The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1899-04-09

| Iu6 uUSQ W0IGIl,s NOTWITHSTANDING lHlS
peculiar young mans nerve, instantly
crimsoned his features, was a surprise
to Frederick. So was it to the others,
who saw in it possible hint as to the
real cause of his persistent pursuit of
this young girl, which they had hither-
to ascribed entirely to his love of JUS
tee. Sighted love makes some hearts
venomous. Could this ungainly fellow
have once loved this bewitching piece
4 of unreliability, and suffered from her
disdain?
( 1t was a very possible assumption,
/ though SweetWater'S blush was the
only answer he gave to her question,
I which, nevertheless, had amply served
its turn.
To I'LL the gap made by his silence,
MI. Sutherland made an effort and ad-
! dressed her himself.
Your conduct" said he, has not
been that of a strictly honorable per-
son. Why did you fail to give the
alarm when you re-entered my house,
after being witness to this double
! tragedy"
Her serenity was not to be disturbed.
/ Il have just explained" she reminded
him, that 1 had sympathy for the
criminal
We all have sympathy for James
label, but
4 do not believe one word of this
story" interposed Sweetwater, in reck-
less disregard OF the proprieties. "A
| hungry, feeble old man like label, on
the verge of death, could not have
found his way up into these woods, as
you say. You carried that money
/ there yourself miss; you are the
HUSH interposed the coroner, au-
/ thoritatively. DO not let US so too
fast-yet Miss Page has an air of
speaking the truth, strange and I'M
o. hi h.
J was led into theft and murder, it was
not until his faculties had been weak
ened by his own suffering and that of
his much-loved brother"
Thank YOU" was her simple reply,
| and for the first time every man there
thrilled at her tone. Seeing it, all
the dangerous fascination of her look
and manner returned upon her with
double force. i have been unwise,'
said she, land let my sympathy run
away with my judgment. Women
have impulses of this kind sometimes,
and men blame them for it, till they
themselves come to the point of feeling
the need of just such blind devotion.
l am sure 1 regret my short-sighted-
ness now, for l have lost esteem by it.
while ne With a wave of the hand
she dismissed the subject, and DR.. Tai
bot, watching her, felt shade of his
distruSt leave him, and in its place a
species of admiration for the 1.-THE,
graceful, bewitching personality before
them, with her childish impulses and
womanly wit, which half mystified and
half imposed upon them.
MIR. Sutherland, on the contrary, was
neither charmed from his antagonism
nor convinced of her honesty. Thene
was something in this matter that
could not be explained away by her
argument, and his suspicion of that
something he felt perfectly sure was
shared by his son, toward whose cold,
set face he had frequently cast the
most uneasy glances. He was not
ready, however, to probe into the sub
ject more deeply, nor could he, for the
sake of Frederick, urge on to any fur
Their confession a young woman whom
his unhappy son protested to love, and
in whose discretion he had so little
confidence. As for Sweetwater, he had
now fully recovered himself, and bore
himself with great discretion when Dr.
Talbot finally said:
We'll, gentlemen, we have got more
than we expected when we came here
this morning. There remains, however,
point regarding which we have re-
ceived no explanation. Miss Page, how
came that orchid which 1 am told you
wore in your hair at the dance, to be
found lying near the hem of Batsy's
skirts? You distinctly todd US that you
did not go upstairs when you We're in
Mrs. Webb's house.
''Ah, that's sou acquiesced the Bos-
ton detective dryly. How came that
flower on the scene of theamurder?"
She smiled and seemed equal to the
emergency.
THAT is mystery for us all to
solve" she said quietly, looking into
the eyes of her questioner.
"A mystery it is your business to
solve" corrected the district attorney
Nothing that you have told US in sup
port of your innocence would in the
eyes of the law weigh for one instant
against the completely shown by that
one piece of circumstantiaI evidence
against you
Her smile carried a certain high
handed denial to this to one heart there,
at least. But her words were humble
enough.
Il am aware of that" said she Then
turning like lightning to where Sweet
water stood lowering upon her from out
his half-closed eyes, she impetuously
cried: You, sir, you who without call
to do SO have presumed TO arrogate the
office of detective from those whose
right it was TO act in this matter, prove
yourself equal to your presumption by
finding out the explanation Of this mys-
terry yourself 1t can be found out, for,
mark, 1 did not carry that flower into
the room where it was found. This I
am ready to swear to before God and
before mani"
Her hand was raised, her whole atti-
tude spoke defiance and-hard as it was
for Sweetwater TO acknowledge it
truth. He felt that ne had received a
challenge, and, with a quick glance at
Knapp, who barely responded by a
shrug, he shifted over to the side OF
DR. Talbot.
Amabel at once dropped her hand
May I go?" she now cried appeal
ingly to Mr.. Courtney. "I really have
no more to say, and I am tired"
Did you see the figure of the man
who brushed by you in the wood? Was
it that Of the old man you saw on the
doorstep?"
QuiveTed in spite of his logged self
control. But she, with her face upturn-
ed to meet the scrutiny of the speaker
showed only a childish kind of Won
der. why do you ask that? Is there
any doubt about its being the same?"
What an actress! Frederick stood ap-
palled. He had been amazed at the
skill with which she had maintained
her story so as to keep her promise to
him. and yet leave the way open for
that further confession which would
alter the whole into denunciation of
himself which he would find it difficult.
if not impossible, to meet. But this
extreme Discrimination made him lose
heart 1t showed her to be an antago-
mist of almost illimitable resource and
secret determination.
'I did not suppose there could be
any doubt" she added, in such a nat
ural tone of surprise that Mr. Courtney
dropped the subject, and DR.. Talbot
turned to Sweetwater, who for the mo-
ment seemed to have robbed Knapp of
his rightful place as the coroner's con-