Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1907-01-29

was trembling with eagerness. en-
deavored to string upon a common
thread the bits Of evidence which had
seemed to Godfrey SO important-the
bottle, the scratches on the wall, the
coat rack. the broken cane, the note;
but for the life of me could see no
| connection between them. Yet l knew
there must be or Godfrey would not
now be walking up and down the room
with face so beaming, so triumphant.
Miss Croydon will see you at once,
SIR" announced Thomas from the
threshold, and we followed him to the
| farther end Of the corridor, where he
tapped at door. A voice bade us
| enter.
She was standing by window, look
| ing out across the waters Of the bay,
and she did not turn for IN instant
not. indeed. until Godfrey had closed
the door carefully behind him. l have
seen few women more regal, more
magnificent. yet there was about her
in her face. in the droop Of her figure
such an air of utter misery. Of exquisite
suffering. that. after the first moment,
one forgot to admire her in the desire
| to be Of service.
| "You wished to see me!" she asked,
In a low voice.
"Yes, Miss Croydon" replied God
..ey, more gently perhaps than he had
Intended to speak. This Is Mr.. Les
ter" he added, "who has been engaged
| to defend Mr.. Drysdale."
She acknowledged the introduction
with the faintest Of bows.
II hope Mr.. Lester will be success
full" she said, in the coolest Of tones.
One would have thought her mere
chance acquaintance of my client.
saw Godfrey looking ut her with
searching eyes. and his face hardened.
I'VE mean to be successful" he said
curtly. "YOu may as well ask US to sit
down, Miss Croydon, because our busi-
ness here will take some time, and
am sure it will tire you to stand"
Really" she began; then her eyes
met his, burning with meaning. "Oh,
very WELL" she said family and sank
into the chair nearest her.
"Now, Miss Croydon" Godfrey con-
tlnued In the same coldly imperative
tone, II intend to speak to you bluntly
anu directly. We have beaten about
the bush too long already. l see that
you are not inclined to deal frankly
with us. You have not been frank
with us from the first. You have sought
TO blind us, to throw us of the track.
Therefore l shall tell you what we
already know In order that you may
realize how useless it Is for you to try
to hold US of. We're going to see that
the guilty man Is punished, not for this
crime alone, but also for that other
one at the Marathon, Of which you
were the only witness. You shall not
be permitted to keep him from justice
day longer. In the first place. we
know that this man Tremaine inveigled
your sister into a schoolgirl elopement
and marriage; she was rescued from
him; she thought him dead; she mar
ried Delroy; came to New York; Ire
maine followed her and attempted the
extortion Of blackmail; you met him at
the Marathon; while you We're talking
Thompson interfeted and Tremaine
killed him. escaping before the officers
arrived. You did not know Thompson,
but you saw Simmonds and me take
out his pocketbook. You heard me
read line or two from one Of packet
Of clippings we found there, and while
we were In the bedroom you took those
clippings from the body and bid them
under the edge of the carpet
Il She breathed a long sigh and sal
erect again.
"Ah." she said, with little smile. 81
was beginning to fear you, all that
seemed so supernatural. But now
see where your information came
FROM"
ut Is correct, thenY' asked Godfrey.
EYES," she answered. Yes"
| Godfrey leaned back in his chair, with
long sign of relief. He had won the
battle.
Miss Croydon" he said, I'm going
to reward you for your frankness by
telling you something which had In
tended to keep secret awhile longer
just to punish you. Your sister never
was the wife Of Tremaine and has
nothing whatever to fear from him
, He has no hold on her at all. She has
never been anybody's wife but Mr.
Delroy's."
She was staring at him with widely
opened eyes. her hands clasped above
her heart.
"Oh, If 1t were really SOL" she cried
"If 1t were really SOL"
ut is So" repeated Godfrey, and
} took a little yellow envelope from his
pocket. "Read this" And he unfolded
, a sheet of paper and held 1t toward
} her.
: She took It with trembling hand and
read the message written upon 1t, but
, seemingly without understanding 1t.
ut is a cable" he explained, from
the Records correspondent at Dieppe
Your pardon, Lester" he added, witt
.. a fleeting smile; 81 forgot to show i
. to you on the trip out. Please read 4
aloud, Miss Croydon"
} "The widow Of Victor Charente," sh'
read in low voice, "died here Feb
q, 1901. Had never married again
She looked up, her brows still knitted
"Well!" she asked.
"Well," said Godfrey, Victor Cha
rente Is the real name Of Tremaine. III
, married that girl many years befor'
! | nc met your sister. She was his lega
. wife. Your sister never was. She wal
0 never the legal wife of any one excep
Richard Delroy."
: She understood now, and the glat
! tears burst forth unrestrained. In
|. deed. she made no effort to restrain
= them, but only rocked back and forth
4 pressing the message against hel
heart.
"Thank Cod" she sobbed. "Thanl
Godr' And rien she started up fron
+ her chair. II must tell her." she said
B "at once. II you knew how she ha
1 suffered! She must not be left In tina
: cruel position an instant longer"
Every WE'LL" agreed Godfrey. "W
will wait for you here"
!. She disappeared through door a
the farther end Of the room, but In
moment came softly back again.