The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1902-02-15
VIII.
The Man Behind the Screen.

Suddenly one voice rang out in passion
ate protest. Hope: Hope. It was not
T. It was not II: And Alfred, leaving
his brothers, stood before his young
cousin, with self-torgetful gestures ex
pressing a denial which was half-prayer.
George flushed, and his fist rose;
Leighton dropped his head in shame-or
was it sorrow; but the 1iext minute he had
that rebellious fist III his own clutch.
Miss Meredith kept her eyes turned sedu-
lously away from them all.
II only want one of you to speak; the
man who can sexonerate his brothers by
confessing his own guilt. Do not touch
me!'
This to Alfred, whose hand had caught
hold of her dress. :
With an air of pride, the first had seen
In him, the youngest son OF Mr.. Gillespie
withdrew from her side and took up his
stand on the farther side of the hall
e you are quick with your suspicious"
he flashed out. what sort Of men do
you think us, that you should allow an in
coherent phrase like this at the end Of
letter becun in health but finished in
agony, prejudice you to the death against
persons of your own blood? 1t would take
more than that to make me think evil of
you, Hope"
1t was natural reproach, and it told
words which had pIecipitated this situa-
ticn might mean much and might mean
little. Had the reputation of these young;
men been of more stable character, or
had no ATTEMPT been made to suppress
this portion Of the letter, suspicion would
never have followed the discovery Of this
homogeneous addition to the half-finished
business letter found in the typewriter;
zone OF my sons he was that an ac-
cusation of crime? George and Leighton
Were on the point Of asserting not, and
Alfred had just begun4to sNegger with an
air of injured pride, when Miss Meredith,
recovering herself laid her hand upon her
bosom in recetitioD Of her former action,
and slowly drew forth a letter, the ap-
pearance Of which evidently produced a
new and still greater shock in the breasts
of the three young men.
81 shall NOT try to vindicate myself
said she. Il have lived like sister i'll
this house, and you would have right to
reproach me if it were not for what hold
here Alfred, you have complained that
! the few words left in the typewriter by
your dying father were ipcoherent and
unsatisfactory. Will you regard as equal
( lys meaningless this letter written four
weeks ago? Sir, here she turned to
| the coroner.-..iny uncle was ill month
I ago. IT was dangerous illness. but the
/ remedies giyen-Oh! DR.. Bennett, help me
to say it-were remedies we all knew to
be dangerous if taken in too great guam
| titles. One night canLot. go on-he
had reason to think his glass was tam
pered with. and after that, he wrose
! this letter and charged me with
its delivery in case he - he - All!
need not say in case Of what You have
| seen his dear head lying low in the room
over there Only,-as this letter is adj
dressed to my cousins CONFORMITY, will you
| allow them to read 1t without witnesses
| if they will swear to respect and restore
| it in an unmutilated condition to your
i hands? 1t is the only favor. ask you to
1 show them, .and this I humbly entreat
| you to grant. il only in recognition OF
\ what have suffered at having precipi-
tated this horror when I only meant to-
/ to- sfs 81
4 She was sinhing-falli ling nay, almost at
the point Of death herself. But she
l reached out the letter, and the coroner
/ giving It one glance, handed It over to
j Leighton as the one least shaken by the