Twice-a-week plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1895-1913, 1909-01-05

HOO, HOt UOu
A dry sob answered him. He turned
and leaned his elbows on the narrow
window sill. every nerve aching. but
powerless to comfort. He heard her
step. The door closed sharply.
Then he faced into the empty cell,
sat down on the cot and threw out his
arms. with a hopeless cry:
"Jessica. Jessica!"
Jessica left the jail with despair In
her heart The hope on which she had
fed these past days had failed her.
What was there left for her to do?
Like swift wind. she went up the
street to Felder's Office She CROPPED
her way up the unlighted stair and
| tapped on the door. There was no an
swer. She pushed 1t open and entered
the empty outer room. where study
lamp burned on the desk.
A pile of legal looking papers had
been set beside 1t, and with them lay a
torn page of newspaper whose ia
miliar caption gave her stab Of pain
Perhaps the news of the trial had
found its way across the ranges to
where the names of Stires and Moreau
had been known. Perhaps every one
at Aniston already knew Of 1t, was
reading about 1t. plying her. She pick
ed 1t up and scanned 1t hastily. There
was no hint of the trial. but her eye
caught the news which had played its
role In the courtroom. and she read 1t
to the end.
Even In her own trouble she read 1t
with SILVER. Yet. awful as the fate
which Harry Sanderson had SO nar-
rowly missed. 1t was not to be COM
pared with that which awaited Hugh,
for, awful as 1t was, it held no shame.
In gust of feeling she slipped to
her knees by the one sofa the room
contained and prayed passionately. AS
she drew out her handkerchief to
stanch the tears that came something
fell with musical tinkle at her feet
1t was the little cross she had found
In front of the hillside cabin that had
lain forgotten in her pocket during the
past anxious days. AS she pressed 1t
the ring at the top gave way. and the
engraved on the inside of the arms-a
date and the name Henry Sanderson.
The recurrence of the name Jared
and surprised her. Hugh had dropped
tan old keepsake of the friend who
had been his beau ideal. his exemplar
and whose ancient influence was still
dominant. He had chung loyalty to the
memento, blind In his constant liking,
to the wrong that friend had done him.
She looked at the date. 1t was May
28 She shuddered, for that was the
month and day on which DR.. Moreau
had been killed. The point had been
clearly established today by the prose-
cution. To the original owner of that
cross perhaps the date that had come
into Hugh's life with such sinister
meaning was glad anniversary.
Suddenly she caught her hand to her
cheek. A weird idea had rushed
through her brain. The religious sym
Dol had stood for Harry Sanderson,
and the chance coincidence of date
had irresistibly pointed to the murder.
To her excited senses the juxtaposi-
ton held bizarre. uncanny sugges-
ton. This cross, the very emblem Of
vicarious sacrificed! Suppose Harry
Sanderson had never given 1t to Hugh!
Suppose he had lost 1t on the hillside
himself!
She snatched up the paper again.
"Who has been for some months on
prolonged vacation"-the phrase stared
sardonically at her. That might carry
far back-she said 1t under her breath,
fearfully-beyond the murder of Dr.
Moreau. Her face burned. and her
breath came sharp and fast. Why
when she brought her warning to the
cabin had Hugh been 30 anxious to get
her away unless to prevent her sight
of the man who was there. to whom he