The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1906-07-15

v.
Judge Marcellus was III at ease thae even-
ing when he knocked at the door Of Mrs.
Gathers sitting room. Notwithstanding
the convincing work that be and Oronhte
had been able to do by telephone and tele-
graph. be yet was shaken by the fear Of q
dreadful mistake.
To his old fashioned notions, an insepa-
rable sanctity chung to feminine raiment;
and he resolved that he would make his
assurance doubly sure before giving the
signal which might lead to sacrilege beyond
expression and explanation.
Mrs. Gather opened the door cautiously
and, In response to the statement that his
call was a business one, invited the Judge
10 enter. The centre light was burning but
dimly, and as she took her own place at a
distance from 1t, she waved her visitor
to a chair.
There was daintiness, there was elegance
in the pose, as she sat with her jewelled hand
shading her eyes: above all there was the
p~ervasive feminine appeal for consideration.
All these combined to stimulate the Judges
deoorous doubts.
1T has been my experience as a lawyer.
madam" the Judge began, that In the.in-
vestisation and solution Of a mysterious
case, light is apt to come from an unex-
pected source. But working In the dark
seems to incline the wisest and best OF us
to suspicion, and 30 1t also often happens
that the one innooently furnishing this light
Is accused of completely In the evil sought to
be righted.'
you will pardon me, sir. i~nterposed Mrs.
Gather III SAY that your legal experiences,
however interesting to you, seem more pro-
Liz than pertinent to me-
They may be pertinent, and perhaps
even interesting to you, madam, II am on
strained thereby to give you a chance to
explain
"To explain2. Sir!'
ITO explain why you eent most Of tbs
money you have extorted from the Matterns
under p~retence Of tracing and restoring
their daughter, to a very different sort of q
young person, Estelle Main, the vaudeville
actress -"
"Preposterous!'
"who has been living at the place and
under the assumed name to which you ad-
dressed the registered package. She is in
custody, and has oonfessed--'
Confessed! The friendly interest of q
lonely old woman in an ambitious and de-
serving GIRL
1She has confessed that she received the
notes in that pa~okage-they also have been
identiied-from her lover, Gerald Dayrnond,
who 10 wanted for
This passes all comprehension"
Murder. Her confession has been shown
to Miss Capelle in prison, who now admits
that Daymond deceived, betrayed her
introduced her into his uncle's houee--s
my God, does Helen tell all that?"
"Who said anything about Helen2 How
does It happen you know who Miss Capelle
really is?" demanded the Judge With q sigh
Of actual relief. -Come, Gerald Daymond
you have played well an evil part: hut don't
yon think you had better go into the NEXT
room and put on the male attire that Cron-
kite has provided for you' It would be
more seemly. We don't want a row. There
is no possibility Of escape. every avenue
Is guarded"
It was a terrific figure which suddenly
sprang up and confronted the Judge; the
more terrific for It's grotesqueness Of dis
guise, for the utter inanity and INSULT
cheney Of feminine fripperies Under the
revealing agony Of despair.
Il will go in there said a deep, hollow
voice, which matched the mar beneath the
masquerade; 'for there is an escape not
withstanding--'
The Judge blew a shrill blast on a whistle.
Instantly Cronkite and Mattern dashed in
through the windows from the veranda
roof. They reached the bedroom door,
when there was a sharp report within.
.He found an escape, sir, notwithstand-
ing" said Cronkite, with a grave nod to the
Judpe