Lewiston evening teller. [volume] (Lewiston, Idaho) 1903-1911, 1907-09-02

ant IOf me, ildI CONSIDERATION IOF you,
much more than any miserable anxiety
about myself. lay at the bottom of
what must strike you all as an act Of
objectionable cowardice.
From the moment l learned Of this
woman's murder In the alcove, where
had visited her, realized that every
one who had been seen to approach
her within a half hour Of her death
would be subjected to a more or less
rigid investigation, and feared If her
gloves were found In my possession
some special attention might be direct
ed my way which, would cause you I'M
merited distress. So, yielding to an
impulse which now recognize as a
most unwise as well as unworthy one,
I took advantage of the hustle about Us
and OF the insensibility into which you
had fallen to tuck these miserable
gloves into the bag l saw lying on the
floor at your side. do not ask your
pardon. Ny whole future life shall be
devoted to winning that. / simply
wish to state a fact"
Every goodv' 1t was the inspector
who spoke; could not have uttered
word to save my life. Perhaps you
will now feel that you owe 1t to this
young lady to add how you came to
have these gloves in your possession"
Mrs. Fairbrother handed them to
me-"
Handed them to you"
Eyes, l hardly know why myself.
She asked me to take care of them for
her. | know that this must strike you
as a very peculiar statement. 1t was
my realization of the unfavorable eff
feet it could not fail to produce upon
those who heard 1t which made me
dread any Interrogation on the sub
ject. But I assure you 1t was as |
say. She put the gloves into my hand
while was talking to her, saying they
incommoded her"
And you?"
well, / held them for few min
utes, then | put them in my pocket
but quite automatically and without
thinking very much about It. She was
a woman accustomed to have her own
way. People seldom questioned It, ]
Judge"
Here the tension about my throat re-
Taxed, and l opened my lips to speak.
But the inspector, with glance of
some authority, forestalled me.
"Were the gloves open or rolled up
when she offered them to your"
''They were rolled up"
did you see her take them OFF,"
| "Assuredly"
| "And roll them upT
Certainly"
"After which she passed them over
to your"
mot Immediately. She let them lie
! In her lap for awhile"
while you talked7"
Mr.. Durand bowed.
"And looked at the diamond"
Mr.. Durand bowed for the second
| time
Had you ever seen SO fne diamond
before?"
! mo"
"Yet you deal in precious stonesl"
"That Is my business"
"And are regarded as a Judge Of
THANH"
Il have that reputation"
"Mr Durand, would you know this
diamond IL you saw it7"
II certainly should"
'SThe setting was an uncommon one.
hear"
~Quite an unusual one"
The inspector opened his hand
Els this the article"
Good GOdi Where~--
"Dcnt you known
Fl do not"
The Inspector eyed him gravely.
''Then have a BIT Of news for you,
II was hidden In the gloves you took
fron Mrs. Fairbrother. Miss Van AEs-
dltle was present at their unroHing"
Do we 1--we, move, breathe at certain
momemtss II hardly seems So know
that was conscious Of but one sense,
that OF seeing, and Of but one faculty,
that of judgment Would he finch,
break down, betTay guilt. or simply
show establishment? chose to he
lfS~e it was the latter feeling only
which informed his slowly whitening
and disturbed features, Certainly II
was all his words expressed. as hi
eiances Jew from the stone to the
gIopes and back again to the inspect
or's face.
Il cannot believe 1t. ! cannot be
lieve It" And bis hanA few wildly 4
I, his forehead.
NYet 1t is the truth. Mr.. DuraD3, AM
one you have now to face. Hcw4eVil
y0u do this? By any further explana
!. lions, or by what you may consider I
J discreet silenceT'
3 ri have nothing to explain--the fact
, are as I have stated"
The inspector regarded him with al
. aaTnestness which made my heart sink
''You can fix the time of this visit
r I hope; tell us, mean, just when yol
: left the alcove. You must have seei