Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1903-04-24

THE DETECTIVE FOLLOWED HER-
the way. hr did some hard thinking.
Several times he said half aloud: Il
don't believe he struck her. Ii amt In
him. But IL this comes out he's ruined
anyhow; might as well go TO the chair.
And for such a woman
\ young man in the publishers office
smiled when he asked for Warren Pres
COTS address,.
THAT is a pseudonym," said the
young man. We are not at liberty 10
give the name and place OF residence.
That Is secret"
"A secret" echoed Burr. Why, the
mans picture is up on a thousand bull
letln boards
The youth admitted that this might
be true. lut he declined to discuss IL.
\ pretty young woman entered the
Office and approached the clerk whom
Burr had questioned. The detective OBJ
served that the clerk led her aside
when he spoke 10 her.
"She asked for Prescott. She's In a
hurry. She'll 90 somewhere else TO find
him." said Burr TO himself.
He followed her. She boarded car,
and the detective sat In corner. pro
feSsionaily incOnspicuous, but with an
open eye Having In his memory the
evil life and wretched death Of Ger
tain woman. he was affected by a
strong impression of contrast. This
bright eyed creature Of beauty was so
fresh and fine. so delicate in all her
senSibilities! y rough word would have
/ hurt her like blow or, as Burr phras-
( ed it to himself:
( He wouldn't have TO hit this one.
/ He'd only have to tell her; that's all"
I But contrast TO be effective must in
voIye a similarity. They were both
women Burr was conscious of a sud
den and new recognition Of this sister
/ hood.
This one is going to feel II" he
said. You can't hit one woman with
out hitting another. That's the way
! I've always seen il happen"
I The girl left the car and went into
an Office building, where she took an
elevator to lofty floor. There she
knocked upon a door which bore in
small gilt letters the name John
! Lang" No one answered. She wrote
A few words upon a card. inclosed ii
in an envelope which had been folded
In her purse and thrust II through the
hole for letters in the door,
Burr was puzzled. He had no means
I Of knowing whether John Lang was
Warren Prescott. Probably he wasn't.
II might be better TO follow the girl
little farther. He was about TO do SO
and was very near the door when he
heard faint click of the knob. He
iattened himself against the wall. The
door was opened cautiously, and head
was thrust out and withdrawn. When
the door began to close. II encountered
Burr's foot. and he was inside the room
In second.
Good morning." he said. ave seen
you before"
Well" was the answer In a trem-
bling voice What of itT'
The man was very pale. His hand
shook SO that the envelope which he
had just opened rustled audibly. Burr
saw the card which it contained. He
could not read the name, but the writ
ing in pencil was larger.
Dearest-wat. I'm coming back.
So the imaginary romance was true.
Il saw you over there" said Burr,
nodding his head sidewise In the direc-
ton Of the house with the pillared por-
tico.
The mans face was CHASTITY.
you struck that woman" continued
the detective. Il know the whole
thing. You might as well give up"
81 didn't mean to do it,"
The words came in whisper.
Most men don't" said Burr, "but
they ought not to put themselves in
the way of doing it. They ought to
think it all over day before yesterday
instead of waiting till today when
they're mad. Now, see here" he con-
tinued in a changed tone. Il have an
idea of giving you a show. l don't
know why. 1t was foolish of me, but
I'd read your book, and it was all about
my country, and somehow felt neigh
borly-l don't know what. l couldn't
think that it was in you to do this
thing. And it was such pity! Here
: you've made big success and got
money, and I've no doubt that you were
going to marry this pretty, innocent,
well brought up girl who was here a
9 minute ago. But now you've wrecked
everything unless ! can get in and pull
e you out. Tell me why you did it. Tell
, me the whole story. Then We'll wait
Y till this girl gets back, and I'll have a
e talk with her and perhaps
/ We'll wait till she gets back?"
"Yes, sir. I've got to see her."
t "pll tell you everything" said he,
:, COMPRISING his white lips. 1T was an
accident. Really, l didn't strike her
1t was like this: had the cane in my
|. hands,
l. He walked quickly to the desk in the
4 center of the room, an enormous fiat
h topped affair Uttered with paper and
g books of reference. A long and very
heavy ruler lay there.