Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-07-05

Godfrey smoked for a moment in silence.
| The story he had just heard needed diges-
! ton. 1t shed a new light upon the problem
"a light at the same time illuminating and
| confusing-a light, indeed, which served
| only to disclose new depths of mystery. SO
| Miss Croydon's story had been true In an
| other particular. Her sister had been cog
infant of her errand: she had not approved
| of 1t; she had tried to hold her back; but
| the stronger nature had overridden the
| weaker one The elder woman had tried
| to shield the younger one, had even lied for
| her-she had known. then, that the errand
| was one that could not be explained; she,
| with her experience of the world. had real
| lied, perhaps more strongly than her sister,
Its compromising nature. What was the
| secret which those papers guarded?
| Drysdale hitched impatiently in his chair.
! out with it, Jim he said. Don't try
| to soften i'll can stand 1t. l guess The
only thing l can't stand is this suspense"
| I'm not going to soften it,. Godfrey as
tragedy of the evening, while his COM
| panion listened with Mortified attention.
| Godfrey watched him he sat staring
| into the fire with haggard face.
| Don't make II blacker than IL Is. Jack,
| he said, at last. Personally. / don't be-
| lieve they've got the right man. but I'm
sure of one thing-Miss Croydon had no
| hand In it,
'Oh. l know she didn't Drysdale burst
out 1t isn't that Don't you see-it
| isn't that, But what took her to that
house? Why should she go there alone,
at night, to meet a drunken brute? Answer
me that, Jim Godfrey. l don't care a
| hang for all the rest?''
| Godfreys face hardened as he turned
back to the fire. That was the very ques-
| ton to which he himself had been striving
| vainly all the evening to find an answer
| "Of course, Jack he said slowly l
can tell you just what her whole purpose
| she hoped to get-its a family secret-and
| none of our business But one thing 8 Ger
| tain-whatever 1t Is, there's no cause FOR
| you to worry about 1t
| And why not?'
| "Why. don't you see, Jack? If Mrs.
| Delroy knew her sisters errand, 1t could
! have been no questionable one-no VuIsar
| intrigue-nothing that would toucn heI III
| any degrading way-probably nothing that
| would touch her personally at all one
| doesn't confide things of that sort to one
/ sister nor ask advice about them. 10 De
| sure she didn't heed the advice; but at
| the very worst, all she's been guilty of is
| an tndiscretion. That, l think. any man
would be glad to forgive. -
| Drysdale drew deep breath OF rehel'
| "Of course" he assented quickly.
| And that" continued Godfrey earnestly,
| as all YOU need to know. l believe she tens
| the exact truth when she says she uieu "
| save Thompson's life. Therefore, you may
| go hack to her tomorrow without the neeu
| of asking a single question. Depend upon
| it she II explain 1t all In time snow her
| now that you trust her-thats the least you
| can do-yes, and the most you can 90 10
| help her .,
| you've taken a great load off my heart,
! old man"
| "You hadn't faith enough. Why, one needs
| only to look at her to see that she apove
| suspiciou I don't think you quite appre-
| ciate her Most men would be glad to get
| a woman like that on any terms
| Drysdale sat for a moment staring into
the fire.
| Through and through. I'm appalled, at the
| wonder of IT, sometimes, that she should
really care for a fellow like me. I'm not
| worthy
| Godfrey was walking nerVously apout the
| room.
| mo. you're not" he broke in abruptly.
| mighty few men would be- Luckily, wom-
en- don't stop to look at that side of 1t. Be
| sides, she'll help you, II you really try TO
| live up to her
II intend to-" said Drysdale humbly.
Godfrey started to say something more,
then shook himself impatiently
| Her appearance will help her, he ADDED
| In another tone, when she's called before
| the coroner-shell impress the jury In just
| the right way"
| Drysdale got up quickly.
| She'll have to appear before the cor
oner?"
| "Of course-she's practically the only wit
| ness Your place is with her-more espe--
| cially since you say Delroy himself is out
| of town"
| THANK you" and Drysdale took up his
| hat you've helped me a lot," and with
| another warm hand clasp he was gone.
| Godfrey turned back into the room and
| sat down again before the fire. Drysdale's
| story had indeed, furnished him with new
| food for thought. So it was a family secret
| that Grace Croydon guarding. She
| had spoken the truth-she had scorned to
| lie. A secret that affected the family
| honor. That was conceivable-it furnished
| the only possible solution of the mystery
He felt that he could reconstruct the drama
| with some degree OF plausibility. He smiled
| grimly as he drew pad of paper toward
| him and got out his pencil. Like all good
| tragedies, it should be in five acts.
ACT l.
| The Croydon family possesses a skeleton.
and one Thompson holds the key to the
| closet in the shape of certain papers. He
| threatens to use them. to display the skele-
] ton to the world. He writes to Miss Croy
| don, perhaps to Mrs. Delroy, demand
| ing a price for his papers. Mrs. Deroy
| is for letting him do his worst; Miss Croy-
don, less sensible (also perhaps more SEN
| sitive), is for trying to buy him off
| She ove.rides her sister, makes an
| appointment with Thompson. disre-
| garding the risk she runs of compromising
herself. (The skeleton, then, must be
particularly grisly one2
Miss Croydon goes to the appointment
alone, but with the precaution of taking
pistol with her. (Query-Was she accus-
toned to using a pistol?) She is admitted
by Thompson. who has barely awakened
from drunken sleep A ten-minute parley
follows, during which he states his de-
| mands. She, perhaps. finds them excessive
impossible to comply with. and tells him
SO. He grows angry. abusive, perhaps at
tempts some violence. She produces her
pistol, and at that moment a man steals
behind him from the inner room and strikes
him down. Then. standing over him. he
deliberately shoots him through the heart.
Miss Croydon, perceving his intention in
stinctively raises her own pistol and fires
at him. The shots are simultaneous which
explains the single loud report heard by
the janitor. The murderer calmly opens
the door and esca pes.
ACT Ill
Mrs. Delroy Is at her library window
anxously awaiting her sisters return She
has been absent much longer than she ex-
pected to be, and Mrs. Delroy Is growing
alarmed. Enter Jack Drysdale. the sisters
afflanced. Mrs. Delroy tries desperately to
get rid of him. even lies to do SO, in the
effort to prevent the discovery of her sis
ter's absence. AS he is about to go, Miss
Croydon returns, sees her sister. and tells
her that the interview has led to Thomp-
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