, 1910-08-04

Shouldn't ""
to pay attention to the concluding
sentence. Anxiously she demanded:
%"Supposing the woman is found,
what can she prove? What difference
will 1t make?"
"All the difference in the world" re-
piled Annie. "She is a most i'm
portant witness" Firmly she went on:
'She must be found. If she didn't
shoot Robert Underwood, she knows
who did"
But how can she know" argued
Alicia. Howard confessed that he
did 1t himself. If he had not con-
fessed it would be different"
He did not confess" replied the
other calmly. Mrs. Jeffries-he
ever confessed. If he did, he didn't
know what he was saying"
Alicia was rapidly losing her self
possession.
did he tell you that?" she gasped.
Annie nodded.
Yes. DR.. Bernstein says the po-
lice forced 1t out of his tired brain.
| made Howard go over every second
VI HIS me ludl hight lIOm Tue llIle
he left me to the momen he was ar
rested. There wasn't a harsh word
between them She stopped short
and looked with alarm at Alicia, VINO
had turned ashen white. why
what's the matter? You're pale as
death-you-"
Alicia could contain herself no ong
er. Her nerves were or the point OF
giving way. She felt hat If she could
not confde her secret to some one
she must 20 mad. Pacing the door,
she cried:
What am 1 to do? What am l to
do? l believed Howard guilty. Why
shouldn't 1? l had nc reason to doubt
his own confession! Every one be-
lieved this own father included.
Why should I doubt it. But I see 1t
all now! Underwood must have shot
himself as he said he would"
Annie started. What did Mrs. JEFF
fries mean? Did she realize the ire
mendous significance Of the words she
was uttering?
.As he said he wouldf" she repeat
cd slowly.
YES" said Alicia weakly.
Annie DOuDutu III ohu
her companions arm. Her lace
flushed. almost unable to speak from
suppressed emotion, h cried:
"Ah! l begin to understand. You
knew Robert Underwood? W
knows your voice-he heard you-talk-
ing to him oh, Mrs. Jeffries! Are
you the woman who visited his apart
ments that night?"
The bankers wife bowed her head
n collapsed on a chair.
YES" she murmured in a low zone.
Annie looked at her in amazement.
why didn't o come forward at
once?" she cried. Think of the pain
which you might have spared us!"
Alicia covered her face with her
handkerchief. She was crying now.
The disgrace-the d%isgrace!" b
moaned.
"Disgrace!" echoed Annie, stupe-
ned. Indignantly. she went on: Dis
grace-to you? But what of me and
Howard?"
Cant you realize what 1t means to
be associated with such q crime?" h
walled.
"Disgrace!" cried Annie contemptu-
ously. What is disgrace when a hu-
man life is at stalker"
1T seemed so useless" moaned Al
icia-"a useless sacrifice In the face
Of Towards confession. OF course
If I'd known-if I'd suspected
you tell me-T'd nave come forward
and told everything-no matter at
what cost" Tearfully h added:
Surely you realize the position 1t
puts me in?"
A new light shone in Annie's eyes.
What was this woman's misery to
her? Her duty was to the poor Tel
low who was counting the hours until
she could set hin free. His stepmoth'
sr deserved 40 mercy. Utterly self
ish. devoid of q spark OF humanity,
she would have left them both to
perish In order to protect herself from