Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-11-11

other moment and she must have told me
! she was wife: and then 1t caught her
eye-staring from the printed page-that
| she was widow!''
"She told us the secret and I made a 10y
GUS rhyme about It; but what's rhymes to
her now? Yet I'll do one, and this day I'll
DO 1t. for many's the poor broken heart as
have sucked comfort from a well-turned
verse-else why do we have hymns? Well
| 1t will come back to you, Titus. For my
part could wish as Daniel had died to
home where first we thought he did. A sea
death be so open an gashly. For my part
I'd sooner have gone down vitifer mine
shaft and know my bones would bide in the
| land that bred EN-"
We'll. the mystery be all out now. No
doubt he visited her that night he gave
the policemen the slip. Twas hard should
never know the secret, for I'm sure Dan
would have told me afore all the world"
"Sheve only got his memory now. poor
| lamb; an that won't keep her warm of a
winter night. Twas ordained you should
| have her. no doubt. But you mustn't ak
her till the tears be dried. She'll weep a
will grab you some day. The appointed
time comes round as sure as the sun rises
Pig OF man. each has his span. There's
verses rising up in me, Titus, so I won't
keep you. What was the name of the poor
hero,s ship? D'you call 1t to mind?''
THE Peabody" answered Sim: then he
departed with strange thoughts for COM
pany.
In truth Titus had much ado to marshal
his ideas. He stood exactly where he be-
| lieved that he stood from the time Of Dan
iers disappearance. but the fact that
Sweetland was only now removed from his
| path by death startled him not a little
He hardly realized his fortune. In his
mind was a dark cloud. for that Minnie
should SO carefully have kept her secret
from him meant mischief She had not
| trusted him with the truth. There was a
reason for that, sand the reason promised
to be the reverse of pleasant. Sim had been
tempt to blind his eyes. her steady and
| friendly demeanor had led him to suppose
| that she at least was well content in his
society; that she trusted him: that she
bore to him the regard due to her hus-
bands first and favorite companion. But
she had deliberately chosen to keep him
In ignorance not only OF Daniels safety. but
also concerning his actual existence: and
this reserve caused Sim great deal of
| painful surprise. Surely 1T indicated that
Daniels widow did not trust him: and for
that d1strust a reason must exist
Titus perceived that much depended upon
| his future attitude To win her absolute
confidence would now be necessary before
there could be any further talk OF love.
He ransacked his sleepless mind that night,
and before morning saw the way clear. His
good faith must be made apparent: it must
shine above any shadow Of suspicion. Min
ME should learn that her husbands honor
| as to herself. How to effect this result was
hls problem and the footman believed
that he could solve 1t. For Sim was per-
fectly familiar with the truth concerning
| Adam Thorpe's end: and no man knew bet
| ter than did he that Daniel had no part In
/ the crime. The secret murderer was not
hidden from Titus. nor was the hand that
placed Sweetland's gun where he had found
. It.
Everything conspired to his purpose. He
calculated that In q months time he would
be able to clear Sweetlands name before
the world. Then his own reward seemed
clear. Minnie. once convinced that her
vague fears and suspicions did him wrong.
could hardly deny him 0hat he begged.
Into his fixed and immovable resolution to
make her his own he poured all the strength
Of a tremendous will. He had not come so
far upon the journey to be repulsed. He
had not moved by dark ways and COM
mitted worse than crimes for nothing.
From mental condition of anger and un-
easiness his devious soul plotted itself back
into content and calm. The end was as
sured I'D the means to play his final
strokes now lay clear before the mans in
telligence. To establish absolute confidence