The Richmond palladium. (Richmond, Ind.) 1906-1907, 1907-01-19

bel; for, while she had hitherto sat un
der the universal gaze with only thu
faint smile of conscious beauty on bel
| inscrutable features, she reused as thu
hands of the clock moved toward nool
and glanced at the great door Of en-
trance with an evil expectancy that
startled even Sweetwater, SO little had
he really understood the nature Of the
| passions laboring in that venomous
| breast.
| Next moment the door opened, AM
Frederick and his father came in. TIL
air Of triumphant satisfa ctfon Will
| which AmabeI sank back into her sea-
| was as marked in it's character as her
previous suspense. What did it mean?
Sweetwater, noting it and the vivid
contrast it offered to Frederick's air
| been well timed.
Mr.. Sutherland was looking very fee
| bic. AS he took the chair offered him
| the change in his appearance was ap-
parent to all who knew him. and there
were few there who did not know him.
And startled by these evidences of suf-
| fering which they could not understand
| and feared to interpret, even to them
selves, more than one devoted friend
stole uneasy glances at Frederick TO
see IL he, too, were under the cloud
which seemed to envelop his father al
most beyond recognition.
But Frederick was looking at ANA
bel, and his erect head and determined
aspect made him q conspicuous figure
| in the room. She who had called up
this expression and alone comprehend
ed 1t fully. smiled, as she met his eye.
with that curious slow dipping OF her
dimples which had more than once con-
founded the coroner and rendered her
at once the admiration and adherence
of the crowd who for SO long a time
had had the opportunity Of watching
her.
Frederick, to whom this smile con-
veyed a last hope as well as q last
threat, looked away as soon as pOssi-
BILE, but not before her eyes had fallen
In their old, inquiriug way to his hands,
from which he had removed the ring
which up to this hour he had invari-
ably worn on his third finger. In this
glance OF hers and this action of his
began the struggle that was to make
that day memorable in many hearts.
After the first stir occasioned by the
entrance Of two such important per-
sons and possible witnesses the crowd
settled back into its old quietude under
the coroner's hand. A tedious witness
was having his slow say, and to him a
full attention was being given in the
hope that some real enlightenment
would come at last to settle the Ques-
lions which had been raised by ANA
bells incomplete and unsatisfactory tes-
timony. But no man can furnish what
he does not possess, and the few final
minutes before noon passed by with
out any addition to the facts which
had already been presented for general
consideration.
AS the witness sat down the clock
began to strike. As the slow, hesitat-
Ing strokes rung out Sweetwater saw
Frederick yield to sudden but most
profound emotion. The old fear, which
we understand If Sweetwater did not,
had again seized the victim Of ANA
bells ambition, and under her eye,
which was blazing full upon him now
with fell and steady purpose, he
found his right hand stealing toward
the left in the significant action she
expected. Better to yield than fall
headlong into the pit one word OF hers
could open. He had not meant to
yield, but now that the moment had
come, now that he must at once and
forever choose between a course that
led simply to personal unhappiness and
one that involved not only himself, but
those dearest to him, in disgrace and
sorrow, he felt himself weaken to the
point Of clutching at whatever would
save him from the consequences of
confession. Moral strength and that
tenacity of purpose which only comes
from years Of self control were too |
lately awakened in his breast to sus-
tain him now. AS stroke after stroke |
fell on the ear he felt himself yield |
ing beyond recovery and had almost |
touched his finger in the significant ac-
ton of assent which Amabel awaited |
with breathless expectation when |
was it miracle or only the suggestion !
OF his better nature? -the memory of q |
face full Of holy pleading rose from the |
past before his eyes. and with an inner |
cry of Mother he threw his hand |
out and clutched his fathers arm in a |
way to break the charm Of his own |
dread and end forever the effects OF /
the intolerable fascination that was |
working upon him. Next minute the |
last stroke rang out, and the hour was
up which Amabel had set as the limit |
of her silence.
pause. which to their two hearts
if to no others, seemed strangely ap-
propriate. followed the cessation of |
these sounds. then the witness was dis
missed. and Amabel. taking advan-
tage Of the movement, was about to
lean toward Mr.. Courtney. when Fred
erick, leaping with a bound to his feet,
drew all eyes toward himself with the
Try:
Let me be put on my oath. have
testimony to give of the utmost i'm
portance liz this case"
The coroner was astounded: every
one was astounded. No one had ex-
pected anything from him and instinc-
lively every eye turned toward ANA
bel to see how she was affected by his
action.
Strangely. evidently, for the look