News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1909-01-13

ed 1t up and scanned it hastily Ther'
was no hint of the trial, but her ey'
caught the news which has played 1T
role in the courtroom. and she read ]
to the end.
Even In her own trouble she read 1
with shiver. Yet. awful as the fate
which Harry Sanderson had so mar
rowly missed, 1t was not to be com
pared with that which awaited Hugh
for, awful as it was, 1t held no shame.
In gust of feeling she Slipped tc
her knees by the one sofa the room
contained and prayed passionately. As
she drew out her handkerchief to
stanch the tears that came something
fell with musical tinkle at her feet
1t was the little cross she had found
in front Of the hillside cabin that had
lain forgotten in her pocket during the
past anxious days. AS she pressed II
the ring at the top gave way, and the
cross parted in halves. Words were
engraved on the inside of the arms-a
date and the name Henry Sanderson.
/ The recurrence of the name Jared
and surprised her. Hugh had dropped
it-an old keepsake of the friend who
had been his beau ideal. his exempar
and whose ancient influence was still
dominant He had chung loyalty to the
memento. blind in his constant liking,
to the wrong that friend had done him
She looked at the date. 1t was May
% She shuddered, for that was the
month and day on which Or. Moreau
had been killed The point had been
clearly eSta bliShed today by the prose
cutiOn To the original owner of that
cross perhaps the date that had come
into Hugh's life with such sinister
meaning was glad anniversary
Suddenly she caught her hand to her
cheek. A weird idea had rushed
through her brain. The religious syn
Dol had stood for Harry Sanderson
and the chance coincidence of date
had irresistibly pointed to the murder
To her excited senses the juxtaposi-
ton held a bizarre uncanny sugges
ton. This cross, the very emblem of
vicarious sacrifice. Suppose Harry
Sanderson had never given it to Hugh!
Suppose he had lost it on the hillside
himself!
She snatched up, the paper again
"Who has been for some months on a
prolonged vacation"-the phrase stared
sardonically at her. That might carry
far back-she said it under her breath
fearfully-beyond the murder Of Dr.
MOreau. Her face burned, and her
breath came sharp and fast. Why
when she brought her warning to the
cabin had Hugh been so anxious to get
her away unless to prevent her sight
of the man who was there, to whom he
had taken her horse? Who was there
in Smoky Mountain whom he would
protect at hazard Of his own life?
Jessica's veins were all afire. rec
tor murderer? A double career? Was
it beyond possibility? 1t came to her
like an impinging ray of light, the old
curious likeness that had sometimes
been made a jest of at the white
house in the aspens. Moreau and Prem
dergast had believed it to be Hugh.
So had the town. for the body had
been found on his ground. But on the
night when the real murderer came
again to the cabin perhaps it was his
coming that had brought back the lost
memory Hugh had known the truth.
In the light of this superstition. his
strained manner then. his present de-
termination not to speak, all stood
plain.
What had he meant by debt of his
owe no debt to Harry Sanderson. If
he owed any debt it was to his dead
father. thousand times more than the
draft he had repaid. Could he be
thinking in his rem orse that his father
had cast him off. counting himself
remembering only that Harry
Sanderson had been David Stires' fa-
vorite and st. James. which must be
by the odum of its rector,
the apple of his eye?
Jessica had snatched at straw, be-
cause it was the only buoyant thing
afoat in the dragging tide. Now with
a blind fatuousness she Rugged it
tighter to her bosom. One purpose
possessed her-to confront Harry San
derson. What matter though she
missed the remainder of the trial?
She could do nothing. Her hands were
tied If the truth lay at Aniston she
would find it She thought no farther
than this. Once in Harry Sanderson's
presence. what she should say or do
she scarcely imagined The horrify-
ing question filled her thought to the
exclusion of all that must follow its
answer 1t was surety and self con-
viction she craved, only to read in his
eyes the truth about the murder of
Moreau.
She suddenly began to tremble
Would the doctors let her see him.
What excuse could she give? If he
was the man who had been in Hughs
cabin that night he had heard her
speak. had known she was there. He
must not know beforehand of her COM
ng lest he have suspicion of her err
and Bishop Ludlow. he could gain |
her access to him. Injured. dying |
perhaps. maybe he did not guess that |