Union County courier. [volume] (Elk Point, Union County, D.T. [S.D.]) 187?-1913, 1909-08-12
cHAPTER xxx,v--continued.

CHAPTER xxxiv--continued.
AT least you wrong me there"
cried the rector, in low voice. i
should have broken silence then; God
knows what suffering it has cost me
to keep silent as did, only" His
voice suddenly rose: 4 don't try to
Justify my silence; only there are
things man cannot do! Try to put
yourself in my place-for three weeks
had guarded this secret before you
were arrested: had planned to save
her, believed had saved her-and
then your arrest brought down the
house Of cards. My duty was clear,
no doubt: but to reveal what ! knew
was to strike at her, the woman l
loved! And felt that there was no
case against you--could be no case;
that the magistrates would dismiss the
charge. So did not speak. You say
the law would not have punished her.
but there was something I was even
more afraid OF for her."
He paused--no one spoke; Hilda's
eyes as they rested on him were still
passionately alight and unrelenting,
but the hard, stern lines about La
thom's mouth had suddenly softened.
as though In spite OF himself the APP
pealing cry had touched his pity.
Something else; before any sus-
picion fastened on you" the low voice
went on, this woman was slowly find-
Ing her way back from her delirium
TO life and reason. and with returning
consciousness she asked for me. La
Thorn, learnt almost from her first
words then that she had forgotten
forgotten that night as though it had
never been--forgotten anger and hat.
red against the man who had wronged
her--that she still loved the man who
had stolen her from me, never dream
Ing that he was dead"
For q moment Stephen Ruthen
paused; then he cried. almost passion
ately:
WAS to tell her then what / sus-
pected--wrongly suspected, as ! am
sure now---that the man she spoke Of
90 wistfully lay under his shroud Of
snow. dead by her act? Could any
man with grain Of pity have told
her? Think what the shock must have
meant for her. weak and III as she
was; It might have killed her or
wrecked her reason; at the least the
horror Of It must have blighted all
her future.
Then the final blow Of your arrest
fell. couldn't speak: was caught
between two terrible alternatives
but felt there was no real case
against you: and to speak would be
to doom the woman loved. No doubt
the law would not have exacted her
life, but almost assuredly 1t would
have exacted her liberty, since the
purpose that had seemingly impelled
her to steal out az she did might ar
que BY its very accomplishment that
she was sane then. And / did not
know at that time what know now"
A puzzled look had crept into La
thom's face. He broke In suddenly:
"But why did you say--and you had
limited before-that you had changed
your opinion about this woman's
guiltf'
Lathom's voice had lost its hard
ring: the poignancy Of the feelings
suddenly stripped naked to him had
not been without their strong appeal
e hia pity.
* didn't know then that / had been
nghting shadows. after al. Lathom.
had resolved at last to break silence;
The burden " my secret had grown
TOO int0lerable. and had resolved to
speak On that day / learnt that In
III probability Olive vanstone was q
guIltlses - myself Of Philip Hnms's
doath. =
what a. you mean I" DRIED Lathom.
Tho revolver found grasped In
NJ Hand that night the revolver that
almost beyOnd question VA the wea-
IN from which the fatal shot was
Gred 10 not herr. And that one air
eoyery changed. Il nv eyes. the whole
anpect Ok The case,. sid stephen.
Finding her with Tint weapon ii her
hAnds, I hnd assumed II to be hers:
thnt ~ had had 4 III her possession
unknown y " n the rectory: had
1tolen out armed with this. But tho
revolver was not hers; Il could not
havo beon III her possession when
lnot inexplicable impulse 81 the sick
fnin made her steal out that night.
T1m&~ revolver W. identiaed only I
~ daye - = belonglhg % some.