The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1902-02-08

moment so Crltlcal. watching the doctor,
| + saw him draw out the paper l had so
after looking at it, turn 1t over and over
| in such establishment and perplexity that
we all caught the alarm and crowded
| about him for an explanation. Alas it
was simple one! The paper concerning
(which | had endured SO many qualms of
| conscience and from the reading of which
I, the young girl had shrunk with every ap-
pearance OF intolerable dread, proved
upon opening it to be an absolutely blank
J one.
| There was not upon it's smooth surface
so much as the faintest trace Of words.
THE ELDERLY GENTLEMAN BY THE
NEWEL-POST
"This is surprising. Do you under
stand this. Miss Meridith? There is
nothing written here, The sheet is per-
fectly blank. ~
She turned, stared and laughed convul-
sively. a.
Blank, do you say? What a fuss about
nothing! No words, no words at all?
! Let me see. L certainly expected you to
! find some message in it.
| What a change of manner! The moment
before she had confronted US, a silent.
| agonized woman; now her words ratified
forth with such feverish volubility we
scarcely knew her. The coroner, not
noticing, or purposely blind to the relief
she showed, handed her the slip with
! out a word The brothers had all drawns
| off, and for the first time began to Whs-
! per among themselves. AS for myself, l
did not know what to do or think. My po-
sition, if anything, had changed for the
worse. l seemed to have played some
| trick I wanted to beg her pardon and
! theirs, and seeing her finally let the paper
| fall to the floor with an 1ncredulous shake
! of the head began to Stammer out some
words of explanation, which sounded weak
| enough under the tension Of suppressed
excitement called forth in every breast
| by this unexpected incident.
Il feel am persuaded you Will
not give me credit either for good sense
| or for the sincerity Of my desire to be OF
| service to you,'' / made out to say. Il
certainly thought from Mr.. Gillespie's ac-
lions, above all from the expressions
which accompanied them, that he had en-
| trusted me with a communication of no
| little Importance, and that this communl.
cation was meant for Miss Meredith
| To my chagrin, my plea Went unheeded:
| she was too absorbed in hiding her own
| satisfaction at the turn affairs had taken,
| and her cousins in deciding to what extent
| their position had been improved by the
discovery of a blank sheet of paper where
| all had expected to find words, and very
important words. too. Consequently 1T
| fell to DR.. Bennett to answer me.
| mo one can doubt your intentions, Mr..
| Outhwaite. . Miss Meredith will be the
| first to acknowledge her Indebtedness to
! you when she comes to herself. You
have fulfilled your commission according
! to the dictates of your own conscience.
! That you have failed to effect all you
| hoped for is not your fault. AS lawyer
| you will rate the matter at it's worth, and
| as man Of heart excuse the exaggerated
effect it has to all appearance produced
| upon those about you"
1t was a palpable dismissal, and I took
| it for SUCH or would have If Miss Mere
dth whose attention the word lawyer had
! seemingly caught, had not honored me
| with look which held me rooted to the
spot - a. G..af2 ala .I;};s. a.. !s.5'. y,
,"Wait!" She cried,psI want to speak to
| that young man, Do not let him go YETI
And advancing. she stood before me in an
| attitude at once wOmanly and confding.
Come back, Hope!'isI heard uttered in
the peremptory tones 9of him they called
| Leight on. AS -
| But though the spasm which passed over
| obey the voice of so near relative, she
! stood her ground. III
.sI need friend,' she said to me.
! Someone who will stand by me and sup
| port me in a task 1 may find myself too
weak to accomplish unaided. cannot
| too closely connected with the sorrows
| brought upon US all BY this event. Be-
! sides, I find it easier to depend on a
stranger-One who does not care for me,
as DR.. Bennett does; a lawyer, too; may
| need a lawyer-sir, will you aid me with
! your counsels? I should find it hard to
come upon another man of such evident
sincerity as yourself
Hope. Hope!'
Entreaty had now become command:
Leighton even took a step towards her.
She faltered, but managed to murmur:
! ''You will not go till l have seen you
! again. You will mott"
Il will not" I rejoined, put ting down
the hat I had caught up.
| The next minute she, as we'll as myself,
perceived why she had been thus peremp
torily called back.
The group around the newel-post had
changed A large, elderly man, with
world of experience in his time-worn but
kindly visage, was standing in, the place
| occupied by the coroner moment before.
He was. bowling in the direction of Miss
Meredith and he held some half-dozen
letters in; his hand.
AS her eyes fell en- these letters he re-
garded her with an encouraging smile,
and said: b.
81 am Detective Gryce, miss. I ask
| pardon for disturbing you, and 1 don't
| want you to lay too much stress upon my
presence here or upon the few questions
I have 10 put on behalf of the coroner
| who has Just been called to the telephone.
| A few explanations are all I want, and
| some of these you are in a position to
( give me. You have been in the habit Of
using the typewriter for your uncle, I am
| told" =- - .1..-..ss.,
Eyes, sir.'' 8: -
! did you use it for the writing of these
five letters found upon his desk?"
! Eyes, SIR" -
| cat what hour?'
! Between dinner time and half past 81
| This was the first time she had
| dinner.
$50 you were with him until half
| past 81"
! EYES, or thereabouts.'
"And left him in the enjoyment of his
| usual Eea!th?"
ITO all appearances, yes
! Before or after your cousin Leighton
| came into the study 2"
| Before
".Why did you leave? Was Mr. Gillespie
/ through with his work for the night 2"
81 don't know: don't think so. but
! was tired, and he begged me to go up
! STAIRS
"In, his usual manner"
| Yes
Not like man anxious to have.
you go?''
And when did the child come DOWN."
Later"
mot Immediately
mo; quarter of an hour or so later"
! "Humph! The child was with him then
q quarter of an hour before his death?'
Y suppose SO: do not know.
! The detective waited moment then
{ n ic nj olC thn lott orc