CanÌƒon City record. [volume] (CanÌƒon City, Colo.) 1883-192?, 1906-09-06
CHAPTER VII.


It was late one evening-while Olive
Dumbarton and her daughter were in the
drawing-roorn, when ValeriHs Galbraith
was announced. Both started at sound
of his name, and. looking up, kept their
eyes 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.
The freshness and buoyancy which had
been his chief characteristics had given
place TO an expression of pain and anx-
iety; his prominent blue eyes, which had
ever spari;led with pleasure, were now
clonded 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,
y knew you would come back. and
! am glad YOU have" she said,
"Of course ! returned the moment ]
heard of--of this terrible affair."" he re-
piled.
Il sent a telegram to Paris the day
after it happened
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 ALP"
All that the newspapers could tell
me-
About the Coroner's Court and the
verdict" she said. in troubled voice.
Yes, yes" he answered, struggling
with his emotion. Its terrible to ,hinl;
that you should suffer thus-yon who
would not injure any living thing; you
have already endured so much"
Tell me, Nalerius," she said in hesi-
tating voice, did you at first, even for
moment, think ! was guilty.
You guilty. he cried out Never.
neveri ! knew you were innocent"
ut 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 mei"
$50 gather. But let me hear all"
There is little to tell that you have
not already read" she began by saying,
and she wen, 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.
Then there's no absolute clcww
mot that / know of, at least Olive
Dumbs-,on replied
Except the knife" suggested Ver-
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 go upon1"
he asked.
''No,hing 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 vc-
bementIy, as IL 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?"
"Valcrius," she exclaimed, reproach-
fully.
Forgive me. I don't know what
am saying tonight l 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 I have no desire to add to your
vexations. Goodnight"
Goodnight" she replied, holding out
her hand.
As he took it in his own auiver