The San Francisco call., 1907-03-24

dinner cigarette. for al first that
soft rapping seemed to come 10 me
from a long way Of. Then ] sat up ia
my chair with start. Ny ciearelle
had burnt out my coffee was cold.
had been asleep. and outside some OF"
was knocking al my front door
had sent Grooten 20 the hlAaSr
with letters, and J was alone ih l"c
place. j sprauC from my chali se9t -
she handle - the door was turned 1Iio
a woman stepped quietly in- she was
svrapDed from heal 10 foot ~ q ioi'S
cloak, and she was thickly yelled. bu.
I knew hor AZ once. IL was Mrs'
Smith Leasing.
nv first impulse was one ot anger
II seemed 10 mo that she was iaklus
sdVantace OF tho sympathy whica
RAYS brutality during our last inter
view had forced from me, epViNS
10 her cOldiy. almost angritN-
Mrs. Snifth-Lessiug. I said re
rrrot that / cannot receive you hcic-
NV position 5ust now does not Siio"
me 10 receive visitors -.
She simply raised her ven ane So
into the nearest chair. I was stag
srered when I saw her face. II was pos
ftiveiy haggard, and her eyes ~ W~ete
burning. She looked At me almost Win
II had to come" she said. Il could
not keep away moment longer -'.
me the truth, Guy DucsiDe. me t's'"'
lnindw she repeated, feaTIuls, ,
ssThat do YOU mean. 4 asked Devil
6ored II do not underStend YOU
..-rou me the truth about that man
who came 10 see you on the 9th OF
January
I shook my head.
II have nothing 70 tell you SAID
cru,lv. ..When / found him on the
Il hear
till afterwsrd that he had ever asked
",rms IS the truth?" she asked
IT is the TRUTH ] answered.
could see the relief shine In her
face She was srill anxious, however.
sIs IL true" she asked, that you polo
a girl in the village, Blanche Moyat,
10 keen secret the fact that this man
inquired III the village for the way 20
your COTTAGE
..,rbat also is true" / admitted. She
did not tell me until afterward, ana
saw no purpose ia publishing the TACT
that the man had been on his way 10
sec me-"
lyon have been very foolish" she
said. "You have ouarreleo with the
girl. She IS telling this against yon'
and there viii be trouble
Il cannot help it," ] answered. i
never spoke 70 the man ] saw nothing
of him until found him dead
Guy" she cried. this IS an awfuI
thing / am not sure. but believe thst
the man was your father
As often as the thought had come 20
mo i had thrust Il away. This time,
however. there was no escape. Ine
whole hideous scene spread itself out
again before my eyes. i saw the oou-
bled-Up body, limp and nerTeless.
felt again the thrill OF horror Vita
which one looks for the first time on
death The mOckery OF the sunlight
filling the air. cleaning far and vide
lipou the creek-riVen marshes ana wet
sands. the singing Of the birds. the
slow tramp OF the wagon horses. All
these things went TO iii up that one
terrible picture. I looked at the woman
opposite to me- and ia her face was
some reflection or the horror which L
as surely fell
For your sake" she murmUred. "vre
must find out how he met with his
death"
''The verdict was found drowned,
murmured-
s'People VII change their opinion
uow." she answered. Besides. you and
know that he was not drowned.
You are sure OF that2" ] asked
Quite" she answered He had let
ters with him, j know, and papers for
YOU Besides. he carried always with
him a number OF trihes by which he
could have been identified. when he
was searched at the police station his
pockets were empty. lie had been
robbed. Guy. he had. as i have had.
one unfiinchiug. relentless enemy. Tell
inc, was Colonel Ray IN Braster at the
sirne2"
NO" answered hoars>iy. y can
not tell sou. viii have no more 20
do with Sc The matter is Over-let IL
rest"
But. my poor boy" she said quietly,
sgt will not be allowed to rest. Can't
you see that this girls statement does
away with the theory that he was
washed I'd from the sea- lie met with
his death there on the sands. 1Ie left
Braster 10 visit you, and he was found
within few yards Of your cottage
dead, and with marks OF violence Upon
him. You will be suspected, perhaps
charged. II is Inevitable. Now tell
1ne the truth. Was Mostyp Ray IN
1raster al the time2"
He lectured that night in the VII
iaee" ] answered
Her eyes CLEANED with a strange
fire.
i knew a." SHE exclaimed Il have
him at last then. ] saw him falter
when ] spoke ~ your father. Guy,
.sTill save you, but ] would give the rest
Of my DAYS 10 bring this home 10 Nos
tyr Ray
shook my head
You viii never do it." ] declared.
There might be suspicion. but there
will never be any proof il there was
any murder done at all, Il was done
without Witnesses
we shall see about that" she nut
tered There is what you call circum-
sfantiai evidence. i has hanged people
before now"
We remained silent for several mo-
mcnts. All this time she was watching
me.
"Guy." she said softly. you are very
Ike what he was-at your age"
lJcr cloak had fallen back. She was
Wc8rinE a black evening gown with q
String or pearls around her neck. The
excitement had given her a faint color,
nno something like tears softened her
eyes as she looked across At me But
the more j looked at her the more
anxious ] was TO see her no moro. Her
words reminded me Of the past. re-
1nenoered that IL was she who had
been my fathers evil genius. she who
had brought this terrible disgrace upon
him, end this cloud over my own life.
rose TO my feet.