The San Francisco call., 1910-08-21

Dingley and father could be gone
longer than half an hour, but the
hands Of the clock went to 3 and
then to 10 before ] heard them on the
steps. I made dash ahead of Abby and
opened the door. Did he get away?"
The words flew off my tongue before
] could think I knew it had been a
dreadfully wrong thing 20 say. y mean
the other mans he dead?" ] gasped.
Father had quickly closed the front
door behind him. for there seemed to
be quite crowd in the street, and
there in the half dark ] could see his
face. and Mr.. Dinglev'g. only as pslish
spots in the gloom. The thought came
TO me: "Of course he isn't going to
tell me anything. He is going 10 say 1t
is nothing 1 ought 10 hear about, and
that / must go upstairs.
Ellie" he began-then he caught
sight OF Abby in the dining room door.
He held out liis hand TO me. Come
into the study. Ellie. Afr. Dingley
wants TO ask you q question
II was all so unexpected and so start
ling to he called into the study. where
only men went and only business was
talked about: and 10 hear it was Mr..
Dingley. not father. who wished to ask
me a question. that I wanted TO shrink
away and escape from the very facts
1 had been so anxious TO know few
minutes before. But father held me by
the hand, and : had TO drag my feet
down the long. dark passage that leads
TO the study hearing Mr.. Dingley strid-
ing at my heels.
1t was a small room. fuH Of a great
litter of papers, and smelling family
OF tobacco and Russia leather. ] sat
down ia the leather armchair that was
drawn up to the table. Just opposite me
was a window looking directly into
the green branches of a weeping will
low: and at intervals the wind blew
the leaves against the glass with a
sound like Hush Up to that mo-
ment I had had no memory connected
with that rOom-ony the general sense
Of awe il had given me as child. But
as soon as ] was in that chair, facing
that window. hearing the Hush, hush, -
Of the weeping leaves, in a quick dis
tinct fash / saw myself a naughty
child, sitting up in that chair, in an
guish Of mind over stolen jam pot.
and my mothers face pulled to great
gravity. no doubt TO keep from laugh
ing at the sight of me. ] seemed to
hear her voice again, The truth, Ellie;
remember. nothing but good ever comes
of the truth
1t fitted through my mind as a little.
sweet memory, having nothing 10 do
with what was happening at the mo-
ment, for the thought in my mind was
all What has become Of the man with
the revolver"
Father had sat down opposite me on
2 corner Of the table, but Mr.. Dingley
walked to the fireplace. turned his back
TO it, put his hands behind his coat
tails, buried his big chin deep in his
collar and in Just the same cheerful
voice he used when he asked me how
many hearts I had broken, Now, Miss
Ellie he said. what makes you think
that the man who came second out OF
that door had a revolver in his hand -
] looked at him in astonishment, his
question seemed SO silly. Why, be-
cause I saw it
He gave his head a brisk shake Yes
but what makes you know yon saw itg
Because ] heard il strike the
ground" I was growing more and
more bewildered.
You heard it strike the ground" Mr..
Dingley repeated slowly, but
Then with a sudden pouncing forward
motion Of his head and shoulders, he
shot the words at me. Il thought you
said he had ii in his hand
Yes" / stammered. but thaf was
before" Mr.. Dngley was watching me
steadily Now, Miss Ellie. aren't YOU 3
little confused on that point
I was indeed: but it was his manner
that was doing it. He seemed TO snatch
the words out of my mouth, and turn
them into another meaning. But II
was there. you saw it yourselyes"'
appealed to him.
Father aud Mr.. Dlngley glanced at
each other. and strange thought
came TO me with a rush of relief
Wasn't he dead, had he gone away
didn't you find anything"
The answering look of their faces
made my heart go down like lead. we
found everything as You told us except
the revolver. There was no revolver
there"
/ sat clutchingahe arms Of the chair
staring hard at Mr.. Dingley. who
seemed suddenly to have become a
stranger to me. Then some one must
have picked ii up"
But Miss Ellie. you say that the
street was absolutely deserted wher
this thing occurred and when ] reached
the spot there was a woman looking
out Of a window, and some laborers
running up from Sutter street, but ne
one had Yet reached the place. Now
how could
Father struck in, "No, Jim, you'll
only frighten heri" In a lower voice
he said something that sounded like
Not on the stand vet" Then. leaning
toward me. across the table. resting OF
his elbow until his face was level witt
nv own. II know you must have beer
much frightened at what you saw
child, and it's possible you may hav'
been a little hystericaI, isn't it? It
possible you might have fancied re
volver in his hand, isn't it, when there
was none there?"
He said this very slowly and gently
as If he We're trying to soothe me, bu
looking straight into his eyes I saw
sharp anxious light there. and the con
viction came to me that he yer,
much wanted me to have beer
mistaken. Mr.. Dingley, from th'
fireplace, was watching me hard
as If he were trying. with that in
credulous look of his. to force it ol
me that I must be mistaken. And the
the thought hoated through my mini
that in some way it would be bette
for that handsome, terrible man if
could say I hadn't seen a revolver
tried to make myself believe that the
were right; 1 shut my eyes. The pic
ture came TO me as if ii were befor
me still. and nothing in IL was NOR
clear than that thing of steel an
pearl. q wasn't hysterical" / said; -'
saw it plainly"
Gould you take your oath i
court?" father said in a stern voice.
"Oh. yes"
Father dropped my hand and leane
back. He looked puzzled. Mr.. Dingle
came close to him and said somethin