Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1901-10-25
CHAPTER XVI


That WINS the question. had my opin-
ion, as saw Master BERTHE and the Ouch
ess had. did not doubt 1t was Van Tree,
yet u thought struck me. 1t might be
we'll, !" suggested, .'that some one should
ask Mistress Ammo whether the door was
open when she left the room. She passed
out just in front OF me. "
But size does not go by tho door, !" my
lady objected.
No; she would turn at once and go w
stairs, agreed. But she could SEQ the
door from tho foot OF the stairs-if she
looked that way, mean.
The duchess asscnted and went out u
the room to put tho question. We three
left together sat staring at tho duh FAM
of tho lamp and were for the most part 81
lent, Muster Bcrtic only remnrking that j
gas after midnight. Tho suspicion he ane
entertained OF Vim Trees guilt sceme,,
to raise n barrier between us and our host
My wound, slight as it was, smartcd ant
burned, and my head achcd. After mid
night. wns itS What a day it had hccIl
When the duchess came back, as she did
IN o few minutes, both Ammo and Dymph-
ma came, with her. Tho girls had risen
hastily and were shivering with cold and
alarm. Their eyes were bright, their man
ner wns excited. They were full OF sympa-
thy and horror and wonder, as was nat
ural, of nervous fear for themselves too.
But my lady cut short their ordinations.
ammo says she did not notice the door,"
she said.
No." the girl answered, trembling Wis
IDLY as che spoke. II went up straigh bit to
bed. But who could 1t hep Did you see
nothing of him as he struck your Not o
feature: Not an outlines"
NO." murlnured.
ibid he not shy n world" she continued,
with strange insistence. Was he tall or
shorts" Her dark eyes. dwelling on mine,
seemed to probe my thong hts, as though
they challenged me to keep anything back
from her. WAS it the man you hurt
this morning:" she suggested.
No" answered reluctantly. This
man was short"
ssShort, was hep Was 1t Master Van
Tree, Them
We, who felt also certain that 1t was
Van Tree, started nevertheless at hearing
the charge put into words before Dymphna
wondered, and think the others did,
too, at Mistress Anne's harshness. Even
| y
turc, had shrunk from trying to question
tho Dutch girl about her lover. We looked
at Dymphna, wondering how she would
take 1t.
We had forgotten that she could not
understand English. But this did not
serve her, for without a pause Mistress
Anne turned to her and unfalteringly
said something In her scanty Dutch which
came to the same thing. A word or two
Of questioning and explanation followed.
Then the meaning of the accusation
dawned Mt last ON Dymphna's mind. l
looked for an outburst of tears or protes-
tations. Instead, with n glance of wonder
and great scorn, with n single indignant
widening Of her beautiful eyes, she replied
by curt Dutch sentence.
"What does she sayf my lady ex-
claimed eagerly.
s.She says, " replied Master Lindstrom,
who was looking Oh gravely, that it is o
base lie. madam
On that we became spectators 1t
seemed to me, and think to oil Of us,
that the two girls stood apart from us in
circle of light by themselves, confront
ing ono another with sharp glances, as
though curtain had been raised from
between them, and they saw one another
in their truo colors and recognized some
natural antagpnism or it might be some
rivalry each in the other. l think was
not peculiar in feeling this, forwe all kept
silence for space, as though expecting
something tofollow. In the middle OF this
silence tkere came n low rapping at the
door.
One uttered 6 faint shrek; another stood
as II turned to stone Tho duchess cried
for hor child. The rest OF us looked at one
another. Midnight was past Who could
bo abroad, who could want US at this
hour9 As rule, we should have been in
bed and asleep long ago. We had no
neighbors save the cotters on the far side
Of tho island. We knew Of no ono likely
to arrive at this time with any good in
tent
II will open, = said Master Lindstrom,
but he looked douhtfully at the women
folk as ho said 1t.