Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1910-10-18

t-#+s Il ! II r. 4 d s. d
harmless felt bewildered. Beside
these mild looking facts my actions
seemed those Of q madwoman.
Furthermore, father went on, Mr..
Dingley had said that when he went
through the sala afterward, searching
for me, the windows had been closed
and locked fast and the police had de-
clared there was no hole in the con-
vent wall, and that the wall itself
would have been a difficult drop even
for a man.
pounced upon this as a tangible
fact. Then some one in the house
must have closed and locked the win
dow again; and there was a hole IN
the WALL or how could have gone
through It? The drop was very bad IN
deed, for my hat was crushed out OF
shape"
Poor father looked very much puz-
zled But about the wine--I don't un-
derstand. Why did you do that?"
The answer was ready at my
amazed lips, but stopped 1t. for now
at last began to see. began to see
how, without that peculiar intent look
with which the Spanish woman had
handed me the wine glass nor the men
acinr gesture with which she had
tn aust it upon me, the episode Of the
wine that had seemed to me sothreat-
ening became mere empty courtesy;
and indeed, separated from the sinister
appearance of the moment, not one
episode that had taken place in that
extraordinary house which could not
be explained away! / knew past any
doubling, that the Spanish woman had
tired to bride me, had tried to poison
me, and falling that would have de-
tanned me by force il had not got out
OF the window. And. II should tell
hiL. the whole adventure now while It
was sosburning fresh in my own mind,
with all its suggestive atmosphere. It's
eloquent details, couldn't make him
see 1t as saw It? No. The Spanish
woman had blown the magic breath OF
her plausibility, her ingenuity, upon
the the poor little substance OF my
true story, and had seated 1t like ash.
lit was too much Of an undertaking,
even supposing it to be possible, TO
bring together the pieces again. And
wagner but even more insistent voice
prompted, Then suppose he does be-
Iieve me? What will 1t mean to Johnny
Montgomery 2" 1t seemed to me that |
had been enough of a Spartan as Tar
as that man was considered.
j looked UP at father and said, "She
frightened me-the Spanish woman
frightened me, and SO ran away
How readily he took this up showed
me 1t was the explanation he expected
eyes, I know. 1t would be quite ma
tural," he said soothingly. "You have
been much, overweight, and this in
fernal performance has thrown you
into Mysteries. But that wall, child ~
an awful DROP" He laughed a little,
but could see how much moved he
was. II hope to see that courage dis
played in a1worthier cause some time"
/ did not tell him how worthy the
cause this time had been, how were 1t
not for that bold leap Of mine there
would have been no star witness for
the people tomorrow.
Something in my noncommittal air
seemed to. touch father, and make him
still look anxiously at me-, "Of course,
bingley 10 going, to. have the matter In
yestigated further. The woman will
probably be arrested, If only on sus.
picion." ,
But. that evening he told me that Mr..
Dingley had said nothing had been
ELECTED from her that would warrant
such a thing; and though father
seemed vexed and dissatisfied, he ar
gued what could one do II there was
no evidence to fasten upon?
did not answer; knew itywould be
Of no use, Mr.. Dingley's explanations
were so reasonable But since I had
talked with father that morning piece
of news had come to me which had
only succeeded In strengthening my
belief in the meaning OF the Spanish
woman's actions. This was brought me
by Halle, my envoy extraordinary, who
had wormed 1t out Of her mother, who
bad got it from Mr.. Ferguson.
It seemed that on Saturday, just
after Halle had left the court, the
Spanish woman had taken the witness
stand and testified that she had been
Rood's wife. Mr.. Ferguson said this
was ridiculous to suppose, yet no one.
not even Mr.. Dingley, had challenged
her statement. She denied there had
ever been any trouble between the two
men. She said she had been interested
in Mr.. Montgomery as woman might
be who was old enough to be his moth
er, but that Rood had been her hus-
band and that she had loved and been
faithful to him. She was wonderfully
calm and convincing, Mr.. Ferguson had
said, and it looked at first as II her
testimony would help the defense very
much, but when Mr.. Dingley's associ-
ate began cross-examining her, he
seemed to turn her testimony inside
out, and then 1t appeared that her evil
dence had been the worst thing pos.
sible for the prisoner For IL Rood had
stood so firmly in Montgomery's way,
the lawyer argued, that would give the
very strongest motive for the shoot
ing.
Wasn't it dreadful" Halle ex-
claimed. when she wanted SO much
to help him, to find out she had only
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