Waterbury evening Democrat., 1906-10-04
CHAPTER XVII.

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 that we were about to pene-
 S4&) trate the mystery. Indeed, l already had vague inkling of the truth-too vague to be put into words, too obscure to be discerned clearly. l wns trembling with eagerness. l en. deavored to string upon a common thread the bits of evidence which had seemed to Godfrey so important-the bottle, the scratches on the wall. the coat rack, the broken cane, the note: but for the life of me I could see no connection between them. Yet knew there must be or Godfrey would not now be walking up and down the room with a face so beaming, so triumphant.
 "Miss Croydon will see you at once, oir," announced Thomas from the threshold, and we followed him to the farther end of the corridor, where he tapped at door. A voice bade us enter.
 Ehe was standing by window. look Ing out across the waters of the bay, land she did not turn for an instant mot indeed. until Godfrey had closed lthe door carefully behind him have seen few women more regal. more magnificent, yet there was about her lin her face, in the droop of her figure such m air of utter misery, of exquisite suffering, that, after the first moment, one forgot to admire her in the desire to be of service.
 r 'You wished to see mew she asked, in low voice.
 "Yes. Miss Croydon" replied God. frey, more gently perhaps than he had intended to speak '"This is Mir. Les iter," he added, ''who has been engaged Ito defend MT. Drysdala"
 She acknowledged the introduction with the faintest of bows.
 T hope MT. Lester will be success ful," she said, in the coldest of tones. One would have thought her mere chance acquaintance of my client.
 I saw Godfrey looking at her with searching eyes, and his face hardened. We mean to be successful" he said curtly. You may as well ask us to sit down, Miss Croydon, because our busi- ness here will take some time, and l am sure 1t will tire you to stand"
 Really" she began: then her eyes met his, burning with meaning. "Oh. very we'll" she said faintly and sank into the chair nearest her.
 'Now, Miss Croydon" Godfrey con- tinued in the same coldly imperative tone. T intend to speak to you bluntly and directly. We have beaten about the bush too long already. see that you are not inclined to deal frankly with us. You have not been frank with us from the first. You have sought to blind us, to throw us of the track. Therefore I shall tell you what we already know in order that you may realize how useless it is for you to try to hold us of. We're going to see that the guilty man is punished, not for this crime alone, but also for that other one at the Marathon, of which you were the only witness. You shall not be permitted to keep him from justice a day longer. In the first place, we know that this man Tremaine inveigled your sister into schoolgirl elopement and marriage; she was rescued from him; she thought him dead; she mar sied Delroy; came to New York: Ire maine followed her and attempted the extortion of blackmail; you met him at the Marathon; while you were talking Thompson interfered and Tremaine Killed him, escaping before the officers arrived. You did not know Thompson, but you saw Slmmonds and me take out his pocketbook. You heard me read line or two from one of a packet of clippings we found there. and while we were in the bedroom you took those clippings from the body and hid them under the edge of the carpet'- She breethed a long sigh and sat erect again.
 "Ah," she said. with a little smile, "I was beginning to fear you, aIl that seemed 80 supernatural But now see where your information came from"
 <. ~lt is correct. thenT asked Godfrey.
 "Yes,- she answered. Yes"
 Godfrey leaned back In his chair, with . long sign of relief. He had won the battle.
 Miss Croydon" he said, "Tm going to reward you for your frankness by telling you something which had in- tended to keep secret awhile longer, just to punish you. Your sister never was the wife of Tremaine and has nothing whatever to fear from him. He has no hold on her at all. She has never been anybody's wife but Mir. DelrOy's."
 2 She was staring at him with widely opened eyes. her hands clasped above her heart
 -oh. if it were really SOL" she cried "If 1t were really so.'
 Tt is so.- repeated Godfrey. and took little yellow envelope from his pocket Read this" And he unfolied . sheet of paper and held it toward Der.
 She took it with trembling hand and ] read the message written upon it. but | seemingly without understanding it
 Tt Is q cabIe.- he explained. from l She Records correspondent at Dieppe- Tour parton. Lester he added. with l flectins smile: II forgot to show it l to you Ol the trip out Please read it l