The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 18??-1935, 1901-03-15

Raymond Holbn's most serious APP
prehension during the day which wit
messed the death of John Brookin
grew out of the fact that by infer
ence at least he had been charged with
crime in connection with Louise. His
common sense told him that something
said by Frances in her last interview
with her father had provoked the sud
den accusation. What did Frances
know of Louise and who was her in
formant! Gradually during the day
his suspicious nature secured ascend
ancy over his common sense. A Sc
cret visit outside the window of the
wing.room betrayed the still distinct
tracks made by Louise and the fact
that the ivy had been disturbed.
From the moment of these discov-
cries Holbin was a miserable man. 1t
is a peculiar but well-known lido
syncrasy of the masculine nature that
whatever the man himself may bring
to the marriage altar he demands that
he shall meet there only immaculate
purity. The realization by Holbin
linking himself for life to Frances,
who was thus proven to have com
promised herself was alone sufficient
to Gil him with bitterness and hatred,
though it did not for moment deter
him. but by a not unnatural operation
of the processes which were molding
his future he had found himself
strangely Influenced from the hour
of their first meeting by this young
girl whose future was to be linked to
his. Fresh from school, her mind I'M
formed, and with but vague ideas of
real life, Frances Brookin presented
that charming combination of knowl-
edge and righteousness which makes
the giTlwoman forever irresistible to
men of experience. Himself accom-
plished and versatile, he set about the
pleasant task of winning her conf
dence, and he might perhaps have
succeeded but for over-assiduousness
and the wonderful intuition of the
= feminine mind. The unwelcome re-
a suits of his efforts were that within
t two weeks he lad fatally alarmed her
e and as fatally involved himself. For
the first time IN his life he was genu-
d ineIy in love.
l. 1t was at this time that DR.. Brod-
h mar, lowering round his aged patient,
S discovered the drift of affairs, and, be-
b coming aware of the infamy planned
( through the will, privately took con-
d troll of Frances and revealed to her
y the plot of which she was to be the
y victim. From that moment Frances
d turned from Holbin as from a Grim.
, inal, and Holbin was piqued to court
e her with a fercer jealousy.
r 1t was to this heart, consumed by 6
t hopeless passion, that the revelation
IS made by Louise had winged its flight
n like a shaft of flame. Try as he might
e he could not in the face of corroborat
e ing facts convince himself that shs
IS spoke altogether falsely or labored I'm
n der a complete hallucination. Yet
looking with the eyes of memory int
e the open, pallid face of Frances, h
II could not, he would not, accept thu
s. inevitable conclusion forced upon hin
p by Louise. Such was his frame o
mind on the day of the funeral, wheI
u he remained at the Brookin residence
$ perhaps his only opportunity to maxi
an examination of Frances apart
ments. Before the carriages hat
reached the cemetery he turned TIL
latch and entered her deserted bed
room.
The appointments of this room wer
few, but tasteful. 1t abounded in tn
little belongings of a young girl To
day there were many evidences of
scene which had defeated good order
A jaunty hat and bright ribbons wer
hastily thrown aside, and the open bu
reau drawers revealed dainty lace
and lingerie. But the eyes of the in
\ quisitive intruder took notice of non
= of these things; they were riveted in
stantly to an object that lay besid
a book upon the comfortable, nea
which stood an armchair. That OF
ject was slender cigar. He took
up-answered. He knew that in tn
Brookin household he was the onl
Sunderland he did not smoke slende
cigars. 10 Jne NINA OF TINS man, eve
open to suspicious and suggestions c
t. evil, that strange cigar was testimon
ne unimpeachable. IT was the knife i
a the heart of jealous love. With in
ID expressible rage and with a fierc
e hatred of every living thing, he place
I'd the weed in his own case. Here, theI
he he reasoned, had the man describe
ed by Louise been sitting before tn
10 dawn of that fatal day; here had tn
Id little saint kneeled to place her arm
e, about him and say FAREWELL Yonde
is was the window, straight ahead fror
he which Louise had fired. Brave. faitl
full Louise! His heart warmed toward
1s her, despite the fact that she had fire
90 to kill him. Somewhere in that erin
n. son carpet was the blood of her VII
y tim if her aim had been true. Wa
70 it true? lie glanced back over h
bo shoulder; the ball>would have struc
xo the wall behind him had she misse
O. her aim. And there in the wall,
little out of line, IL is true, was
] 4 I.