Ladysmith news-budget. [volume] (Ladysmith, Rusk County, Wis.) 1907-1927, 1908-05-14
CHAPTER K.
The Point of Honor.


of the evening, and she grew very
quiet and very pale. Her mind was
in whirl. She heard, but hardly fol-
lowed, Norman as he began speaking
to her again in that tone Of intimacy
that was plainly meant for her ear
alone. His eyes were fixed on hers,
and she appeared to return his gaze,
but it was with outward seeming only
Yet as he talked her thoughts became
clearer.
MY mother saw Sisterson several
times after my fathers DEATH he
was saying. Father had had 5000
pounds in the business, and for a
year or two mother went every quar-
ter to draw per cent on the money,
and she made a point of seeing Sister
son. No doubt she worried and weari-
ed him with her suspicious and ac-
cusations, but, at all events, he paid
her off as soon as he became prosper
Gus, which was not long after the
famous cement was brought out. She
took good care of the money, husband
ing every penny of it. When she died
a distant relative took charge of my
education, in the course of which l
discovered a natural bent for drawing
houses and palaces and cathedrals.
That's how I became an architect"
AS he finished he gave a little char
acteristic wave of the hand which
caused Christabel to start slightly.
Have | bored your" he asked
mot at ALL" said Christabel, but
with an absent air.
Ever since that binding light had
Mashed upon her she had been think
ing, at first confusedly and then clear
by and rapidly.
Putting together what she had
heard Sir John say and what Norman
had said, she had come to the inevita-
BILE conclusion that NOrman's mother
was correct in her suppOsition that
SistersOn had stolen the secret of the
preparation Of the cement. And, if
this was true, how had he gained pos
session of it? Here was something
far darker and blacker, for the answer
TO that question could be none other
than that Sir John had obtained it by
the murder Of Norman's father. 1t
was this conviction that made Christa-
bel so quiet, pale and self-withdrawn
as Norman was speaking; this was
the binding light
Norman's father had been murdered
by John Sisterson!
Christabel iii imagination could hear
Sir John saying, It's murder-temp-
tation-too much for me-impulse-
never meant to murder you, Tom
never, Tom, never"
What was your fathers Christian
name?" she asked Norman, with Sir
Johns words ringing in her ears. And
then, repenting Of having asked it, she
went on hastily, WAS it Norman, like
yours?"
mo; it was Thomas. I remember
among our friends"
Your fathers story is a very sad
my mother spoke of him as Tom
one" said Chistabel, knowing better
than the son how terrible that story
was.
Perhaps I should not have told you
of it, but it is such an old story-to
me, at any rate" he said, noticing
that it appeared to affect her.
When your father fell from the
scaffolding and was killed" asked
Christabel, pursuing her own line of
thought, was there any one with
him? I mean, did any one see how it
happened?"
81 believe not" answered Norman,
surprised at Christabels inquiry. 'It
occurred in the evening. Sisterson
and he had been making an examina-
ton, after their workmen had left for
the day, of a building they were put
ting I'D at the time At the inquest
SistersOn stated that he and father
had been looking at portion of the
work together, and then had gone on
to another part, when my father said
that he was not quite satisfied with
what they had just been looking at
and went back to it. Sisterson did
not accompany him, and said that he
knew nothing more, but that hearing
the crash of the body as it fell on the
pavement, and seeing that father was
nowhere in view, he rushed down to
the street and found father dead"
cit was very sad" said Christabel,
~ most mechanically. She was thinking
of Sir Johns saying. Down, down,
fifty Observation-Disclosures meant
it, Tom-its murder!" and again,
There! he's over. That's his body
striking the pavement. What have
done? He's dead-Ive killed him.
It's murder-murder! But the secret
is mine now, and mine alone
She saw it 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
Christabe1's thoughts. That the muir
der had taken place years and years