The Washington herald., 1907-06-16

Lancaster was shut up with Fred Bar
ker on business. So I went away and
afore I had gone many yards from the
house l met Hetty Lancaster herself.
looking that white and i'll she frightened
me. She was changed as you wouldn't
believe girl could change in a few
days. She seemed to have grown old,
and when she saw me she sort O. broke
down. / wanted 10 see my father she
said. want his forgiveness for what
I've done I came on purpose. and now
scarcely dare 10 60 to the house. I'll
come back with you. Bessie, and wait a
bit before I go. So we turned together,
and she came home with me. and there
were lots O. folks who saw her who gava
evidence at the inquest about her looking
i'll and bein' queer and odd. She cams
and sat in our parlor for a bit, and then
walked down with her 10 her fathers
house. and left her at the gate
Bessie paused. Her head was turned
away. and her black eyes. with a dull
fire burning sOmberly IL them now wers
fixed on the little CRATE.
"I left her there she added, but
somehow I couldn't go home. Hettv
frightened me. What had happened %
her. and where she had been those few
days while she had been away from
home she wouldn't say. But she shud-
dered az the mention Of IL when I asked
her, and broke down sobbing that heart
broken il made me own heart ache 70
hear her. And 7 guessed" Bessie turn
ed suddenly, hereely. and faced Godfrey
with her black eyes blazing and flashing
as they met his.
"Oh. I guessed then" she cried. "aH
that I found cut after. 7 guessed who
were at the bottom Of it, guessed then
who had 'ticed her away, and would
break her heart afore lie had done with
her. And You cUul< guess. tOo-vou
know as there is only one in all Oldcas-
lie as would hurt and deceive and lie 70
our poor Hetty"
Godfrey bent across the table. His face
was set and drawn and gray.
Lord Fanshawe,' he cried. hoarselv.
Bessie nodded.
Lord Fanshave," she repeated. "Yee.
It was Lord Fanshawe. She went awav
with him. left her father for him. went
at his bidding. COS she believed and
trusted him, thinking he was an hon.
est man, and instead o. that"
She broke of and turned away again.
Geoffrey's lips moved. but no sound came
from them. He could hear his own heart
humping heavily against his side. Ia
could hear his blood roaring in his ears.
and one mans name thr0bbed and echoed
and tingled in his br3.n-Fanshawe, Tba
man for whom he had sacrificed all ha
held dear the man whom he had loved
as a brother, whose life he had saved
whose honor he had shielded. whose sin
he had borne. In return for f. all Lord
Fanshawe had deceived and ruined and
broken the girl he had loved.
lie rose, sick al heart, and paced across
the little room. It grew stupidlv dull
and dim TO him.
Go on" he said. huskly. Tell ne
everything"
"Afterward,' Bessie said. slowly. 81
tried 10 find out things. I didn't bel.evs
she would 90 to him unless he had
promised her marriage. and I thought
may be 1 should find some record Of il
somewhere in one OF the parish churches
near"
Yes. yes cried Geoffrey.
But it was scarce likely as 7 should
be clever enough for that and that was
one reason why I wanted YOU 10 come.
You could do it. I thought. you'd find
out all about everything; all that I could
not II weren't likely as I could be Ciav-
er enough to find out if they were mar.
ried, but you could a. done IT, But al
that happened afterward. after Mr.. Ian.
caster were found murdered i'm his study
That happened the night o. Hettv's r..
turn, as you know. left Hetty at t1s
gate, but she never went TO the front
door Instead, she crossed the lawn and
went round 20 the window O. the library
"htie MI Lancaster sat. / stood at the
gate fcr minute or two after she had
gone. Il were a dark night and vo-r
know how thick the bushs7 used IN Ia
up the drive that led 70 the housag"
TO BE CONTINUED NEXT SUNDAY
,Coryrslt, la0', hy The Philadelphia North Amer,
ian.