Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1907-09-19
glanced at what she round.

addressed to BlaydeS by some DOOR
woman. but that was all Claire allowed
herself to discover. A feeling Of in
credible meanness made her hot all
over, and she turned the letter upside
down to examine the method Of recon-
struction. With abominable ingenuity
Daintree had pasted the scraps upon
a sheet. A few were missing. Many
were black from the Goals. Claire shud-
dered and glanced at her own fireplace.
1t was laid and all ready for lighting.
A moment later it was lit, and the
dead mans letter was blazing in its
midst. Then Claire breathed again and
took another look at Daintree's warn
ing before burning 1t too. -.gs...
can interesting revelation Of char
acter," said she when this was done.
II shall lever think the same Of him
again, or of myself either. But what
does that matter since l can
think the anne Of Tom? Nothing mat
tiers except saving his life. And here
is u maj who says he'll do anything
for me. Will he? We shall see"
She had a word with Daintree be-
fore dinner. "Forgive you? thank
you with all my heart" said she. And
great vas the change in her this ven
ing. 1t vas no time for gayety, but
Claire was animated. Her eyes spar
killed.. She conversed freely on the
topic of the hour, and when Mr.. Hard
ing was moved after AL to give Dain-
tree a judicious version Of his attempt
to provide fair play for a dastardly
constituent, with the result, the girl
took her fathers breath away by look
ing hard at their guest and declaring
that she would finance the defense her
self if she had the money.
"What on earth did you meal by
saying that?" asked Mr.. Harding aft
erward. "Have you forgotten your
word of honor that nobody should ever
suspect what had existed between you
and Erichsen?"
This was when the girl had said
good night. Mr.. Harding followed her
upstairs. 1t was his first chance Of
speaking to her, for Claire and Dain-
tree had been together in the garden
all the evening.
"No, papa" she replied. II have for
gotten nothing that 1 said to you. Mr..
Daintree, at any rate, suspects nothing
at ALL"
"You said enough to make him."
II don't think 1 did"
"Not when you said you'd pay for q
defense if you had the money? Are
you aware that he thinks you were in
love with the murdered MANI"
"He thinks I was, but that some
thing has since caused a complete re-
vulsion Of feeling, as to which 1 may
as we'll explain everything" And she
told the incident of the letters without
hiding a thing. $50 he thinks it quite
natural that 1 should fly to the other
extreme and want no human creature
to hang for one so base. You see,"
said Claire shrewdly, che is a man Of
extremes himself" -"rsS7
"Then, instead of undecelving him,
you have literally fooled him to the
toP " li2 pSae. NSef "mf- j. '+' '"-
Claire blushed hotly. 81 cannot help
that. may make up for it some day.
Any woman would do the same"
Mr.. Harding was slow to understand.
"That he should never know what I
know" said he, "is right enough. But
why carry the thing so far? Why pre-
tend this revulsion?"
Claire hung her head.
"Come, Gomez he cried. "You prom
Used to hide nothing more from me.
You are hiding your chief motive.
What is it?'
81 would rather not say"
And l insist on knowing"
Every we'll, then. 1t is to give Tom
Erichsen another chance"
Harding turned livid.
"That young
ooh, don't be angry! You know you
thought of it yourself. And l loved
him. Could I leave a stone unturned?"
"But what can Daintree do?"
What you thought Of doing your
self"
He has never conSented?"
Eagerly. He is going to have a So
licitor at Marylebone tomorrow morn
ing"
Mr.. Harding glared at the girl, who
flung back her ringlets and met his
look unafraid and unabashed. Then
she went to her room.