The pioneer express. [volume] (Pembina, Dakota [N.D.]) 1883-1928, 1909-05-28
CHAPTER XIV.

tnen ana TO H1lda when breakfast was
over that morning. The meal passed
almost in silence. Stephen made q
pretense of being absorbed In his
letters. but Hilda's observant eyes
saw how shallow the pretense was.
Neither referred again to the curt, un.
gracious note of farewell or to its
writer, who had left them with an alb.
ruptness and in furtive way that
were alike, inexplicable. AS soon as
breakfast was over the rector rose
and went to his study, glad to be
alone
Hilda went up to olives room, as
though she half expected to find some
clue to the, motive of their guests
strange departure. The bed, of course,
had not been slept in. Olive had gone
up to her room about O'Clock on the
previous night, and waited there, with
her plans and preparations made, un-
til eleven; then she had slipped down
stairs noiselessly and out by the back
door. Why had she gone so stealth
lily? Why had she not told them of
her intention and where she was 60
ing? I
But I am glad she has gone"
Hi!da said to herself, suddenly.
Somehow it seemed as though only
trouble had followed Olives coming
to the rectory. The change Hilda had
noticed in her brother had dated from
that time; it had been only two days
after that Bonholt Hume almost &C.
cused Jack under this roof of knowing
more than he would admit about Phil
ip's as then unaccountable disappear
ance; and when at last the drifted
snow had yielded before the thaw, sur
rendering that grim secret it had held
for weeks, Jack had been arrested
her lover, of whom the long, slow days
of suspense following his fight had
brought her no word. This woman
had been the stormy petrol before
disaster.
Hilda had never liked Olive Van
stone since her treatmnet of Stephen
years ago. And since her recovery
from illness Olive had betrayed a
scarcely yelled antagonism that had
needed all the girls sweetness of dis.
position to endure in silence. Yes,
she was glad Olive had gone, glad to
hear her brothers nervously impatient
outburst: 1--WE won't talk of this
woman-she's not worth it," So he
realized that at last. To have acted
as she had done, Olive Vanstone must
have been utterly heartless-without
gratitude, without shame.
In his study Stephen tore the note
into strips with steady, deliberate
fingers; tore the strips across and
again across. The rain of white scraps
f1uttered down into the fire, where the
dancing flames caught them and
whirled them blazing up the chimney
The act seemed to typify his suddenly
changed attitude.
1--WE shielded her too long!"
She was not worth his mistaken
chivalry or pity, this woman for whom
he had sinned. And this man made
sudden squaring movement of his
shoulders, as one who frees himself
from the burden of an oppressive
yoke, as he stood staring down SOM
bre!y into the fire.
The truth must be told-though
Stephen Ruthen realized how hard a
task now the making of that belated
confession would be. When Hilda
knew, would she ever forgive him for
the wrong his silence had done to the
man she loved?
Only before he informed the police
he must see Olive and tel! her how
he had come upon her on the night
of Philip Hume's death, tell her Of his
determination. That was only fair to
the woman. 1t was not as though she
| were conscious criminal he was
shielding; had she been, he would
| have acted differently from the mo-
ment suspicion fastened on Lathom
| Her own Inconsistencies of what had
happened that night had compelling
pathos. He must, prepare Olive fo1
the shock before he disclosed what he
knew. *
But where was he to find her? With
whom had she gone away? 1t was ut
terly inexplicable to him. He must
try to find out whose motor car had
been waiting by design outside the
rectory gate at eleven last night.
He paced restlessly up and dowr
his study, revolving these thoughts
presently his mood of unrest drove
him out of doors. Work was an i'm
possibility this morning, In the vii
lage he saw the blind organist; bu
the rector avoided Grale, as he hat
avoided him since the day of Lathom'.
arrest, when the blind man had whis
pered something in his ear.
Stephen walked through the villag'
in. the direction of the river: OWN,
tosthe continued disappearance Of Me-
Robinson, who had last been see!
near the river in his usual drunkel
condition. and whose cap had beel
found on the bank, It had been dc
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