The Press. (Stafford Springs, Conn.) 1883-1935, 1904-10-05
anese bronze grlGin with outspread

AS she LeIl IL TO the gus Jet to ItEh
the candle something fell en- the rug al
her feet. and she picked it up. 1t was d
small, oil fashioned ordinary bras.
key. She locke at it hcsitatin2ly. Il
had never been on Dob'a ring. slit
knew. The space between the wing.
of the bronze griffin was Il clever idcs
for concealment.
She set her lins closely and went M
the garnet stairs With the canllesticl
In one hand and the key In the other
Halfway there WIS Il turn Mt snal
landing and it was ut the an:sle made
by this that she had found the littis
The desk WIS pushed lu one si..c
with some trunks and boxes. 1t was Il
qHaint, antique affair Cf malio amy. So
vercly colonial in STYLE The main
body WIS crescent shaped. support1l
Oh hand carved legs. There Were lar
drawers, two on each side, and a
small, low cabinet of pigeonholcs OH
top.
Suzanne stood motionless before 1t
for several minutes, trying to make
up her mind to insert the key. When
she did SO in the lock of the nearest
top drawer. her hand trembled slight
", and she held her breath. The key
turned easily, and the drawer was
ready for inspection, but she did not
open it. Thoughts whirled like the
fluttering snowfiakes through her mind.
and she stood again irresolute.
She had told Bess that she believed
absolutely in Bob. Higher than her
love for him had been the unfalter-
was the very keystone Of her marriage
faith, and yet at the first blow Of sus-
picion it gave way.
Bess was a child, with the impulsive
Judgment of a child. She had been
wrong to even tell her of the desk,
wrong to discuss Bob or his motives
with her at all or to listen for an in
She must have faith and wait. He
had probably locked the desk against
the curiosity of the servants and had
forgotten it in the hurry and excite
ment Of the wedding. She must be-
neve in him. The mere fact that they
were married did not give her a corO-
ner's right to hold postmortem over
his dead past.
There was the sound Of footstep
on the stairs, and she relocked the
drawer quickly.
'I'll be down in a moment, Nora,"
she called. "You may serve dinner"
The voice that answered was famil-
lar and masculine She nearly let the
candle fall in her surprised recogni
tion of It,
Its only l, Sue. What ON earth are
you doing in thereY
She stood mute and motionless as he
bent his head and entered the low door.
It was Bob, and he was smiling and
happy, his clear eyes seeking for the
glad welcome he expected.
II only ran down for tonight" he
added. 'T couldn't let you face the
first new year alone, sweetheart"
His arms reached for her, but she
shook her head and handed him the
key.
II haven't used it," she said broken
". "But, oh, Bob, came SO near 1t.
You don't have to tell me what's In
the old thing. I'll believe you Just
the same, and don't want to know"
"Know what?" he demanded. Don't
cry, Sue" He drew her to him ten
derby. "What's up, anyway
'That desk" she sObbed. Its lock-
ed"
''Is it?" He stared at the desk in
bewilderment. "Well, the key was on
my mantel, dear. You found it all
right, didn't you? Couldn't you un-
lock it?"
II could, but-but don't wish to
know your private affairs" She tried
to draw herself away, but he took her
hands and held them from her tear
wet face so that he could see her eyes.
'Sue, darling" he said, "you blessed
little Mrs. Bluebeard, that desk is a
present to you from Grand
mother Hadleigh. It's been in the fam
ly since the year 1. guess, and there
sn't a single thing in those draw
ers. 1t came the last minute the day
we were married, and was SO heavy
and unwieldly l told father to send 1t
along with my things and have 1t put
away somewhere until we came home
And l laid the key in the griffin for
safe keeping. What did you think |
was in it?"
But Suzanne silenced further ques-
doning in her own effectual way. The
Keystone Of her happiness was firm
md immoyable. But as they went |
downstairs to dinner she registered one
future she would let love laugh at lock- |
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