Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-07-15
THE LATE TENANT
Continued from page s

are on a wrong track, and | must try to set
things right. Your sister has perhaps been
badly treated by some one or more persons,
and the notion has occurred to you that | may
be one of them, or may have some knowledge
even of one of them. But have been IN Eng
land only month; | come from Wyoming,
place at the other end of creation See II you
can't catch hint of accent in my speech. l
never saw your sister alive l am d stranger
in London. 1t is not nice to be mistrusted.
She thought this gravely over and then said
with a moments OpenneSs of heart, Forgive
me, if give you pain unjustly;' but at once
again she changed, muttering stubbornly to
herself with a certain vindictiveness; If
mstrust YOU, it IS not for nothing. | suppose
you all about equally Pitiless and deadly.
There she lies, low enough, dead, undone-so
young-Cweni Was there no pity, help,
not even God to dIrect-nOt even God
Again she covered her face, and was shaken
with grief, while HarCOurt, yearniug, but not
daring to stir a step toward her, stood IN
pain till presently she looked up at HIM
sharply with all the former suspiciousness, say
ing, with here sob and there a sob: But,
after all, words are only words. You can all
talk | dare say; vet YOU have not been able to
give me any valid explanation.
"Of WHAT" he asked
"Of your strange interest in this lady; of
your presence here over her grave; of the fact
that You chose to occupy the fiat, knowing
what you know of 1t In my mind these
are points against you"
He could not help smiling Let me reason
with YOU" SAID he earnestly. Remember
that | am not the first person who has occupied
the fiat since the death of your sister. Did
not Miss l. Estrange have 1t before me? Well,
my motive IS precise the same as hers-l
wanted somewhere to live. You did not at
tribute to Miss L Estrange any Interior motive,
! Think Then why attribute one to me!
" | attribute nothing TO anyone she sighed.
81 merely ask for an explanation which you
seem unable to give.
Think, now Have I not given it? l say
that | wanted fiat and took this one. Don't
miStrust me for nothing.
oh. l keep a perfectly open mind. Till
things are proved to me, | mistrust no one.
But YOU make your excuses with rather too
much earnestneSs to be convincing, for you
would not care what | thought, If you had no
motive.
My motive is simply desire to stand well
with YOU, SAID David. You won't punish
me for that?"
Now for the first time she looked squarely
at him. her eyes meditating gravely upon his
face and she said. " If you never knew my
sister before, 1t was good OF you to come to her
grave. You do not look like one OF the ruth
less %o ! hone not Thank Won for saving
that" said David, with his eyes on the ground.
He was shy with women. Such a girl as this
filled a shrine IN his presence. Is 1t against
your will that the fat has been let? he asked.
she said quickly resentful of probing questions.
Il only asked said he, in order to tell
you that if it was against your will, you have
only to breathe wish, and l shall find the
means to leave it
We'll, surely that is kindly said" she
swered. Forgive me, will you, if | seem I'M
reasonable? Perhaps you do not know what
grief is. | will tell you that it is against my
will that the fat has been let. My mothers
doing she insisted because she suspected
that | had a tendency to be drawn toward
the spot; she feared that l might go there;
and so it was let. But it is useless, | suppose,
for you to give it up. They would only let it to
some one else. And whoever was in it, should
have the same suspicious"
That word suspicious of WHAT" asked
David ! am so much in the dark as to what
you meant If you would explain, then | might
be able to help you. Will you let me help your"
God knows what the truth isl" She said
despondently, staring downward afresh, for