The Tucumcari news. [volume] (Tucumcari, N.M.) 1905-1907, 1905-11-04

he insisted. II have held this back I'LL
the last, hoping that YOU might come
10 your senses without so violent an
incentive. but
"Well?'
IF YOU still persist in your present
course, by this time tomorrow, shall
have to ask You to-lcave my ROOF.
Beatrice Hollister seemed to sway,
almost impcrceptibly for an instant,
and a range light flashed in her
ewes. but she controlled herself mag
~nihcently, and acknowledged the
threat with a weary shrug, he should
never know. as long as they both
lived, that he had stabbed her to the
heart.
HolIister went back to the library
and threw himself deieCtcdly into a
chair. Some Of his anger had begun
to wear off and give place to Il miser'
able sense of depression ana guilt.
In all the years of their married life,
she had not once given him cause for
suspicion or dislrust until yesterday.
And that she had given him no small
cause vi llldl O|tNSiol, NC 'ONlh boN
doubt. There was the evidence OF his
own eyes TO damn her-and she had
denied nothing. She had only as
serted her innocence of wrong. abso-
lutely and empha,ically but in the
very face OF contrary proofs. He had
seer the man put his arm about her
and kiss her; he had heard the en-
4 -.. .A.l. l., ,.,1 ,.,l yIa.n.
spoken in reply. That was all, but
certainly it was enough to Justify the
course he had pursued BUT perhaps,
after all, had he approached her less
insultingly, there might hive been a
better chance Of learning the truth.
Her manner belligerent enough at
first, had gradually grown to impress
him with an undeniable sense Of his
own shortening and her righttul
claim TO consideration Still. she had
blamed him for lack of faith, while
most positively exhibiting it herself!
\ clock somewhere striking nine,
reused him from his reflections. He
rose abruptly and turned Il the gas.
Afterward, he saw that the front door
was securely bolted, and then went
slowly upstairs to his apartments. At
the door Of his wife's bedroom, he
paused Il moment and listened. There
was not a sound, so he supposed she
must have retired. lie moved away
a few steps, then, impelled by some
uneXplainahle motive, he turned and
went back again, tapping softly against
the panel OF the door. There was no
response, and he pushed it open slight.
~ and glanced about the Swallowed
apartment; no one was there. With
Il terrible sense Of foreboding, he
entered noisclessly. The drawers and
closets had al! been ~ransacked, and
Il general air Of desertion prevailed.
Hollister sank down in the nearest
chair, and buried his face in his
hands and grCancd. Once lie looked
up and about him in sudden fright;
the miserable emptiness of the room
terrified him beyond measure. Now
that she was gone, a thousand differ.
ent solutions of what he had taken as
incontestible proofs of her guilt, flash.
ed into his brain. lie started up from
his chair, as though under a lash, and
lighted three of the five gas-jets.
The first thing that met his glance,
was a tiny white note, pinned to the
cushion on her dressing.table. lie
unfastcned it with shaking fingers,
and smoothed out the paper.
Dear Edgar:
'On the eve Of my departure, and
after thinking over everything. | have
decided that after all, | probably owe
YOU some sort OF explanation Of the
other night. The man vas my father
lie escaped from prison last week
and appealed 10 mo for help. Not