Evening star., 1909-08-29
house when he approached it some two

house when he approached it some two
hours later.
There was a dim light in the kitchen,
and another in the room where the acci-
dent happened" Calden answered.
did you come round by the front of
the house?' Grimbleshaw asked, finding
himself at loss to locate the man at a
point where he could see these lights If
he was coming from the woods. which
were to the rear of the farm and nearer
the door by which Calden would natu-
rally regain his part of the house.
Il was very unwilling to go in, the
rooms had grown so oppressive to me,
and it was SO dark that [ had no fear
in stroling about. but when I got where
could see the lights I made up my mind
had better not venture farther and so
went in
Wasn't it raining?"
1T was just beginning. Afterward the
storm came up very rapidly and soon
! turned to sleet.'
| Mrs. Calden grew quite uneasy at this
| questioning and seemed disposed to resent
| it, but Calden himself went on with the
story, as if under impulse to make an
end of it.
when I got back into the house the
| restlessness of waiting took me. and the
impatience to be doing something in the
matter that had brought me there. 1t
struck me that as John Altenburg did
not know that l was out of the asylum,
much less that I was in the house, l had
II III lily power 30 COI1lpIeIoly 10 surprise
him, by presenting myself suddenly to
him, as to throw him off his guard and
possibly startle him into revealing the
secret of the testimony that would free
me, If such existed. 1 tried to fight off
the feeling by telling myself that | was
| bound to wait until Horace came, but in
stead Of succeeding the feeling grew upon
me until 1t became an unconquerable i'm
pulsion. / even persuaded myself that l
ought not to drag Horace into the matter.
hl1rt hor
than help, inasmuch as 1t would anger
Altenburg and perhaps make him more
obstinate It did not seem to me that
there would be any particular danger in
making the attempt, as l had seen no
evidence of any one save Altenburg about
the place. and, moreover, the storm had
become SO bad that, aside from the proba-
bilty that he did not have many visitors,
there was no likelihood Of any one COM
ing who would interfere.
Il unlocked the door Of my wife's sit
ting room, crossed the entryway. pushed
open the door of the opposite room and
saw
Calden stopped with sudden shudder,
for which Grimbleshaw was unable to
find quite sufficient explanation in the
words with which, after sharp effort at
self-control, the speaker resumed:
Il saw John Altenburg sitting at his
desk writing by the light Of a single can
die. held in a battered tin candlestick.
1t was the first time I had seen him since
my arraignment, when by his efforts I
was pronounced insane. and the sight
naturally moved me. indeed moved me
| much more than l had anticipated. so
that when he looked up after 1 had stood
there for full minute, 1 was still con-
siderably unnerved. He gave a sort Of
half cry. that sounded more like the ex-
clamation YOU! than anything else, and
| sprang to his feet. l would have re-
treated, understanding the mistake had
made, but 1t was too late.
He advanced toward me- I thought to
attack me. but after taking a couple of
steps he stopped. seemed to pull himself
/ together and demanded:
| What are you doing here? Come to
rob me too?'
/ "'I have come I said, to demand of
you the proof, which I believe you have,
that l am innocent of the crime of defal-
cation charged against me-
/ So, ne sneered, that's your game.
| If you didn't do 1t. who didr
| Il own that forgot the caution that
| should have maintained, but it must be
remembered that this was the first chance
I had had since my arrest to tell him the
/ truth.
you don't need to ask / retorted.
| You're living today on the income of the
money that / was charged with stealing!'
/ with that he sprang at me with a
| growl like wild beast. ! was taken by
surprise and had time only to dodge
| under his uplifted arm. II I could have
done so / would have got back to my
sitting room either to lock the door or
get Bull but by this sudden move he had