Ladysmith news-budget. [volume] (Ladysmith, Rusk County, Wis.) 1907-1927, 1909-07-08

own; the shock of the news must be
| broken to the woman by him, not be
put bluntly to her by the police OF how
she had been found with that weapon
in her hand by the side of man lying
murdered.
1t was possible that when he told
Olive some chord of memory might be
stirred in her mind she might remem-
Der the events of that night-remem-
Der how she came to have in her hand
the revolver that beyond question
caused Philip Hume's death.
Now, fortunately, he had clue by
which he could trace olives present
whereabouts. Strangways and she
had travelled together by the Lon
don train; Strangways must tell him
where he could communicate with
| Olive
Il must lose no time in seeing her,
and then I must tell the police,
Stephen Ruthen told himself. He did
not know Strangways' address, but
that he could find out.
Bonholt Hume had not yet returned
to Wildfell When he was interro-
gated respecting the revolver by the
police on his return, what explanation
would he have to offer?
Again and again it had required in
Stephens mind how he had caught
Bonholt prying into his drawer in the
study--the drawer where that revol-
yer had lain. What other motive
could the man have had but to search
for that weapon, the action of man
pricked by guilty fear? 1t was that
odd fact which gave an ugly look to
Bonholt Humes ownership of the re-
volver, if owner he was; and Thornton
had been positive in his assertion.
Mr.. Hume returned to Wildfell that
day. Stephen Ruthen Unexpectedly
encountered him in the village that
afternoon.
| Hilda was with her brother; they
were walking down the street when a
corner Of the road brought them face
! to face with the benevolent-looking,
white-haired man who had been so
much in the rector's thoughts Steph
ems first impulse was to walk on with
out stopping; somehow he thought
that he found recurring again and
again in his mind since the revelation
! Of the ownership of the revolver made
him conscious of a little sense of
| shrinking constraint
But. Mr. Hume stopped.
"Ah, Miss Ruthen, I am glad to run
across YOU he said, his face .beaming
with it's most benevolent expression.
81 have been away from home; got
| back at noon today. And have
brought back some news for you"
News" echoed the girl. There
was something significant in the
! speakers tones, and sudden excite
mant flashed into her face. you
mean you mean about"
"Hush!" said Bonholt, looking
quickly round him, for in her excite
ment the girls voice was raised. Yes
about Lathom,' he added, in low
! tones.
For a moment Hilda had to support
| herself by her brothers arm; she felt
herself trembling all over News at
! last of Jack Lathom, after the misery
| of those weeks of silence that had
! dragged YEARLY by since that brief
stolen interview with the man she
loved after his flight from the police
| Since those moments of agoniZed sus-
/ pense when he had passed out of the
! rectory under the very eyes of the pc
! lice who had tracked him there, and
/ she stood waiting tensely with a
| dreadful fear at her heart, not daring
| to look from the window, hardly dar
| ing to hope that the desperate ruSe
Freddy Thornton had suggested as
| the one chance of escape would sue
! ceed, listening to the measured tap
| ping of a stick down the garden path.
| as it were of a blind mans progress,
! until the fainter-grOwing sounds died
| away in the distance, and, incredible
as it seemed, she had known that her
| lover was still free-from that hour to
! this Hilda had heard no word from
| him, did not know whether he were
| still in England or had succeeded in
| getting out of the country, did not
know whether he might not be i'll,
starving, desperate. Just at first in
| the shock of the news a dizziness
seemed to sweep over her.
But almost at once the girl conquer
| ed the weakness.
Quick, tell me-tell mel" she
whispered, feverishly.
81 went yesterday to see Mr.. Ralph
! Strangways of Lendal Grange, whose
name is no doubt familiar to you,"
said Bonholt Hume, in low, cautious
voice 'Tn Lendal, to my surprise,
ran I'D against a detective from Fells-
| garth, who told me that he had re-
| ceived information that Lathom was
| in Lendal, playing with touring the
atrical company Well, went to the
| theater to satisfy myself on the point.
It was Lathom sure enough"
"And-and he has been arrested
| again?" the girl broke out, feverishly.
| in an agony of apprehension, her eyes
searching his face.
mo; though but for me | think he
undoubtedly would have been,' re-
! sponded Mr. Hume. You see, l man
aged to send him a warning, and he
got away just in time. The detective
was in the theater, watching to con-
firm his suspicious, only by the time
/ he went round Lathonl, profiting by
my warning, had escaped
+ little, half-hysterical sob of relief
| b1. ( e from the girl
aOh, thank you, Mr. Hume-than