Custer County Republican. (Broken Bow, Neb.) 1882-1921, 1902-05-01

glance across at Miss Gihard. Nora
those words OF yours seemed somehow tc
put Into my hand the key which 20 Ions
had wanted. / went at once to Miss
Kate, and told her what fancied. HAD
no fear OF her resenting my words or die
credltlng yours, and she listened kindly
as knew. she would, Whatever pain they
cost her"
"She, too" added Mark, after q little
pause, while his warm, clear glance rest
ed on Miss Gitfard's face, had never
believed 10 Arthurs guilt, only II had all
been so strange to her, 80 utterly lnex.
| plicable."
"But--but she did not give the poison
even in her sleep"
| This was Norn's whispered cry, a. she
crossed the room and bent to kiss Miss
Giffard's shaking lips. But Mark went
on very quietly, only turning his eyes now
away from her
"She fancied at once, as l did, that
this was the solution OF the mystery; but,
as a suspicion and surmise, that knOwl'
edge must have been kept 10 our own
hearts, Nora. for the telling would have
done no good, and only panied her use.
lessly. But, In her great desire for jus.
tice to be done, at any cost to herself,
she followed up the clew, and at last,
tempted on gently and imperceptbly,
Miss Giffard's old Indian nurse--you
know the gentle, kind old woman, Nora
confessed all that we had been unable
to make clear. She sitting sleeping in
the outer room that night, had awakened
just in time to see her young mistress
pour the drops and put the glass to old
Mrs. Says lips. 1t had only taken two
or three seconds, and before she could
reach the bed Miss Kate had put down
the empty vial and retaken her place be
side the bed.
After this confession" continued
Mark, Miss Giffard at once gave me the
cew to Arthur's whereabouts, and was
far more anxious even than ] was thai
justice should at last be done to him, lei
the confession cost her what 1t might. !
soon found him, Nora, and brought him
to England, while Mr.. Doyle ard my own
solicitors paved the way for us. You will
not understand that quite yet, | dare
say. need not tell you what Arthur
had thought, poor fellow, all this time
Perhaps Miss Giffard is right, and he
really must have suspected her, ever
against his will. 1t Is hard indeed, t.
think how else he could have accounted
for the act; but he has not told me
When we reached London we found thal
DIR. Armstrong had laid his plans, too
for our return, and we had not been az
hour In England before Arthur was ar
rested. My dearest, turn your pitiful eyes
away for n few minutes. This parr Of
the story hate to tell you. Armstrong;
evidence was rejected as worthless. Their
the old ayah made her confession in q
clear, straightforward way, which made
il doubly convincing; and Miss Giffard
herself did the rest. No need to tell yor
all that passed, or had to be looked into
But Arthur left the court a free man
acknowledged innocent of that old crime
whose shadow had so long rested on his
life; and gratefully and hopefully he
brought Miss Giffard back to her peace
full little cottage to rest. For it had been
n trying time for her, Nora; and for that
It was that she stayed from Brighton
when you went"
And l." said Nora, wonderingly and
sadly, "fancied 1t was because she was
so tired Of me, after the great trouble ]
had given her for so long"
you should never fancy" observed
Mark; but he lowered his eyes for mo
ment. mora, take your thoughts back
again for a few minutes to that night sc
long ago, for l want to make it all cleal
to you. That balloon l spoke of was
made, as / thought, by Arthur himself
in this very room. The plan of escape,
by its means was his own. but 1t could
not be done without help, and Miss Gif.
fard helped him and kept his secret; ]
need scarcely tell you how it was man.
aged, because it will grow so clear to you
presently. He carried the balloon down
to the boat house on the lake shore
while Miss Giffard, in the turret house,
slowly unweund the cord whose other
end was attached to it. Arthur making
deep foot prints in the snow as he went.
On the edge of the water he made the
marks which next morning 30 thoroughly
msled the police. Then from the roof OF
the boat house he entered the balloon,
throwing his coat into the lake, and Miss
Giffard turned the wheel another way
now, and gradually brought the little bal.
loon 70 the turret roof. The rest was
very soon done, just as l used to see il
all. The balloon was wanted no more
and 80 was destroyed; food and a dis
guise were soon procured, and after q
time, when all suspicion was dead, he es
capped from the old house and left Eng
land in safety. But he had far greater
trouble than poverty, and-I have that u
tell you. too, Nora"
Gro be continued.)