The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1907-06-30


she was fond Of me and going to marry
me, and all the time she's been playing
her own game, curse her! 1t only re
mains now for them 10 get hold OF
Brooks. that little drunken chemist, who
got you the poison, for them TO be able
to hang YOU
BE quiet!" Lord Fanshawe's voice sent
Barker shrinking backward. BE quiet.
you curt Where is Brools7'
Barker shrugged his shoulders.
You ought TO know that" he said.
Drinking himself to death at your ex-
pense, I suppose, in the place where you
put him It's a bit Of bad luck for you
that he hasn't done 1t before this. Eight
years. 1t looks as though he had been
kept alive on purpose to hang you" He
laughed weakly, and then looked uncer-
tainlv about the great room.
Lord Fanshawe looked as him with
hard desperate eyes.
Don't be a fool" he cried. Tell me
what It all means. How can it have come
out?"
Barker shrugged his shoulders.
Heaven knows. he said. Il didn't
hear enough for that. I only know that
the whole blessed cat is out OF the bag
l only heard a little. I've just come
back from MerrilTs cottage. l went there
thinking to see Bessie again. and I was
just about TO knock when I heard mans
voice inside
He broke of.
g.
over Bessie Merrill ne added, abruptly
and the sound Of a mans voice in
there sent me crazy. l jumped back be
hind a bush just in time. The door open
ed, and Bessie came out and stood on the
step with the man. He was Godfrey
Clavering"
Lord FanshaWe started
Godfrey" he cried. Here"
Yes. here; and with one thought in
his mind, one object in life and that IS
the clearing Of Hetty Lancaster. ! heard
enough for that; heard enough to prove
that he and Bessie know everything. and
that they probably have proofs Of IT,
They know that you married Hetty years
ago, and that you committed the crime
she was suspected OF, and Godfrey CLAY
ering. who loved her years ago. loves her
still and means 10 prove her innocent"
He broke of to look up at Lord Fan
Shave. his narrow gray eyes Frightening
viciously.
And I hope they 90" he added. Upon
my word. you'd deserve for them to prove
1t all, and they'll catch you yet Sins
come home 70 roost they say. Well,
yours will hang you yet"
lie laughed harshly. His narrow face
D.
ed. He looked like a rat caught IN a
hole. ready to spring at the first throat
that offered He stood with his shoulders
hunched and his head sunk between them
and his hands hanging loosely at his
side. He looked vicious, cruel. but IN
spite of that there was something tragic
in his mean little face, too.
He threw out his hands with a queer
abrupt gesture.
Heaven knows" he cried. IF Bessie
had only cared-if it had only been true
that she cared as I thought she did. +
He stopped with an odd jerk His voice
broke and died harshly In his throat. He
turned away. Outside through the open
library window the park lay dark and
silent. He took q step toward il, with
his face gray and set and desperate, with
upon it for the first time look Of real
misery The depth Of his own tragedy
was coming home to him. The bit Of
real heart in his breast that Bessie had
awakened to life was beginning to stir.
The pain shot through him, stabbing hin
like a knife He reached the window.
and without a word stepped out into the
/ park, turning his gray and desperate
| face toward the fires that famed and
D .Hrr.T ~Fr~fn-
At the same instant Lord Fanshawe
[ realized with a start that his hand was
empty He gave a cry Of dismay and
/ began hurriedly looking about the library
/ floor The bit of paper might spell ruin
/ to him. How was il he had been fool
enough to drop It? Where was 1t now?
/ He stared round wildly, the last drop
| of blood gone from his face. and at that
moment he could not even remember
| through which door he had entered the
| library. Was 1t through the outer or in
ner one2
/ He passed his hand across his forehead.
/ He had no time 10 wait TO think, no time
/ to lose. He must get the note at once.
/ Without stopping to think, he dragged
/ open the door nearest to him. As he did
| so, Evelyn Walter. crouched on the floor.
/ her ear against the keyhole, fell forward
| into the room
/ For a moment he stared at her in dumb
| establishment Then he drew his breath
/ sharply.
Evelyn" he said.
! She lifted herself up. and rose to her
/ feet with her eyes as desperate and her
| face as gray as his own.
L have heard everything" she cried.
but it isn't true, Claude; it isn't true
| that you married Hetty Lancaster? Say
| it isn't true?"
/ She caught at his sleeve with trembling
/ hands. A hundred times in the last
/ eight years she had told herself she
would be prepared for Lord Fanshawe to
marry; a hundred times she had been
convinced that she was ready for the
news-that she could bear 1t without
CRY. But now that she was face to
face with ii, now that she felt It to be
true, it seemed different. She had lost
in moment all control OF herself. She
was only a woman. after all. the woman
who had loved Lord Fanshawe stubborn
ly. faithfully. all these years. standing
before him now with her heart stripped
and bare.
He shook off her clinging hands.
For heavens sake, don't be stupid. 3"
he cried. roughly What if it is true?
/ What is it to do with you? I'm too busy
to think Just now I've mislaid a note.
an important note and l must find It al
once"
He stopped and brought back his wan
derins eyes 10 her face. remembering
suddenly that she had been with him
when he dropped it.
It's the note You gave me-" he added.
harshly. For goodness sake, try and