The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1905-05-21

manded tho others.
Through Esbert Langford himself
For the first time Miss Doten leaned for.
ward. her lips parted as II she would alb
sorb the astounding statement. But the
Judge turned pettishly away.
Don't run wild, Cronlkite.' he warned.
But why did he walk In his sleepp Why
did he utter his most secret thoughtsi
Why did he desert his home, and exile
himself for lifetime7 II these are not
innocent vagarios. do they not prove. sir
that conscience doth make towards OF lie
alll"
"On tho other hand, objected the Judge,
long continued immunity gives courage
Not whisper Of suspicion has ever been
breathed. Almost all Of those present at
the scene Of the tragedy are dead. Public
interest died with Manter. Tho worry fact
that Egbert returns homo voluntarily"
All. cir. you don't make allowance for
the homing instinct, With some e1iles II
increases year BY year until IL becomes
irresistible. There are instances Of fugi-
tives from Justice impelled by nostalgia
to return to conviction and imprisonment.
In any case. Egbert Lansford has como.
How. then, will familiar scenes Affect him7
Will not former recolleotions revive? VIII
not forgotten days be lived over again7
What kind OF man is It, who in his prime,
at the crisis Of his fate, Is 30 moved by bis
own deliberate deeds that he babbles Of
them in his sleep' Is he not Of nervous
Temperament. imaginative. capable Of going
n
ordinarily hmorous. uncertain, speculative
a. to his soul. spprehensive Of his own
Judgment
is no not, too. amenabls to occult in
huenoes, . believer in signs and portents,
an inquirer into spiritualism1'
MY God, mani oried Miss Doten; who
ever described Egbert Langford to your
So no was, to the shadow Of hair, when
first knew html'
Then how will he be now, solitary, aged.
feeble. tottsring on the brink Of that other
world where no secrets arc hidi VIII not
his own personality prove his worst enemyi
May be pot be condemned out Of his own
upsi'
This mtsrrogattve form Of discourse,
Otonkite.' said the Judge. dryly, may seem
efeotive to you. but It u decidedly tresome
to mo- Suppose you get down to q plain
statement Of what you propose to do
Il am going To frighten Egbert into eon-
Tossing
Howl
Through this exclusive information 70
garding the lost ooin. He viii believe that
one knowing % much Of his secret must
know al Of It.
sn,,k A~-SA
'You win 80, DIR. II you win only give
mo time to mako certain essential arrange
ments. Tho main question now 10 whether
I can rely upon this lady to cooperate
With mo-
AZ any time, IN my way you may sug-
gest, asserted M1as Doeen. with an air
Of gloomy triumph. Il believe you arc On
tho right track
Il oouldn's have IN ahlsr assistant, 20
earnest, 20 resolute. % Won advised, 20
froe from connections q dependents,
whose soloibuds might b emhar-'
Hold on there, Abel Miss Dotsn has
An adopted daughter. Alice. swest Alioe,
tho loveliest Of glrls. most devoted to
her,
An adopted daughter. sir, don't
want 70 be inquihtive, but might I ask-'
oh. there's no particular mystery about
It, the Judge went on, goodnaturedly.
Know. then. that ono fine morning about
sixteen years ago Miss Doten found on her
porch dear little GIRL
Tho child lay In handsome basket,
which. like her rioh garments. was Of
foreign make Miss Doten volunteered.
A French bonnie had been inquiring for
{v, 10 IL
search failed to discover any trace Of her.
And was there not. Madam, any article
left with her, say. for the purpose Of future
There was a curious bracelet. which
Alice always wears, but II never occurred
to me that it was left for such an object
And you got no clue to her possible
parentage from the clothes Of foreign
make, the French bonnie. the fact that
she had been left designedly at your door,
and, with her, curious bracelet the mate
Of which may have been retained''
Come. come. Cronkite,' the Judge ex-
postulated. Don't waste your ammunition.
One problem at a time. You should first
,onvince Miss Doten of your skill before
attempting to eluoidate another matter
'or her.
very we'll. sir asssnted Cronkite pa
iently. "but do most earnestly ask Miss
0oten not to conhde our plans and pur-
,osee to her adopted daughter. Most
likely am over cautious; but there is a
chance that this lovely young lady. all
to herself, may he a hostage
against fear
Egbert Langford. aged, decrepit, his
aos furrowed by chronic worry. found
hat falss hope had beguiled him back
o his native village, and that peace did
lot abide there. at least not in his old home.
The familiar scenes, but strange faces
he consciousness that the opportunities
Il the past were dead. while it's conse-
,uences alone waxed moro vigorous; the
ISOLATION with which his secret had marked
lin, even as Cain had been marked. all
oined in making him feel like an unhappy
,host, doomed to haunt fatal spot in order
hat successive recolleotions might keep
enderng remorse the more agonizing.
All his former friends were dead, except |
Hiss Doten; and upon her he presently