Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1905-06-22
CHAPTER xv.-(continued.)

looked into the restless eye of maniac
knows what it Is. l have talked with
Marion Stackhouse face to face She
is no more insane than am"
II say this" continued Thomas, ''to
explain why 1t was that nobody knew
whether Marion was really engaged to
Fetridge On account Of the opposi-
ton Of Mr.. North, it would have been
secret, anyway, to some extent, but
Stella never knew. She only knows
that they were together a great deal,
till one night they presumably quar-
relied, for his visits ceased abruptly.
And the next thing Stella knew, the
engagement 70 Stackhouse was an
nounced."
Wasn't this a marriage from pique,
then, such as we occasionally hear OFF"
$50 fancy. Lamm. Stella will not
express her opinion to that effect, but
can see that she thinks so. Well,
now, as to Fetridge coming ba"l:Jrto
the family again since his retur4. u
Australia, 1t was just as we surmised,
ostensibly to pay Stella some atten-
lions; but the girl declares that he
never spoke Of love to her, though he
had plenty Of opportunity"
Which indicates" said Lamm,
quietly, "that Fetridge still came to see
Marion. despite her marriage to Stack
house."
$50 it would seem; and that she re-
GREETED her hasty step in marrying too
soon. Well, but this is only specula-
ton. To go on with the facts: Fet-
ridges attentions to Stella we're
thoughtlessly received-the girl insists
she has no other feeling for him than
that. OF pleasant acqualntance-but
after his departure on his recent bust
ness trip, the purpose of which we
can't determine, it came to her ears
that there was great deal of gossip
about their association. She deter
mined to be more careful in the future.
The day before the murder, Fetridge
reappeared at the house. 1t would
seem that the instant he got home he
came to the North household. He be-
gan to lay out plans at once to go
hither and yon with the girl. But the
poor things suspicious were aroused
by her long month Of reflection. She
determined not to be made catspaw
Of for any purpose, and at the first op.
portunity-haying summoned up the
necessary courage-she preached the
tabooed subject to her sister,
What time of day was this?"
1T seems to have been about the
middle of the afternoon Marion was
not feeling very we'll. She was LYING
down, and Stella was sitting beside her
with fan. Marion introduced Fet-
ridges name herself, making some in
quiries about his visit of the previous
evening. Then Stella made so bold as
to ask her advice, and finally told what
her suspicious were."
''But you don't mean"
Simply that Fetridge pretended to
pay attentions to her (Stella) for the
sake of appearances, and that his real
object was to be near Marion"
'Whew! Knowing the woman, car
imagine the result"
Easily. But Stella was innocent
enough. She merely intended to give
her sister well-meant warning. Ma
rion received 1t as an insult 1T is q
Jealous lie,' she cries into the ears OF
the astonished Stella. Richard Fet-
ridge never meant to marry me; never
cared feather for me. If you had
asked me l could have told you 80
But since you thought it better to play
the SPY on me. why. I'll prove it tc
you. And with great emphasis on
the word prove, she dashed out OF the
room"
This woman is curious. No doubt
about it. But her conscience troubles
her, and she's jealous of Fetridge
There's no other explanation of this
line Of conduct"
All, WE'LL said Thomas, doubtfully
IF Marion had married Stackhous;
purely from pique, and had been car
rying on the hollow mockery for {
whole year, because she was too prout
to betray what she suffered to any liv
Ing soul, it seems that there might b,
enough infammable material in hel
emotional nature to get up good blaze
at the first spark. Don't you think
so?'
quite likely. It's logically put, any
how. But about these proofs that Fet
ridge didn't care for her. I am anx
tous to know the sature Of them"
$50 am l.; but unfortunately the,
disappear from my story with thi'
reference to them. Stella NATURAL.
supposed Marion went upstairs to ge
something. Imagine her surprise, fiv'
minutes later, to see her driving OF
In carriage. In short time tn
coachman came back. Mrs. Stack
house, he said, had gone to Boston
Stella began to be exceedingly alarmed
What in the world could have occa
stoned this sudden freak she could no
imagine. That her sister was terribl
angry she saw, and the insane ide
that perhaps she intended to tell Ricn
ard Fetridge what had been said drov
the poor girl quite distracted Sh