Daily capital journal. (Salem, Oregon) 1903-1919, 1910-05-18

Heidelmann- Bruck" whispered cage
tongues as the nobleman was thus hon
ored. Yes; it was the baron. inten
on witnessing the last act in the awfu
drama he had inaugurated.
And now. suddenly, the blow fell
AS the prosecuting officer scared alon,
in his oratorical fight a note wal
passed unobtrusively to the presiding
judge, a modest little note folded OF
itself without even an envelope to hole
it. For several minutes the note LAY
unnOticed; then the Judge. with care
less eye. glanced over It: then he start
ed, frOwned. and his quick rereadine
showed that a spark Of something had
flashed from that scrap Of paper.
The presiding judge leaned quickly
toward his associate on the right and
whispered earnestly, then toward bis
associate on the left. and one after
another the three magistrates studied
this startling communication, nodding
learned heads and lowering judicial
eyebrows. The public prosecutor blazed
through his peroFatipn to an inatten-
, tive bench.
No sooner had the speaker finished
than the clerk Of the court announced
a brief recess, during which the judges
withdrew for deliberation and the au-
dience buzzed their wonder. During
this interval the Baron de Heidelmann-
Bruck looked frankly bored.
On the return of the three an an
nouncement was made by the presid-
ing judge that important new evidence
in the case had been received, evidence
Of so unusual q character. that the
judges had unanimously decided to in
terrupt proceedings for a public hear
ing of the evidence in question. 1t
was further ordered that no one be al
lowed to leave the courtroom under
any circumstances.
"Call the first witness!" ordered the
Judge. and amid the excitement caus-
ed by these ominous words a small
door opened and a woman entered
leaning on a guard She was dressed
simply in black and heavily yelled. but
her girlish figure showed that she was
young. AS she appeared Kittredge
started violently. The woman came
forward to the witness stand and lift
ed her veil. AS she did so three dis
tinct things happened: The audience
murmured it's admiration at q vision
Of strange beauty Kittredge stared in
a daze of joy, and De Heidelmann-
Bruck felt the cold hand of death
clutching at his heart.
1t was Alice come to her lovers
need. Alice risen from the flames, AL
Ice here for chastening and justice!
"What is you name?" questioned the
Judge.
"NIary Coogan," was the clear an
swer.
Your nationality"
81 am an American. came to
France as little girl
How did that happen?"
MY father died and-my mother
married a second time"
Your mother married a French
man."
Yes"
"What is the name of the French
man whom your mother married?"
The girl hesitated. and then. looking
straight at the baron, she said, The
Baron de Heidelmann-Bruck.
"Is your mother living"
"No."
How did she die?"
The witness turned to Kittredge.
MY mother was burned to death
in the charity bazaar fire." she an
swered in a low voice.
"State what you remember about the
fire."
The girl looked down and answered
rapidly: MY mother and | went to.
the charity bazaar with the Baron de
Heidelmann-Bruck. When the fire
broke out there was a panic. There
was a window near US. through which
some people were climbing. My moth
er and l would have been able to
escape, but the Baron de Heidelmann-
Bruck pushed us back and climbed
through himself"
ITS liep cried the baron hoarsely.
"Sllence! warned the clerk.
"And after that?"
IueTe Cduic InlO utI lace iOOh vi
terrible sadness.
II don't know what happened after
that for a long time. l was very III
and-for years did not remember
these things"
"You mean that for years you did
not remember what you have just tes
tihedY
"Yes. that is what 1 mean"
The room was so hushed I'm eXpecta-
tion that the tension was like physical
pain.
''You did not remember your mother
during these years|
mo"
mot even her manner"
She shook her head II did not re-
member my own name"
But now you remember every
thing?"
"Yes. everything"
when did you recover your mem
oryY'
1T began to come back a few weeks
ago"
"T-ndor what ofroumefancas 90