Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1902-03-19

| XVI of spell. for while
| IN H Alden held 1t In HIS
| IN NJ hands he heard one
w / heavy blow upon the
| NN~4N door, and then Neale
0ZISAJ strobe into the room.
whats this" ne demanded. eel
mendorf, didn't tell you to let thi.
man aloneY
IN let him alone now, captain" sale
Elmendorf. "You can bury him. Anf
| see that you bury everything else too
This whole case is on the quiet. car
steer things ut headquarters with lit
tie money, Mr. Alden. and Joe Neal,
must take care of the precinct. This
is mysterious suicide, Neale; du,
| probably to financial trouble or ii
health. 1t has no relation to the case
Of Miss Miller"
"Since when did take orders from
your" cried Neale.
"Since got hold of this" replied Ell
mendorf, showing the partnership
I agreement. II know the whole game
Neale, and you can't stand It just
now"
"That's off anyhow" said Neale, with
deep bitterness. Duncan Maclane
was too smart. He has got the Hol
/, bein company's option himself, for the
gent who was to have been his son-in
! law, Of course"
And he bowed grotesquely to Alden.
"Maclane smelled rat after he had
given up to Blair" he continued, "and
so he stepped in ahead of us. And
now. Elmendorf, Pm willing to cal
this thing draw on your terms. I'll
attend to matters here strictly on the
quiet, and you take care Of your OWL
| end of 1t as well as you can. Is 1t d
goT
ut is," replied the detective. GAS
soon MS get my head patched up I'll
go down to headquarters and get Rob
inson out or start things moving that
way. And you, Mr.. Aldenf"
II am going back to st. Winifred's,'
was the reply.
When Alden reached the hospital, he
went ut once to Kendall's room, from
which place he sent word of his ar
rival. Both the doctor and Brenda
presently joined him.
II think the danger is all over" said
Kendall, taking Alden's hand. "This
last attack of faintness was to be ex-
pected; but do not look for any re-
currence. But how is it with youi
Something serious has happened?"
Alden told them simply and directly
Inst whit had occurred
"She Is free, then?" exclaimed Bren-
da.
Yes, and partly by my hand" he re-
piled. Brenda, am glad Of 1t. am
glad to have been concerned in that
mans death. am more than half q
savage. From the first instant. when
learned that Elsie had been struck
down, had scarcely more than one
idea, one passion-the desire for yenge-
ance. l wanted to kill with my own
hands the man who had done this
thing. All softer feelings We're swal-
lowed up in that one DESIRE"
ut produced singular effect" said
Kendall, with a shudder.
You mean that seemed to be guilty
VA SAlo CllmCs bAu AluGh Sdlluly :
well, there was murder in my heart
at the time. you see. and cannot
blame any who misjudged me. And
now, Brenda" he said, drawing him
self up and clinching his white and del
icate hands that gave so little hint of
their enormous strength, u am glad
that can go to her and tell her that
he is dead; that that dreadful night
mare of the past need not hang over
her; that all these horrors
''My FRIEND" said Brenda, checking
him, you will do nothing of the kind"
He asked her in surprise what she
might mean.
you will utter no such violent sentl-
ments," she said. "Elsie believes her.
self a sinner. She looks upon that folly
us IL 1t were terrible offense, and,
what Is much more important, she be-
lieves that you will SO regard 1t. She
thinks that you will look upon her rs n
girl disgraced by her own act and
saved by chance. The whole matter
has assumed a shape utterly monstrous
in her eyes. Now, what will you do
thank God in her presence that the
dreadful drama closed with your hands
upon BlAir's throat? Never, never!
You will be very gentle always. You
will say to her In the beginning that
you love her dearly and that nothing
else matters in the least. You will
speak rs little as possible of this tan
gle of crime. 1t is not important. Do
you comprehend? Love is what mat
tiers. Throughout these first difficult
days and for all your life you will do
the same thing. You will help her to
forget that such men as Blair are in
the world; that she ever met one of
them. 1t won't be forbidden topic.
Oh, far from that; merely a matter not
worth brooding over in world full of
sunshine and love-"
Brenda" said he, this is the flower
of wisdom. think l might have
erred in way that would have taken
long time to set right. Can see her
now?"
81 think you can," said Kendall
'now."
And with the last word he looked
ar Brenda. Alden understood.
II shall be all you wish me to be-
he said.
So they went to Elsie's room, Alden
lingering until the way was prepared
for him. He entered smiling and hand.
some in the way Of the days before
He knelt down beside Elsies bed and
in the gentlest way let her know tina.
her secret had come into his keeping
and that he had forgotten 1t again
Then he told her that she was free
but not with any words to picture the
horror of the last scene. The man had
died by his own hand, as it was best
he should.
"But still this story, Clarence-thinll
Of til" she said. ut is bound to be
told"
my child" said he gently, "if you
are my wife and are received by the
Maclanes and a few other people
J whom know :