The Mitchell capital. (Mitchell, Dakota [S.D.]) 1879-1918, 1905-02-24

The best way to prove his inno- !
cence would be to show where and
how he, Bostock. was occupied when
David Dumbarton lost his life"
THAT might be ii difficult task in a
great capital like London. where a
man might walk for hours
and unnoticed; or might visit a the
where he would be surrounded by
strangers whom he could not after
ward call up to identify him and bear
witness where he mad been"
But s%upposing,' said Mackworth
with a knowing smile. that i could
bring q witness 10 prove that he was IN
Hixton road on the night n near the
hour when Dumbarton was killed.
what would you say them
Headwick rose from his chair. pale
and startled by what he had heard.
Gould YOU produce such a witness:
he asked breathlessly.
THAT 1 could" answered the In
spector de~terminedly. What do you
think now, sir?"
II don't know-your statement be-
wilders me"
We'll, 1 tell you what you think.
remarked Mack worth. rising also as If
to end this visit which was wasting his
time.
What" Headwick asked.
Tina one fact is worth a dozen the
cries"
Good night said the young man
shortly, as disappointed by his inter,
view and yet dazed by what he had
heard, Ire turned to depart.
Mackworth politely saw him to the
door, which had scarcely closed upon
the visitor when the quiet house was
ltctJyha1" Inv tho ,niSa nf "a violent RING
followed by a rap. The inspector being
yet in the hall. hastily opened the
door once more, and received the tele-
gram which Was PROMPTLY thrust into
his hand by a boy who had grown too
big for the uniform he wore. Tear
ing open the envelope, Mackworth read
the words:
Prom Olive Dumbarton, Hixton
road. Come and see me this evening"
MON what may this mean" Mack
worth asked himself as he read The
lines.
But being unable TO offer any explain
alton 10 this query. he resolved to obey
the at once. Therefore. get
ting INTO his comfortable overcoat and
wrapping a muller around his throat.
he sailed out into the night. and VAS
soon driving in the direction of HiN-
ton road.
While his mind was still absorbed
in Speculation he dived his right hand
into one of the pockets of his coat
and seizing he gloves it contained,
proceeded to put them on. His at
tempt Was, however, unsuccessful, for
they seemed to have grown suddenly
too small for him. astontshed at which,
he held them TO the light and saw they
were not his own. Immediately he rec
! ogniZed the fact that he had k by
mistake the gloves Nalelius Cialbraith
had laid upon the table during their
| conversation, on which the inspector
resolved to return them the mex day
and claim his own instead
On regainins the consciousness
which her cousins words had caused
her to lose. Olive Dnmbarton's distress
was pitiful to witness. Till then she
thought that, come what might, no
other blow than that from which she
had already suffered could further
wound her; that her senses being
stunned. no greater depth of pain
could assail her. But now she saw the
fallacy of such u superstition, for a
double grief had come upon her uneX-
i pectedly, p~rostrating her. leaving her
more friendless and alone than be-
fore.
That George Bostock. the mar she
had learned to love so gradually that
it was not until his danger was made
f'A'N' ~ ~ i|A'' y
to herself. should be snatclaed from life
! Was a terrible thought: that he should
be taken from her at Il time when she
needed most his counsel. his supporting
friendship. was "A heart SORROW hard to
bear where already so much had beer
borne. And that he should. for heI
sake. as she firmly believed. own him
self guilty. where he Was innocent, in
creased her tenderness and heightned
her love. For now she saw how deep
must be The affection. how noble the
nature, how unseltish the heart of the
man who would take upon himself the
blame of a crime he had never COM
mitted that he might free her from
the penalty that threatened her.
And as ii this was not enough TO Ell
dure she had also to suffer the bitter
thought of her mistaken trust in Va
leTius-the cousin she had known from,
childhood. almost her sole relation, the
support in This, the bitterest hour OF
trial. Stung by jealousy, he had spok-
en The cruellest words speech coulG
frame. he had inflicted a wounC
which would not readily heal; he hac
made i, Impossible he should ever
again be the friends and counsellor he
had been before.
All ole ties are hard 10 break. AND
when broken violently, wan.only, unex-
yeCtedly, by those In whom our strong
est faith was placed. on whom We
Leaned; III whom we trusted most. the
sen rance brings double pain and witt
II doubts of all fidelity. a sense be.
sides. a feeling of prostration relieved
by no desire to rise and face the worlC
once mure
Very desolate did Olive Dumbartor
feel, q sorrow-stricken woman who
saw no light round her, no hope be.
/ fore. but darkness avery where, and thu
death OF him she valued most drawing
near. And that this state of isolation
WEAKNESS and pain hould befall one
whose thoughts and fancies. skill anC
hnnior. as mad plain in her books
had charmed. interested and delighted
thousands of readers. seemed the bit
ter irony of fate. The relief. distrac.
tion and f~orgetfulness she afforded Il
others, she was incapable of feeling
herself: for her there seemed nothing
but misery, look whore she WOULD.
one thing alone served after awhil.
TO rouse her thoughts and stir he
energies. The man who loved he
must not be allowed to lie under thu
i~mputation OF a crime. to which sh,
felt sure he had falsely confessed. H.
must learn while there was Yet tim,
that She woul not accep
his sacrifice OF him, OF if
indeed, time was already Il thing
of the past for him. then his menor!
must be cleared. his innocence vindi.