
Astray?"
Il only know that many years ago,
while | was away at school, my father,
a widOwer quarrcled with Josiah Mars
den-what about | never learned, but
from that day until my father died the
two We're deadly enemies, and old Mr.
Marsden forbade Astray to ever see or
speak to me.
"Do You know anything of the real
relation%i p between Astray and the old
mani"
II only know what Astray told me,
and that was that Mr.. Marsden adopted
him when he was quite child and that
he had no recollection of his parents. -
You do not think that Josiah might
have been his father?'
II do not know, MI Darrcnt; indeed
! do not know.
Never mind" answered Darrcnt
soothingly. "Now, tell me, did You see
Astray Marsden between his return to
Norcombe from Africa and the murder
at The GRANGE Remember, | am ask
ing now To try TO save him. Tell me all
You know
mo; had not seen him for two
years until saw him after the murder "
But he had written TO your"
Repeatedly"
Darrent paused again He seemed to
be able to get no further in this prob
lem. Nothing was different from what
he had built up all along. This woman
could give him no further information,
and yet there was still the aching doubt
that had been with him all day, His
mind reviewed the clews from which he
had put together the evidence. Those
clcws had all passed out of his posses
sion now into the hands of the district
attorney all except the chessman and
the broken piece of ivo>y They had
seemed subsidiary TO the main crime
that had fitted so well to Astray Mars
den that he had kept them to himself,
kept them with perhaps the idea that
one of these days he might run across
the remainder of the set and find ont
what part, if any, they played in the
drama upon which the curtain would
then have long since been rung down.
He recollected that he had placed the
pawn in his pocket before he left Nor
combe that morning, and almost uncon-