The Washington herald., 1906-11-27

spite of being eighty years OF age-and
uttered an exclamation on seeing the
/ white face Of the girl. Alice was deathly
pale, and clinging with one hand TO some
wire netting. held d newspaper in the
/ other. What's the matter, child? Any
thing wrong"
Bernard gasped Alice. "Oh, Ber-
naTd. Bernard
This must be looked into" saii Miss
/ BerengaTia. using her fayori p expires
/ sion, Something Is wrong with that silly
/ boy. What's he been doing. chiId2 II
must be something bad if it's in the
/ papers"
Il don't believe he did it," said Alice,
/ trembling He is innocent
/ Miss Berengaria tTembled also and sat
/ down. Don't hint at horrors. Alice,
she said. with an effort at self-cOmmand.
/ I'm not fit for such things. I don't sup
/ pose the boys killed any One--though. 70
/ be sure. as he's q soldier now, it's his
/ trade"
Murder"
"Eh, What's that? Murder ALICE The
/ old lsdys ruddy cheeks grew whhe,
/ and she stretched out her hand for the
/ paper SHOW me- she said resOIutely.
| Alice did not hand her the dpper. She
] -
/ ing what was said.
/ BERNARD is dead she mOuned
! Dead, Great heavens
He is drowned. It's all in the paper.
! It's aIl-Oh-oh"'
/ Breaking Off suddenly, she dropped the
paper and fled toward the house Ike a
! creature suddenly aroused TO life Miss
/ Berengaria did not lose a moment with
an activity wonderful In a woman of her
years, she sprang to her feet and hur-
r!ed up the path round to the front OF
/ the house, following in the wake Of the
weeping girl She saw Alice disappear
/ into the porch and enter the breakfast
room, where the meal was already wait
| ing. There, on the hearth-rug. Alice fell
! prone. Miss Berengaria knelt down and
! took her hand. She had not tainted. but,
cold and shivering, was sObbing as
! though her heart would break. And per
| haps II would, under this unexpected and
terrible calamity Bernard was her idol.
and now he was dead, and his memory
fOuled with the accusation of an awful
crime
Finding that Alice stil had her senses.
Miss Berengaria nodded and sat down
The best thing for you. my dear" she
said in soft voice. Weep your heart
out, while 1 read the paper"
These words sound rather heartless. but
the old lady did not intend them TO be 50.
She realized that tears would relieve the
strain on the almost stunned girl and
welcomed them gladly. Alice knew that
/ her friend spoke for the best. but she
gave no sign as, lying prone on the rug.
she concealed her agOnized face. while
Miss BeTengaria, adjusting her spectacles.
glanced through the paper Already the
gong had sounded, the meal smoked on
the table, and there was no fear of in
/ terruptions by the servants. But neither
Miss Berengaria nor Alice was able 10
eat in the face Of this bolt from the blue
Where is 1t, nay dear?-oh, here! Muir
der and Suicide A nice heading. upon nv
word Rubbish I don't believe a word
of it,"
Read! Read moaned the girl at her
feet
Alice" said Miss BeTengaria. severely.
before reading a word tell you that 7
| don't believe a word of It, Bernard,
though silly boy, would not kill a fly.
nor would he kill himself Murder and
Suicide" Oh. rubbish-rubbish,"
But you know. ard I know. he quar-
relied with his grandfather"
Miss Berengaria looked at the girls
white face as she half crOuched. half sat
So U.s. WIN iAch eyes VIII anu ltI
brown hair in disorder
1 don't see what Sir Simon has to do
with it" said she, taTtly
He is dead"
'Dead!"-Miss Berengaria shivered
You don't mean to say that"
Read! Read! Everything is against
him-everything. Oh how can I bear my
life? How can I lve?"
Alice, said the old dame again, al
though she was very white, If this lying
paper means to say that Bernard muir
dered Sir Simon, I tell you again that
don't believe word of it. You, who love
him. ought to believe in his innocence"
But the evidence"
"A fig for evidence. Circumstantial evil
denee has hanged an innocent man be-