The pioneer express. [volume] (Pembina, Dakota [N.D.]) 1883-1928, 1909-02-05
CHAPTER x-{continued).


When tina unlooked-for tragic COM
plication had come on him so sudden
ly that morning, like a fantastic dream
charged with strangeness and horror
that he was watching with detached
awakened senses, Stephen Ruthen's
first dazed feeling had been that now
the truth must be told-that it has be-
come his supreme duty.
And yet to betray Olive, to give her
up to the stern justice of the law that,
though it might not exact the SUI
preme penalty, would not let her go
scathless-how could do that?
And there was another punishment,
another purgatory, lying in ambush
for Olive-the knotted scourge of her
own remorse, that must follow swift
ly On the revelation to her of her
crime that the subsequent delirium of
fever had blotted from her mind
With its vanished remembrance had
also passed her bitterness against
Hume; women who love can forgive
so much; and to be told that it was
she herself who had killed the man
whose memory she hcerished now
with such pitiful tenderness! Who
could estimate the effect of such a
shoe kon her? How could he do this
thing?
His intense realization of the agony,
mental and physical, that he would
shireld her from overwhelmed all
other feelings in him. And he loved
her. Beautiful, hayward, capricious,
with all her faults, with all her way
wardness, she stood in his thoughts a
woman apart, the one woman earth
held for him. 1t was as nothing that
years ago she had treated him so i'll,
it was as nothing that his love had
been destined to sorrow throughout,
a love no happiness could ever
crown; these were things apart, they
could not alter or diminish the
strength of his love. Duty-what was
duty? How could he strike this blow
1T her?
But Lathonl-his friend, his sisters
lover, lying in prison now " y
only Stephen Ruthen told himself
tiercely. not attempting to justify to
himself the sin of his silence, as sin
he knew it to be, that it was impossi-
Bile Lathom could be found guilty. I'm
possible. The police had made an in
credible blunder; they would find out
that it was blunder. Lathom would
be acquitted. He refused to think of
other possibility! Lathom would be
acquitted. And Olive would be saved.
For an instant, when he heard that
the blind man had spoken of a wom-
an, fear had come over him, the
dread that another danger assaulted
her. The fear had been groundless
The blind organist had failed to rec
ognize him, had been unable to give
any clue to identify the man or the
woman he had spoken of. There was
nothing to fear from the one witness.
The relief of that thought was in
his mind as the car, already on the
outskirts of Wildfell, turned corner,
bringing them in sight of the rectory
gates-bringing them in sight, too,
with startling suddenness, of the man
in his thoughts. Ahead of them, tap
ping his way down the road, going
back home after lodging his informa-
| ton, was the blind organist.
An eager look leapt into Hilda's
face.
Mr.. Grale!" she cried to the figure
in the road; for the first time since
she had left the lawyers Office ANNA
ton showed in her face. Twill you
please stop the car, Mr.. Thornton? l
want to ask Mr.. Grale about the man
ne saw that night"
AS the car came almost abreast of
The blind man Freddy Thornton stop
ced. The organist had paused and
turned, hearing Hilda's cry. The CIR
4 jumped out.
"Mr. Grale, we have just come bacl
from Fellsgarth, my brother and I
We are terribly distressed and anx
ious about Mr.. Lathom," and there
was break in her voice. I'VE were
told that you met two people on tina
night near the place of the murder
under circumstances that have mad.
YOU suspicious-a man and a woman
II only you could furnish any clue a
all 10 their IDENTIFY" There was
tremulous, wistful eagerness in he
voice.
"Ah, if only l could, Miss Hilda
, Eut, you see, only the tones of voic
, to so by-and voice disguised too!
The blind man shook his head. g
}. would help you if could, Miss Hilds
only Pm afraid l can't
y There was nothing familiar in tn
i voice, even though disguised, SUI
! pcse?" put in Thornton. 1T mean
30 much, your evidence, If you coul
O only give the faintest clue by which t
/, trace the man. You had no suspicio
n that it was any one you knew"
It For momen the blind man wa
;, client. A little frown contracted hi
1 brows, as in the effort OF thinkin
It Then
"No; 1 can't tell more than r,