Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1907-08-02

Il
that l was conscious of but one sense,
that Of seeing aad OF but one faculty.
that Of judgment Would he finch,
break down, betray guilt or simply
show establishment? chose to be-
lieve it was the latter feeling only
which informed his slowly whitening
and disturbed features. Certainly It
was all his words expressed, as his
glances flew frop the stone to the
gloves and back again to the inspect
or's face.
II cannot believe 1t. l cannot be.
lieve it." And his hand few wildly to
his forehead.
"Yet it Is the truth, Mr. Durand, and
one you have now to face. How VIII
you do this? BY any further explana.
tions, or by what you may consiuer a
discreet silenceT'
Il have nothing 10 explain-the facts
are as I have stated"
The inspector regarded MIN with an
earnestness which made my heart sink.
you can fix the time of this visit,
I hope tell us, l mean, Just when you
left the alcove. You must have seen
some one who can speak for you"
81 fear not"
Why did he look so disturbed and
uncertain?
There were but few persons in the
hall just then" he went on to explain.
mo one was sitting on the yellow
divan."
"You know where you went, though?
Whom you saw and what you did be-
fore the alarm spread?"
Inspector. | am quite confused.
did go somewhere; l did not remain
In that part of the hall. But l can
tell you nothing definite, save that
walked about, mostly among strangers,
till the cry rose which sent us all in
one direction and me to the side OF
my fainting sweetheart"
Can you pick out any stranger you
talked to, or any one who might have
noted You during this interval? You
see, for the sake of this little woman,
wish to give you every chance"
"Inspcctor | am obliged to throw
myself on your mercy. l have no
such witness to my innocence as You
call for. Innocent people seldom have.
1t is Only the guilty who take the
trouble to provide for such contingent
cies"
This was all very well. if it had
been uttered with a straightforward
air and in clear tone. But it was
not. l who loved him felt that it was
not, and consequently was more or less
prepared for the change which now
took place in the inspectors manner.
Yet it pierced me to the heart to OBJ
serve this change. and | iIstinctively
dropped my face into my hands when
saw him move toward Mr.. Durand
with some final order or word of eau
ton.
Instantly (and who can account for
such phenomena there floated into
view before my retina reproduction
Of the picture l had seen, or imagined
myself to have seen, in the supper
room; and as at that time it opened
before me an unknown vista quite re-
moved from the surrounding scene,
so 1t did now, and l beheld again in
faint outlines, and yet with the effect
Of complete distinctness, a square of
light through which appeared an open
passage partly shut off from view by
half lifted curtain and the tall
tain and gazing or seeming to gaze,
at his own breast, on which he had
already laid one quivering finger
What did it mean? In the excite
ment Of the horrible occurrence which
had engrossed us all. had forgotten
this curious experience; but on feeling
anew the vague sensation OF shock
and expectation which seemed its nat
ural accompaniment. became con-
scious of a sudden conviction that the
picture which had opened before me
in the supper room was the result of
a reflection In a glass or mirror of
something then going on in a place
not otherwise within the reach of my
vision; a reflection, the importance of
which l suddenly realized when l re-
call at what n critical moment it had
occurred. \ man in a state of dread
looking at his breast, within five min
utes of the stir and rush of the dread
full event which had marked this even
ing!
A hope, great as the despair In which
/ had just been sunk, gave me courage
to drop my hands and advance i'm
petuously toward the inspector.
Don't speak. l pray; don't judge
any of us further till you have heard
what l have to say"