The Elbert County tribune., 1909-03-11

In my ears and my progress sadly
hampered by the long trailing skirt
over which / tripped and stumbled,
and which. / will remark in passing,
| was irrevocably ruined
| / do not know why / ran, nor why
I stopped up my ears. since had not
heard word of any kind, and was GER
tainly in no personal danger; but l
rushed wildly on and finally cast myself
\ breathless upon my bed, my pulses
throbbing painfully and my whole be-
ing quiveTing with a sense of shame
For / had SO nearly loved him. I
knew 1t now. even as l knew his un-
worthiness. Had he not lied to me
that afternoon? Lied about SO sim
| pie a matter that should then have
understood he had something to con-
ceal-something OF which to be
ashamed And now he was trying TO
force an entrance to the boathouse
But why? Was he common thief?
"Oh. no." l cried. aloud; mo, not
that!"
Then / sat suddenly upright, for
remembered the safe In the dining
room, with the jewels locked in it
the pearls which belonged to Lady
Edith's mother-and / remembered
also my indiscreet disclosures re-
garding it. and the questions he had
asked even while protesting his disap-
proval-keen, seagching questions as
to the exact location of the safe and
the form of lock upon it. And 1 had
told him everything he wanted to know
willingly.
"Oh." 1 cried again. I'm. fool,
and he knew 1t, and used me for
| tool"
Therein lay the chief sting. He had
used me as tool, and my womans
vanity was wounded to the quick.
Going into the next room, leaned
out of the open window, looking to-
ward the ocean and watching for
something, was not sure what The
searchlight was at work again, and by
its light / saw a little dark boat steal
away from our slip and make its way
toward the point Of the island. could
see two figures in it's stern, SO knew
the key had not been successful and
our boathouse was still closed / sup
posed also that the presence of the
y
and felt grateful for it.
I heard the voices of the girls, and
returned to my own room, hastily re-
moving my dress and slipping into
bed. Tomorrow l would tell them, but
not tonight could not talk tonight.
could not even think
She's sound asleep" whispered Ga
brlelle, after an inquiring peep over
the bed. 1T must be later than we
thought"
ITS awful the way we forget the
| flight of time when we get to talking"
returned Elizabeth remorsefully, and
they lowered their light and moved
softly, in order not to disturb me.
But l lay with widely opened eyes,
staring into the darkness. long after
their quiet breathing told me they
mad gone peacefully to sleep. How hot
the pillow was! l turned it restlessly,
| hoping the other side might contain
| soporific influence and l coulds get
away from the tormenting, ever-recur-
ring question, what did he want in
there? So far as we knew, the place
was empty; why, then, should any
man want to force an entrance?
Perhaps, after all, 1t was nothing
that could not be explained. 1 would
write him in the morning and tell him
quite frankly what had seen, and ask
for an explanation. And he, of course,
would answer promptly. Then 1 re-
membered the scarf-pin of the Sphinxs
head, and knew that any explanation,
no matter how plausible. would al
ways be accompanied by doubt in
my own mind.
| / remembered something else also
Mrs Bundy's emeralds. and the sup
position that the one who took them
had departed without waiting for
breakfast. Had he not by his own
showing left the hotel very early in
deed the morning after the storm?
l tried to put this thought away
from me, but it returned again and
again with hideous pertinacity, until,
after long time, my senses became
dulled and fell into an uneasy dose,
where l heard Lady Edith demanding
her mothers pearls of Gordon Ben
nett, while he insisted he was having
them set into slde-combs for me, and
could not, therefore, comply with her
request.
CTO BE CONTINUED.)