Evening star., 1909-09-02
! The A1tenburg Case.
: By GEORGE DYRE ELDRIDGE.
: COPYRIGHT ELDRIDGE


receptive mind wasn't there. Shall con-
fess it and be forgiven? The only idea
the incident conveyed to me at the mo-
ment was that the name you asked for
wasn't John Altenburg.
.Oh, you horrid mani exclaimed Ju-
dith. attaining the very result which
Grimbleshaw. physician, had hoped
for. with hope that had given him
courage to make the dangerous confess
sion. Don't you think after that ought
to keep on trying to satisfy your Curl
osity?'
II admit it wasn't gallant" he said.
1.-THE only possible excuse / have is that
it's the TRUTH
She looked at him in half-pouting sur
prise and seemed tempted to answer after
his own line. Then there came to her
the reality of the terrible questions they
We're facing. and she took the story up
again with the least less strain because
of this break
What / should have done ii the wind
hadn't blown ont your candle. I'm sure
don't know. The best guess I've been
able to make is that | should have slip
ped away into the dark but don't know.
could hear Horace in John Atenburgs s
chamber, and l felt that at all hazards
he must be warned. Just then the light
went out.
And do YOU remember my -exclama-
tiOn?' demanded Grimbieshaw.
''Yes, it was most ungallant."
my excuse must be ] thought YOU a
man."
''You did, she demanded. in unas-
sumed surprise. "Oh, my derby! Then.
too, / had thrown Horace's coat over my
shoulder. / never dreamed that was what
made you SO stupid-and brutal.
AS a physician he was glad to see that
the tension was permanently, relaxed;
and as a man. who felt the charm of her
nearness as a great light lin time of
darkness he was happy in the freer tone
she adopted toward him. Without an
swering her i'm words he looked his salts
faction to her full understanding. Then
suddenly she bethought her and ex-
claimed:
But you did know il was +? You told
me that you knew 1 was there that
night!'
:'That slowly filtered into my brain
That night / might as Well have been
blind and deaf: 1 was, in fact blind and
deaf"
1.-THE instant the light went out 1 Slip
ped through the entryway and into the
sitting room, locking the door behind me
but 1 was not quick enough to warn
Horace before you We're on us again.
Then Horace scared you by the absurd
device of wrapping himself in a Sheet"
1t was chaiisnge. but he did not use
1t. The picture was taking too real
form for him to give weight to a trifle.
He saw her waiting in the chamber un-
able to warn her brother, uncertain what
he could do to escape the compromise of
discovery, anxious for her father, and
orn with woman'sS tenderness for the
injured man. enemy though he was to her
and hers. The horror of the night and
the wonder of her stand against it grew
on him momently.
when Horace dropped the sheet In the
entryway l was waiting and let him into
the sitting room, but even then he would
not give up the search. and had to wait
until you had returned and made your
examination Then we caught you out
of doors and locked you out, after which
Horace. went through the trunk of pa
pers. He deserved some reward for his
determination and perseverance"
Then he found nothing" asked, Grim
bleshaw. v
Nothing! II there were or are papers