The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1910-08-12
N G6e0TFfR SIDEglhDOOR
Ga STORY OF MISERY
tS1 ByLUCIACHANBERLAIN
sH3ifS yAu6orofTFiE COAST OF CHANCE
lG&E]RkF Copyright, Bbbs-

Inc WOIQ ndQ Deeu mat or course ne
would be retaken Immediately. But the
hours slipped away and the days, and
stiH there was no trace Of him. The
whole city was searched. and I discov-
cred then that the Spanish woman was
far from escaping public suspicion. De-
tectives went In and out Of her house,
ransacking its remOtest. most cunningly
concealed places. She herself was closely
questioned. but nothing could be elected
II I needed any reinsurance that she
alone was responsible for JOhnnys dis
appearance, this enacement Of the means
by which she had accomplished her OBJ
ject would have convinced me. WHAT
ever creatures they were who had ef-
fected her purpose for her, they were
apt pupils IN her art Of disappearance,
and even those who had failed here were
/ still completely hers. The Mexican, who
had been wounded by the guard. had
closed his teeth and died without a word,
not even a confession to the priest. The
! horsemen. IL was said. had swept straight
through the city in the direction Of the
Mission. and It was supposed they had
disbanded there and scattered through
the ranches. where il was impossible TO
trace them. But the belief was general
that the prisoner had not gone with
them, and that the sortie had only been
a blind for his escape in some les obvi-
/ Gus direction, abetted by the half dark
! ness.
That week the city was under strict
surveillance and went seldom upon the
/ street For after my first relief al his
| escape was over. I was in constant dread
/ lest he be retaken or shot. and when
! did have 10 be out 7 went shrinkngly.
! dreading lest I see his face. haggard and
] ghoStly, gazing down at me from some
! window. or glimpse him retreating up
! some evil alley.
ron, you are TOO good for thisr' my
/ heart accused him ITO think Of YOU
sinking and hiding, 7 could forgive you
( anything even killing him-yes. or even
wanting 10 kill him-but not this run
ming AWAY. What power is It hiatt this
| woman has over you. when a little while
before you seemed so brave?"
The fear that il was because he loved
her went through me, the bitterest
thought OF all. Against II 7 treasured
the one sentence he had spoken 10 me.
the onfy words I had ever heard him
speak. and the looks he had given-the
gentleness which had consorted oddly
with his dark face and great strength,
and that first shocked. reproachfuI gaze
which so haunted me. and then the way
he had helped me. smillingly, over
the hard places in my testimony against
him, How that had moved mel
Yet what were a few, fran glances be-
side the thing he had done for the Span
ISL woman? saw her once driving upon
the street. The CLINT ofSher splendid
hair made a crown around her head.
She leaned back IN her carriage. smiling,
/ looking happy and triumphant: and il
was a strange thought that these dread
full days. so dreadful for me, were good
days for some one else.
BY the end Of the week the theory
that Johnny was hidden IN the city was
abandoned, and search was directed
toward the mining camps whence. from
time 70 time, came reports that he had
been seen. But all Of these turned out
to be false leads. and the idle talk about
it swung into just the channel that I
had feared-how that. Of course, he had
been guilty since he had tried TO escape
and had succeeded.
Whatever chance there had been for
him before, chance Of appeal or chance
Of pardon. was gone now. II was as II
he had sunk into a deep pit. out OF which
he would never rise. told myself that
I mus; not think about II, that surely
he could not be anything TO me any
more: and yet my mind turned 10 moth
ing else but the memory Of him, and
seemed to fix and fasten upon the
thought knew that father saw I
brooded. Whether he knew why, ! did
not like to think; but he used 10 take
me out upon long drives. among the hills
! across the bay. and out 70 the Preside
TO see the military maneuversi so that
he kept me with him much Of the time.
And he would urge me 70 go about 10
see the girls knew; but Halle was the
only one I went 70 see al all.
She had been very tactful after the
first Outburst OF enthusiasm over me
upon the witness stand; and. as soon as
she could understand how hated and
couldn't endure any illusions 10 it, had
never mentioned il TO me again. though
I used sometimes to catch her looking
at me in a way which made me know
she was sympathetic and curious, and
that made good bond between US.
1 was fond OF the FergusOns' house
Itself Ii had a charming garden. plant
ed with roses, with big, blue Chinese
jars at the elbows Of the paths and on
the porch, and q dear little upper bal
cOny-iust such a one as LeOnore walks
out upon in I'll Trovatore'-which over
looked the convent and its gardens. Sit
ting here with Halle one afternoon,
while sunlight was still among the house,
tops, but with the convent garden In a
shadow so deep that It looked like q re-
fection IN water, I saw the procession
OF nuns, slim, black figures and bending
heads, winding slowly through II The
sight touched me with a very melan-
choly vet not quite unhappy feeling.
What would you think. Halle"
asked. If I should be come a num-"
"a nun" Halle almost shrieked. Ellie
Fenwick what are you thinking of
. Why, YOU would have TO cut or all your
lovely hair"
Yes" I said. zone Of the sisters there
told me that she had hair as long as
mine when she was a girl. and yet she
doesn't look unhappy now And then
everything is so peaceful over there. the
garden Is so quiet, and they are so calml
I think I should love to; and Oh, dear
Halle. you don't know! I am very IN
. happy
Halle put her arm around me and said
, firmly. You will do no such thingl You
: viii come to Estrellas party tonight
b and forget all about converts and such