Butler citizen. [volume] (Butler, Pa.) 1877-1922, 1902-03-06

pIltu henQall, Win Slignt emphasis
on the noun. AT least the only indica-
ton of doubt lie gave me was to ask
me in the corridor afterward whether
the wound could have been self infiict-
ed. told him TO dismiss the idea, and
he seemed to have no difficulty in do
ing SO. 1t is not, at the first glance, a
physical impossibility, but practically
it is precisely that"
suppose she should say that she did
| il" said Brenda.
with apologies to Miss Miller" re-
sponded Kendall. II must tell you that
that would not affect my opinion in
the least. If she has any desire to
shield the guilty, she cannot do it in
that way"
Brenda's keen grGj eyes searched the
physicians face.
DO you believe that?" she demanded.
'FranAly." said Kendall, my opin-
Ion is that Miss Miller knows perfectly
well who did this deed"
"And her motive for concealmentY
Il leave that to her own heart" was
the reply. yet IL would seem that
there could he but one"
"A motive of the heart" said Brenda.
do you realize that this amounts to
an accusationT'
Then let US not speak of it any
more" said Kendall LET us get back
to Mr.. Alden"
I'VE have already done So" she said;
but the doctor would not be drawn
into such an admission.
After the police officer had gone"
he resumed Miss Miller asked me
whether n note addressed to her had
been found in her room. | answered
yes, and then she Inquired whether
Mr.. Alden had been Informed of her
misfortune Fearing to excite her, l
substituted for the truth the fiction
that | just outlined to you, and my
poor little patient merely sighed. She
did not ask when she could see Mr.
Alden nor mention his name again
in any connection"
From which you infer
Nothing whatever" insisted KeR-
dali.
pot ,,.,,,- .ne," said Brenda,
Out bitterness. You believe
, Mr.. Alden guilty of this frightful crime.
and you dare not say so in my pres
ence for fear that l may not be dis
Greet and you may be put into an IN
| pleasant position"
IL could scarcely be put into a posi-
ton more unpleasant than this one"
said Kendall earnestly. 81 want to
tell you the exact truth about-about
| everything that | know or Imagine,
| and it is deadly hard to do 1t when
| you look ut me as If | were an enemy.
| This is as near as | can come to an
| accurate expression: Miss Miller's man.
| ner convinces me that she is shielding
the assassin, and there is no known
reason why she should shield any one
else than Mr.. Alden"
But why not take the perfectly easy
alternative that she is telling the
truth?"
81 WILL" said Kendall, "if you wish
me to-"
ST am very Serious" said Brenda,
"This is promise you are makingT
at is" replied Kendall, his face
flushed and his voice not quite steady
SIT is my word of honor given to you
and so twice sacred as the word OF
friend" he added. you were good
enough to say that we were friends
two years ago."
81 have better cause to say 1t now,'
she replied. 'Let me hasten to prove
my sincerity in the usual way, by bur
dening you with a confidence. You
must be wondering at me-"
"Why?"
Because 1 am here"
'It is a fine thing" said Kendall
earnestly. $50 much / know"
81 will tell you more" rejoinet
Brenda, "and it will make you thinl
better of Mr.. Alden. This tragedy Of
today is a revelation to me, but not Of
the kind that you suppose. Mr.. Alder
had not concealed from me that his
heart had been won away, but L die
not understand. He told me of Miss
Miller's existence two months ago, but
I would not hear all he wished to say
He intimated that he had begun to re
gard her with feelings that made his
engagement to me dishonorable.
viewed him with pity" and Brends
laughed very softly and without mirth
81 was so Incredibly ignorant OF every
thing outside my own sphere that
could not imagine the existence oi
such a woman as lies now in that room
out there.
clarence said she was an actress
and he looked at me as a man upor
the defensive. / can see him now.
pictured siren, a creature grotesquely
unworthy, appealing to his wild anc
reckless nature with thin artifices
that would be clear as glass to hin
when he should view them with dis
passionate eye. Truly, l was only
sorry for him, ashamed of him a little
yet very anxious to help him. 1t seem
ed to me that breaking our engage
ment would be the very worst thing
that could happen to him, and so re
fused to consider the woman at all
One meets men in society, DR.. Ken
dali, whose we'll known ways of life
have an unfortunate tendency to per
vert women's ideas in such matters
We admit the existence of certain per
sons whom we see in the park with
elegant equipages, but we cannot con
slider them as rivals"
"But surely he spoke of her witt
respect" said Kendall.
Absolute" replied Brenda, "but
thought him the more fool He saic
! one evening, 1 remember-and it was
| only a very short time ago-that Miss
/ Miller cared nothing for him and never
/ would. / was merely convinced by his
sincerity that the woman was playing
a deep game, and swore by such gods
as have that l would save him from
her. And so it went on until last even
ing, when he sent me a note which
made it impossible that our engage
ment should continue. 1t was only 8
frank, honest statement that his hear
had passed utterly out of his control
can see now that he could have done
no better, but | did not take the right
view at the moment. Perhaps 1t was
because | had heard that day for the
first time that Mr.. Alden's engagement
with me was of the highest importance
in his business affairs. If he had al
lowed it to continue for that reason
But he had not. 1t was really all my
doing.
| However, to continue, | went to his
office today because | was impatient
and | told him that the engagement
| .,oS ~, apJ rrbat I'm ton words