The pioneer express. [volume] (Pembina, Dakota [N.D.]) 1883-1928, 1908-05-15


It's murder-murder! But the secret
is mine now, and mine alone"
She saw 1t all, knew it all, and it
filled her with horror; Sir John Sis
terson had murdered Norman's father.
Sir Johns disordered brain was not
disordered in this matter; he was suf-
fering from no delusion; the fixed idea
was fixed because it was the truth,
and the brain was no liar So ran
Christabel's thoughts. That the MUIR
der had taken place years and years
before did not count with her; the cir
cumstances that surrounded her
knowledge of it made it as fresh to
her as if the tragedy had been the
event of yesterday.
threw flood of light on many things
the. true meaning of which she had
not perceived. She saw, too, that the
knowledge of it was not confined to
herself-that Lady Sisterson, Max
well and Mary Sisterson, and DR.. Flint
undoubtedly knew the truth.
Here was the explanation Of those
limitations she had received of the
nature of Sir Johns "delusion" from
Lady and Maxwell Sisterson.
Here was the explanation of those
fits of deep depression that beset and
overwhelmed Mary Sisterson. OF those
strange speeches of hers in which she
said she wished she we're deaa. Mary
Sisterson never spoke of Sir John as
suffering from a 'de1usion," knowing
we'll enough what In reality 1t was.
And DR.. Flint? That extraordinary
harangue of his about the wonder and
the mystery of a brain that could con-
coct purely fictitious story around
some grains of truth had been meant,
her eyes. There were indeed mystery
and wonder in the case, but not as
Flint represented them.
How they had come to know the
truth Christabel could not guess, but
she was certain that they did know it.
Then Christabel asked herself what
was her own position now? What was
she to do? Where did her duty lie?
In any case she felt that she was
placed in the most painful dilemma.
Here she was sitting by the side of
a mantle man she loved and she
knew, though he did not, that his faith
er had been murdered and robbed of
as valuable secret as any I'M the
world by that CHASTITY old man, her
patient. who lay slowly dying in THE
great house in Hans Square: All un-
Willingly she had come upon this dark
and terrible story of crimeAthe
threads of it were in her hand. What
was she to do with them?' Should not
the murder be avenged? Did it not
Cry for justice to be done, even after
all these years had passed since it
had been committed? But justice on
the criminal could hardly be done, for
was he not already in the shadow of
death and passing on to higher than
human judgment?
But John Sisterson had robbed as.
well as committed murder. Was not
Norman the rightful owner Of all that
great wealth which Sisterson had ac-
cumulated because of his possession
Of the secret he had stolen from Nor
mans father? Was there not Justice
to be- done here? But how? Christa-
bel knew perfectly that What Sir John
said while in state of so-called de-
fusion would not be admitted as evil
dence in any court of law; but was it
not possible that if Norman were i'm
! possession Of the truth he might be
able to bring forward facts that would
substantiate any claim he might
make?
Shall tell him what 1 know?" she
asked herself, and her answer was
mo; a thousand times no"
Yet it was tremendous tempta-
ton.
| But she told herself that it was one
to which she must in no, circum.
! stances give way. She was bound by
her position to silence-bound as
much as clergyman, doctor or a
lawyer. There was the point of hon.
or, and it must be unhesitatingly OBJ
served, no matter what the cost to
herself might be- The secrets that
she had learned while dischargfng her
duty must be held sacred and inviolate
by her. Never through her must Nor
man learn the truth.
So she told herself, but the tempta
ton was strong. She reminded her
self of the saying of old time, LIE
Justice be done, though the heavens
fall" It was probably within he1
power to make her lover very ricl
man, and through him to make her
self, as his wife, rich woman. Ant
il Norman were rich, would he thel
not be able to realize those dreams o
beauty in stone and marble of which
he had sometimes spoken to her? Nc
she must not think of It; she mus
steel her heart against such ideas.
Her honor-her honor as nurse
was concerned. and she must do wha
honor babe her. But for Norman sh
would never have known the truth
} and had she not loved him, she said I
: herself, she would never have though
for one moment Of revealing that Oh
, had learned the frightful meaning 4
, the words that came from the lips (
M