Forest City press. (Forest City, Potter County, D.T. [S.D.]) 1883-19??, 1907-03-14

table. (OIOfHI nfn'y L1t0aSSS'y u.s.
them. The fish had swallowed the oa.t,
hook. line and sinker. All tha. re-
maine was To land IL" prlZn.
Mrs. Abney began to wonder what
an his questioning from ihiS quiet.
masterful man meant. \ slightly ua-
comfortable frsling began Stealing
over her. Miss Wood MAS seated Ia
the curtaiaed alcuve. taking down ev"
cry word
II have old you all | know. colonel
cheney. and NOW beg YOU I" eX't"a
me: | nave an appointment and must
go"
The fish VAS running out With :he
line. ii mus, be brought back.
Wait. just a moment. sleasc,"
said the colonel. "Yon kno" Mr..
Fred Stanton. do YOU not
Mrs. .Abney's heart began beating
faster. The color faded from her face.
YES. know hi,n, e%:,.:.: - it"
You were engaged TO hin. were you
not"
colonel Cheney, your remarks are
becoming personal ana. To say thu
least. irnpertinent. | did not CONE her"
I" he insulted You have no right t"
Abney and he can settle With YOU.
She turned In leave. out Colonel che
ney. who had risen again, said.
"Wait,' and this time there VAS 10
mislakins the tone. ii was a COM
mand.
Excuse me. Mrs. .Nbncy. but do
moi think You VIII tell Mr.. Abney any
thing abou, ii. You were in love with
l'icd Stantcn. and Won are yet. He
married another woman and you de
termined to get even With him. You
couldn't attack him. YOU couldn't lind
. weak spot in his urNnor: hut You
knew his Wife. You knew her condi-
ton. You YOU strike him through
her. Then YOU used IN" most damn
able of weapons, the anonymous let
ter. You sent them To Mrs. Stanton.
YOU sent them To his friends. just
one falling in Mrs. Stanton'S hand
and your revenge would have been
complete. You wouldn't write the let
ters. YOU cut words GU of the news
paper and pasted them on a sheet.
similarly You prepared the addresses.
You bought the paper al the station
cry store near your house. the stamps
from Johnson. and while your husband
was at his office YOU did your deslic-
able work. DO YOU deny this" col
"nel Cheney ended by laying nine let
tcrs on the table.
When Cheney first began t" talk
Mrs. Abney stopped. looked at him
half over her shoulder. and as his ac-
cusations were hurled forth nj her.
she fully turned. Her color left her
and her ayes moved 'restlessly from
side To side. Blu she was a quick
witted woman and when he had nm
ished she had partly regained her
~compos,re.
"A likely story, Colonel Cheney. a
very likely story. indeed. you have con-
cocted. Clever detective work" She
was sneering. You have found out
| bought paper and envelopes. that ]
bought stamps. So might amy nuniber
of people have done the same. Eut
YOU detectives have /" accuse some
one. so you accuse me. You get me
in Your office alone. under false pre-
lenses. There are 10 witnesses To
this interview. and my word Will 90
as far as yours. You brute. And you
call yourself a gentleman
Mrs. Abney gaZed with wide staring
eyes as Colonel Cheney lighted Il small
alcohol lamp. He took up one letter
and held it so the heat would warm
the stamp. Slowly but surely the
name Grace Abney" appeared. COM
ing apparently from nowhere. Then
| John v. Cheney" n so on through
out the entire seven letters Che first
two letters did not have marked
| stamps. and then the unused stamps
were treated to IL similar process. the
| names coming out with startling dis
tinctness.
For several minutes Mrs. -Abney
! stood irresolute; her ompoSure and
self possession left her; sobs shook
her frame as she sank in a chair. The
fish was landed and the struggle was
over.
What are o going to do with
me-" she sobbed. "Oh. my God. what
an eXposure. What shall l DO. what
shall | do?'
.Doo' said Colonel Cheney. Now the
! h%arshness and tone of command had
gone from his voice: the keen. alert
detective was gone: he VAS Cheney.
the man and gentleman.
DO? Why, you are going home. and
be true to the good man whose name
vou bear. From this day forth you're
going to be his wife in word. thought.
i and deed. You are going To sin no
more. Gently he took her hand and led
her to the door.
Cowed. beaten and broken. the erring
woman suffered herself to be led.
"Yes-but.' she faltered. your sec
Rotary. She heard she knows.
That's true. Mrs. Abney. she did
hear. she does know. but Miss Wood is
discretion itself. She hears everything.
sees everything. and knows nothing.
Goodmorning.'' And the door closed.
The poor little fish was once more swim
ming in ~untroubled waters, sadder but
wiser.
Well said Stanton at 4 o'clock that
afternoon. as he burst in upon Cheney.
did you find the sender of those let
ters?"
Yes tersely replied Cheney. Il
found the sender and o will be trou-
bled no more"
Thank Cod" the young man NUT
tered. Who was II. and what are you
going to do about it,"
Well. Stanton" drawled Cheney.
Tn not going to do anything about
ii. It's stopped. that's all you want
Was ii Grace Abney:?" slowly asked
Stanton.
Cheney.
Well. you Beat me. colonel. But
suppose you know What you're doing