The searchlight. [volume] (Culbertson, Mont.) 1902-current, 1909-02-05
CHAPTER x-(continued) !.

1
When tina unlooked-for tragic COM
plication had come on him SO sudden
~ that morning. like q fantastic dream
charged with strangeness and horror
that he was watching with detached
awakened senses. Stephen Rnthen'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 1t 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
| ~ 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 1t 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, maynard, 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
j 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
at her?
But Lathom-his friend. his sisters
lover. lying in prison now
only Stephen Ruthen told himself
fiercely, not attempting to justify to
himself the sin OF his silence, as sin
he knew 1t to be, that 1t was impossi-
Bile Lathom could be found guilty I'M
possible. The police had made an in
credible blnnder. they would find out
that 1t was blunder. Lathom 'uld
be acquitted. He refused to think of
any other pcssibility-there was no
other possibility! Lathom would be
acquitted. And Olive would be saved.
For an instant. when he heard that
the blind man had spoken of WON
an. fear had Gene over him. the
| dread that another danger assailed
Ec". The fear had been groundloss
| The blind oTganist had failed to rec.
cgnize him, had been unable to give
any clue to identify the man or the
woIan he had spoken of. There was
nothing 10 fear frem the one witness.
The relief Of that thought was in
his mind as the ear, already on the
outskirts of Wildfell. turned a corner.
bringing them In sight OF the recto.y
fates-brineing 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 info. m
zion. was the blind organist.
IN eager icok ieapt into hiida's
| face.
MIR. Craie," SIZE cried TO the figure
IN the road: for the fist time since
size had left tie lawyers Office amin :
tion showed III her face. "Wiii YOU
| Please stop tie ear. Mr.. Thornton |
want 10 ASH Mir. Grale about the laIn
20 Jaw tat night"
As the car cane almost abreafi of
| i g lind arm Freddy Thornton stop
| led. TIE ergfnist had paused and
turned, be ing Ei.da's cry. The Girl
| ;um ed CIT
| Air G:ale. We have Just come back
from Fell garth. ny brother and |.
| We are terribly distressed and anx.
| to's about Mr.. Latfom" and there
was a freak in her voice. I'VE VI.
told that you met two people en- that
Light near the place Of the murder.
| under circumstances that have made
YOU suspieious-a man and a woman.
II only YOU could furnish any clue at
all 10 their IDENTIFY" There was a
tremuious. wistful eagerness in her
voice.
"Ah, IL only could. Miss Hilda,
But. you see. only the tones OF a voice
to go by-and voice disguised too"
The blind man shook his head. II
would help you il could. Miss Hilda.
only I'm afraid can't"
There was nothing familiar in the
voice. even though disguised. l sup
poser" put In Thornton. 1T means
SO much. your evidence. II you could
only give the fsintest clue by which to