The Idaho Springs siftings-news., 1906-09-08
CHAPTER VII.

CHAPTER VII.
Il was late one cvcuiug-while Olive
! Durharton md her daughter were in the
, draWing-roon. when Nalerius Galbra:th
was announced Both started at sound
| OF his name. and. looking Up. kept their
ewes fixed on him with something OF sur
prise in their expression. for even in
that first glance they saw how changed
was the man before them from him who
had parted from them little more than a
| week before.
| he freshness and buoyancy which had
beer his chief characteristics had given
| place to an expression of pain and anx-
icty his prominent blue eyes, which had
ever sparklcd with pleasure were now
c,7Hdcd BY grief; lines were for the first
time visible in his face that sedulous
care Of his personal appearance which
| formerly gave the impression of elegance
was now conspicuous by its absence, and
| he looked every year of his age
Olive" he exclaimed, grasping her
extended hand in both his own
Il knew you would come back, and
| am glad you have she said.
| "Of course returned the moment I
| heard of-of this terrible affair he re
| piled.
q sent telegram to Paris the day
after il happened"
Il had left by then. 1. was in Brin-
disi ! first read OF his death You can
| imagine the shock | received. | have
| hardly slept since. Then | came back as
soon as | could, and only reached town
couple of hours ago"
Il suppose you have heard all?"
xtoA r. = II
me"
about the Coroner's Court and the
verdict" she said, in a troubled voice.
| Yes. yes he answered, struggling
with his emotion. Its terrible to think
that you should suffer thus-you who
would not injure any living thing; you
have already endured so much
Tell me, Nalerius,' she said in hes-
a moment, think I was guilty?'
"You guilty. he cried out. Never,
never! ! knew you were innocent
1T makes me almost happy to hear
you say so, TO know that my friends
don't believe ME guilty. You are aware.
of course, that circumstances are all
against me-"
80 gather. But let me hear all"
|
not already read" she began by saying,
and she went over the details Of the
case which were ever present in her
mind. dwelling on the narrow compass
which surrounded the case, and seemed
to fasten the guilt upon her.
| "Ihen there's no absolute clew?"
Not that know Of, at least" Olive
Dumbarton replied
Except the knife" suggested Yer
onica
The knife" Valerius repeated, turn
ing toward the girl
Il had forgotten that Olive remarked
"Mackworth, the detective, hopes it may
help him to discover the owner"
But is there nothing else to 20 upon ?"
he asked.
Nothing at present" Olive answered
and something in the sound OF her voice
and in the expression OF her face be-
trayed the depths of that despair to which
at moments she was driven.
"Ah, Olive" he said suddenly and We
hementy, as If carried away BY an ir-
resistible impulse, IF you had listened to
me long ago. how much pain might you
and have been spared: how much hap
piness might we have known?'
"Valerius,' she exclaimed reproach-
fully.
Forgive me | don't know what
am saying tonight. | did not mean to
blame you now, least OF all, when you
suffer most. | cannot control myself to-
night. but | will leave you at once. God
knows | have no desire to add to your
vexations. Goodnight"
Goodnight" she replied. holding out
her hand.
As he took it in his own culver
passed through his frame He turned
from her almost abruptly, but before he
reached the door Veronica entered and
said:
Doctor Quave cannot come tonight,
mother
| "Very well, dear"
"But Quinton is here" Veronica said,
somewhat shyly, "and says he would like
to see you, mother
in the dining groom"
ask him to come here. You remem-
Der Quinton Quave," Olive said to her
cousin as Veronica quilted the room.
Yes. very we'll
He has taken his degrees and gives
great promise Of being a very clever
DOCTOR. He and his parents have been
most kind to me, since-since-tha ter
ribe night"
Valerius remembered that Dr. Quave
and his son were among the first who
had come upon the scene Of the tragedy,
and he felt interested in seeing the young
man, with whom, on his entering the
room, he shook hands.
| ITO he continued