The searchlight. [volume] (Culbertson, Mont.) 1902-current, 1909-08-13

could keep silent no longer. The long
torture Of his sin, that had been the
blacklist of wrongs to this injured man
whom his sister loved. this man who
had Just called him his loyal friend"
was become . burden too heavy and
intolerable to be borne. He must
speak.
He had meant to keep silence yet
little longer. till he could have seen
Olive and warned her; bnt the sight of
the man he was injuring. the poig-
nant realization OF his own treachery
and sin. personjfied in this hunted
mans plight, broke down that resolve
resistlessly as wave beats down
child's castle of sand.
Not another hour, not another mo
ment. would be bear that burden of
conscious treachery that he had TAX
en- on his shoulders for the sake Of a
woman. He must speak now.
"A confession. Ruthen? Why. what
do you mean?" cried Jack Lathom,
startled by the strange. excited man.
ner and the wild eyes of the man con-
fronting him. with unconcealed agita-
ton traced as with brand on the
haggard face; and Hilda caught her
breath, conscious that the atmosphere
had suddenly become electrical.
Something like cry of relief broke
from the blind man.
God help me, Lathom. for the
wrong I've done you; but from the
first I've had proof that the revolver
from which the shot was fired that
killed Philip Hume was not yours.
have allowed you to suffer to screen
| a woman."
A dead pause followed Stephens
words.
| A startled. almost incredulous look
had flashed into Lathoms face. as
into Hilda's; but the formers tones
were restrained and quiet. as he said:
You mean that you know-haye
known all along-who killed Hume?
That IL was a woman"
| AZ the time thought 1t was wo-
man. said Stephen Ruthen, finding
words with difiiculty-"a woman | had
once loved, who had promised to be
my wife,"
"Olive Vanstone." broke in Hilda,
realizing from the last allusion what
woman he must mean. But that Is
impossible; she was i'll in bed on the
night Philip Hume Is believed TO have
met his DEATH" The statement SEEM
ed so wild that she thought her broth
| t,,l h..
mo, she was out on the moor road
that night" he answered. slowly; Il
know 1t, for found her there, bending
over the dead man in the snow-this
woman whom Philip Hume had
wronged as deeply as man can
wrong woman"
THE woman who was In the yes,
try" the blind man whispered to him.
self. Il knew she was there-I knew
it,"
The rector's voice went on. The
twilight was deepening in the room
and the white, drawn face was In shad
ow as he spoke. at first falteringly
with shame mingling In the tones with
certain fierce relief that the confes
sion of what had been like a milestone
about his neck was being made at
last.
Phrase after phrase. sentence after
sentence threw fresh colors on to the
canvas of the dramatic story that
came with a strange, shudderlng thrill
to the listening audience of three In
the room. Now he was recounting
how he had found Olive Vanstone
dazed and dumb, like a woman whose
mind was sleeping, grasping the wea
pom whose polished barrel glittered
evilly in the faint light of the stars
now OF his desperate resolve to &c,
her away from the fatal spot unseen
when the muffled tapping of the blind
mans stick had grown out OF the dis
lance, bringing Its sudden menace to
the woman he meant at all cost to
save, forcing him to drag the lifeless
figure out of the roadway TO the drift
ed snow at the foot of the stone cross
of the journey back. won In safety as
by a miracle; OF the sleeping nurse
whose lie would establish an alibi.
And you let Jack suffer. You
knew this-yet you let him suffer-
broke in Hilda, passionately. her voice
charged with the hostility that has
leapt into her eyes with this comics
sion by her brother of a wrong she
had never dreamed of.
, He made a movement as OF appea
towards her.
But that night speak of was near
ly three weeks before the dead mar
was found. before suspicion fell OF
) anyone, thought then that hurt NJ
one by my silence. And she was
woman | had loyed-loved STILL NJ,
! sin was not in shielding her then. Will
! his blood on her hands as l then be
lieyed-for she was in state wher
she was not morally responsible fo
. her acts-a woman who had beer
! brought almost to the verge of mad
, ness by the wrong she had suffered,
: he said. in a low voice.