The Washington herald., 1910-08-01

Wnen ne rlSafQ Ouk OF the dOOlt Win al
OF the horror Of what had just happened
Ia his face; or so cruel as the thought
that he could have done such a thing.
But Why did his look. then and later
come back TO me accusing and reproach-
full? How could help what / had done?
i had had TO tell the truth. and surely
he must know that nothing but good
ever comes Of that. no matter how hard
Il seems. / agonized through the early
evening hours, and fell asleep not with
a sense Of being drifted dellciously away.
but Of sinking down under deep exhaus-
ton.
When ] awakened the next morning
was astonished 20 find myself feeling
quite differently-a little tired and Ian
guid-but the aching misery, the black
lhopelessness. that had fallen IN me the
night before had quite evaporated. left
perhaps in that bottomless pit Of sleep
into which I had sunk.
1t seemed now, in the broad daylight.
as II had made too much OF everything
that had happened; as II Halle must
be mistaken II could not have been
Johnny Montgomery who had shot
man. or. if he had, it must have been
an accident And. even suppose he had
meant TO kin him. what possible differ
ence could 1t make to me?
| Here Abby knocked az the door, and.
showing n rather forbidding face around
IT. said that Halle was down stairs;
but that if I was going TO have any
more conniption fits I would better stay
where I was She left a glass Of milk
! and a clean tucker and sleeves on
my chair. swallowed the milk.
and hurried in 10 my clothes, but
I descended rather slowly TO the hall.
/ had always conhded IN Halle. and knew
she would probably expect 20 hear all
about It from the moment I had seen him.
hated TO think OF the questions 1 would
have TO answer; yet I would have to face
them sometimes. and IL was better 70 get
It over at once.
| When I reached the sitting-rOOm door
I was decidedly dashed at sight Of Es-
/ trella Mendez's red pelisse behind Hallies
! blue hat ribbons. TWO OF them were a
little too much for me. and ] was all
/ ready for fight when Halle pounced
upon me. She is such an imposing per-
son, wears so many tucks and ruffies in
! her clothes. such bows on her hats. and
can spread her skirts about and rustic so.
that always feel like the merest child
I beside her.
you poor little Ellie she began. how
pale you look still. / am afraid 1 fright
ened you to death yesterday"
] murmured something about being
much upset.
Yes. your father said you were not at
as we'll He gave me such scolding for
bouncing out on you like that She
laughed her deep throaty chuckle. But
I supposed. OF course. you had heard, Il
happened so close to you. Didn't you
even hear the shot?-'
l must have gasped al her Could II be
she didn't know that I had seen IT,?
| Didn't know what I had been through
/ I recalled confusedIy the warning OF the
chief OF police and father not to say any
thing OF what had seen. This was what
they meant: this was the meaning OF the
carriage. the alley, and the back door Of
the prison: all my part IN the business
had been kept secret. wondered what in
the world Halle could have thought OF
my behavior last night, but I was greatly
relieved TO think Of the fuSillade Of ques-
tions I had escaped I managed 10 get
tout something about fathers having
heard a shot
"Of course know that" Halle said
pulling me down on the sofa beside her
She was too fun or her subject 20 notice
how oddly must have looked. IT'S al
in the paper. how they found him-Mr
Root, I mean"
IT'S here" Esrena said. sitting dowr
on the other side Of me and unfolding
the crumpled sheet she had been carry
ing rolled up in her hand She and
Halle held It stretched out in front OF
me.
The sight of Johnny Montgomery
name staring at me from the page made
my heart beat little. But when I be-
gan reading down the column couldn't
seem 70 make sense OF It. The only
thing that stood out in the tumble was
! name nearly at the bottom OF the
sheet, Carlotta Valencia. II gave me &
queer little stir of feeling, merely see.
ing that name under his Keeping my
finger on It, Who is that?" asked.
ooh. don't you know?" Halle de.
manded. looking surprised but delighted
at the chance OF giving more informa.
ton. THAT is the Spanish woman"
Estrella crossed her arms on her wals
and drew herself UP, exactly as her
mother does when she thinks some one is
beneath her
You see" Halle went or, explaining
q little more 10 me. "she was-weu.
sort Of friend Of Mr.. Rood's. and III,
paper says she feels dreadfuny abou
him" Estrella shifted.
But" I cried. you said last nigh
, that the shooting had been over her"
: Yes, know Halle leaned forward
impressively and seized a hand Of each
J Of us. ITS perfectly true-at least. IL!
what my father said when the new,
/ came He said: That COMPOUNDED Va
, lensia woman is at the bottom of this
, depend upon it, But your father wa.
very angry that I had spoken Of II. so
Of course, I'm telling you this in strictes
confidence. The paper" Halle went on
we both listening with open eyes
doesn't say the Spanish woman haC
anything to do with the shooting So
you see, no one does know exactly wha
It's about. It's really the most mys
) terious thing. They found Mr. Rood lynn
r there quite dead" she continued breath
lessly, and they went to Johnny Mont
gomerys house, but he wasn't there
! Then some one told Mr.. Dingley the.
had seen a man run down Washington
, street so they followed that trail, an,
I finally they got him in a house down OF
the water front. in a bad part Of the city
Ny father said II would have mad