The Minneapolis journal., 1903-03-03
CHAPTER xxI.-contlnued.
Woman's WlIes..

.t5EGz WOHdnS WiteS. #.,fEGs
! a"Yes.'' acquiesced "The mystery is
! as complete as ever s,gfs sEi
Has no single clue been found, either
by the police or by your friend-Jevons
Is, think his name?' she asked with
keen anxiety.
Zone or two facts have, believe, been
elucidated. II answered. 'But the mys-
| terry still remains unsolved.n
! "As it ever will be- she added with a
sigh which appeared to me to be one of
satisfaction rather than Of regret 1.-THE
details were SO cleverly arranged that the
police have been baffled in every endeavor.
Is not that so?''s 81 -
| I nodded in the affirmative.
| And your friend Jevons? Has he given
| up all hope of any satisfactory discovery
Il really don't, know, I answered. Il
have not seen him for quite long time
And in any case he has told me nothing
regarding the, result Of his Investigations.
1t is his habit rtotbe mute until he has
gained some tangible result
crossed her white brow for moment;
then it vanished into pleasant smile, as
she asked in confidence: s..}sF f
| Now, tell me, Ralph, what is your own
private opinion Of the situation?'
Well 1t is both complicated and puz-
zling: If we could discover any reason
| for the brutal deed we might get a clue
to the assassin; but as far as the police
have been able to gather, it seems that
| there Is a n entire absence Of motive hence
the impossibility Of carrying the inquiries
| further -. :, ~
'Then the investigation is actually
dropped?" she exclaimed, unable to
further conceal her anxiety
II presume that It is replied.
| Her chest heaved slightly, and slowly
! fell again. BY its~movement I knew that
my answer allowed her to breathe more
| freely. .>,-. .-,.:e'....,.
You also believe that your friend
ative results, to reinquish his efforts?''
she asked, s..' GEts t~'
| Such is my opinion. But I have not
seen him lately In order to consult him. -
In silence she listened to my answer,
| and was evidently reassured by it. Yet !
! could not, for the life of me, understand
| her manner. at one moment, nervous and
apprehensive. and at the next full of an
almost imperious self-con6dence. The ex-
| preston. in her eyes at times was such
as justified her mother in the fears that
! she had expressed to me. tried to
| diagnose her symptoms, but they were
! too complicated and CONTRADICTORY
! She spoke again of her sister, returning
| to the main point upon which she had
sought the interview. She was decided
| ly pretty woman, with a face rendered
more interesting by her widows garb.
But why was she masquerading so clev-
erly? For what reason had old Courte-
nay contrived to efface his identity SO
thoroughly? AS 1 looked at her, mourn
| ing for man who was alive and we'll
utterly failed to comprehend one single
| fact of the astounding affair. It utterly
staggered belief. =. ..4-
LET me speak candidly to you, Ralph, .
she said, after; we had been discussing
Ethelwynn for some little time. LAS you
may readily imagine. 1 have my sisters
welfare very much at heart, and my only
desire is to see her happy and comforta-
BILE instead Of pining in melancholy as she
now is. / ask your frankly, have you quar-
| relied? ~ - -. .s-.9. .,-.-...f =. -. :
mo, esllave: notiiI answered promptly
"Then if YOU chayelnot, your neglect is
all the more remarkable" :" she said. For
give me for speaking like this, but oul
intimate acquaintanceshfp in the past
gives me a kind Of prerogative to speak
my mind. You won't be offended, will
you?" she asked. with one of those sweet
smiles of hers that I knew SO WE'LL =,
''Offended? Certainly not Mrs. Courte
nay. We are too old friends for that
Then take my advice and see Ethel
wynn again." she urged. Il know how sht
adores YOU 1 know how your coldnes:
has crushed all the life out of her. Sh'
hides her secret from mother, and fo
that reason will not come down to Meme
ford. See her, and return to her; for i
is a thousand pities that two lives shoult
be wrecked SO completely by some littl'
misunderstanding which will probably b,
explained away. in dozen words, Yol
may consider this appeal an extraordinar.
one, made by one sister on behalf Of an
other, but when tell you that have no
consulted Ethelwynn, nor does she know
that I am here on her behalf, you will
readily understand that I have both you
interests equally at heart. To me, it seem
a grievous thing that you should be place.
apart in this manner, that the strons
love you bear each other should be crushed
and your future happiness be sacrificed
Tell me the truth" she asked in earnest
ness. "You love her still-don't you?"
II do" was my frank, outspoken an
swer, and it was the honest truth.