The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1910-05-16

ann "Hu NHooN Nllu, as ne Htlu.
Drop it. man. Drap that half
dazcd way Of spcaldng' Toll me.
clearly. what did You do i'm that
short ntcryale'
81 refuse to state" said Carleton
quietly, but with direct glance
nov that made Fcsseuden cease his
iusistcncc
Very we'll" me- said: ITS Of no
consequence. NOW. tell me what
you were DOING last evening be-
fore you went over to the house,"
At this Carleton showed % disposi
ton to be both naughty and ironical
Am { being questioned" he said.
"and by you? Wcll before ! went
to Mlss Van Normans [ was walk
Ing iu the rose-gardcu with Miss
Burt You saw me from your win.
dow"
"l did" said Rob graycly. Were
YOU with Mi-e Burt until the time
of your going over to the Van nor.
man house,"
40" said Carleton. with sar-
castle intonatian 81 said goodnight
/ to Miss Burt about thrce-quarters
of an hour before started to go
/ over to Miss Van Normaus DO
you want to know what did during
that intcrval?"
Yes"
Il was in my own room-my dca.
did what many man does ON the
/ eve of his wedding | burned mp a
/ few notcs-p"rhaps a photograph or
/ two-aud one withered rosebud "a
keepsake. Does this interest you?"
not especially. but. Schuyler, do
/ drop that rcsentful air I'm no quiz
/ zing YOU. and if you don't want to
| talk about the subject at all. we
won't"
Very we'll don't"
Very WELL then"
The two men arose. aud as Carrie
/ ton held out his hand Rob grasped
/ it and shook it heartily, then they
went to the drawing-room and re.
Joined the ladies'.
The Van Norman affair was not
mentioned again that evening
All felt a certain oppression in
the atmosphere, and all tried TO
dispel it, but 1t was not easy Unin-
teresting topics OF conversation were
tossed from one to another, but
each felt relieved when at last Mrs.
Carleton rose to so upstairs and the
evening was at an end
Fessenden went to his room, his
brain whirlwind of conflicting
thoughts.
lie sat down by an open window
and endeavored to classify them in.
to some sort OF order.
First, he was annoyed at Carle
tons ineXplicable attitude. Grantinc
he was in love with Miss Burt, he
had no reason to act so unconcern
ed about the Van Norman tragedy
And yet Schuylers was peculiar
nature, and doubtless all this
strange behavior of his was merely
the effort to hide his real sorrow.
But again, If he were in love with
Miss Burt. his sorrow for the los,
for Madeleine was for the loss
, of her fortune and not herself. Thii
Fessenden refused to believe, bu
/, the more he refused to believe /
!, the more ii came back to him. Ther
there wos his new notion tina
came to him at dinner, about Mis-,
Burt. Carleton said she was the in
genuous. timid girl she looked, bu
Rob couldn't believe it. Executiy,
ability showed in the shadows o
those innocent eyes. And the cir
had motive. Surely she wante,
her rival out Of the way. Then sh
said goodnight TO Schuyler nearly al
=, hour before he went over to Made
leine's. Could she have-but nor
sense Even if she had been so in
a.. clined, how could she have entere
the house? All, that settled IT, Sh
couldn't. And Fesenden was hones
ly glad of II. Honestly glad that II
3, had proved to himself that Mis-
Burt-loyeiy, aliuring, little Doroth
Burt-was not the hardened Grim
nal for whom he was looking.
Then it came back to Schuyle
No, Never Schuyler, But if not h,
then VINO? And what was he don
: In that discriminating interval. an
why WOuldnt he tell?
And then, idly gazing from hi
window Rob saw again two figure
walking Il the rose-gardcn And the
We're che same two that he Ia
seen there the evening before
schuyler Carleton and Doroth
BUrt were StrOlliug- no. now the