The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1910-08-08

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wanted 10 keep her out Of the whole
business. It was you who insisted on
dragging her in. and once you get into
this sort of thing difficult situations often
present themselves"
Ny eyes opened wide. and in the faint
light of the floating candle flames. Just
above me. / saw Mr. Dingley's face.
You weren't there! Why weren't you
there?" 1 said. sitting I'D.
You see." a Woman's voice that 7
thought was the mother superior's put in
she says and does such strange things
that ] dared not let her go out into the
street alone"
Then. with an unutterable sense Of re-
lief, / recognized fathers voice. Yes.
that was quite right, She was better
here" And he sat down on the edge OF
the bed.
"Oh. take me home l cried.
He smiled. and said, With that same
exasperating sort Of reu' surance which
the mother superior had said, Yes, we
are going Immediately"
They all made me feel as II they
thought that I didn't know what I was
talking about
Either every one is crazy" I thought
'or the whole world Is IN some plot
against me- and they have deceived ia
ther. too" or course, my mind knew
that 10 be ridiculous, but everything con-
spired TO make familiar people strange.
What was it Mr. Dingley had been tell
ing father just before I returned 20 con
sciousness7 Perhaps after I am alone
with father al home Iscan get him 20
listen 90 what ! want to say" I thought.
But there were many reasons why this
undertaking was much more difficult than
had supposed.
In the first place. II was Mr.. Dingley
who began by asking me where I had
gone. He had been waiting In the front
hall for me all the while, he said. and
how had I got out without his seeing
me? He had hunted all through the
rooms on the lower floor, and, not finding
me. had gone back 10 our mouse. SuppOs-
ing had returned; and from there had
set out in search OF me.
II sounded very reasonable, and 7 was
at a loss TO understand why il didn Z
seem probable to me Then, when we
reached home, we found a person waiting
Ia detective Mr.. Dingley had sent for
and TO him and 70 Mr.. Dingley, as well
as 10 father. I had 10 tell my story. It
came out in bits and snatches, with Ques-
tons and answers. Mr.. Dingley's all
mixed in with mine; and when they did
let me speak unInterruptedly I was so
excited that the words came tumblng
out. all confused. II seemed 70 me,
too. that father was much more anxious
over the fact that I was feverish and
had lump on my forehead than the
fact that the Spanish woman had offered
me that glass of wine. and then said
should never leave the house But he
said the thing should be investigated,
and Mr. Dingley said something about
making inquiries tonight; and finally all
three went out together. leaving me in a
wretched state OF anxiety and doubt.
II seemed 10 me that none of them at
all understood the situation, and it was
so wonderfully clear in my own mind, so
enormous and astounding in its menace.
that I was woefully puzzled 10 see how
they could have missed Il. But I was TO
learn no more until the following day,
when, lying in bed, stif and sore, with
every muscle in my arms and shoulders
aching, father came in with that un-
wontedly grave and puzzled face that the
poor dear had worn so often since the
beginning OF the whole miserable expert
ence.
The detective and police had been TO the
Spanish woman's house, he said, and had
interviewed her. She had told them quite
frankly that she had indeed sent for me
TO come TO her. and had implored me not
10 give the evidence which was expected
to give; because she said she fully be-
lieved 1t TO be false-that the pistol I had
thought I had seen in Johnny Mont
gomery's hand must have been a fancy
Of mine. and that she could not bear 10
have such damaging testimony given so
reckIessly. She had thought. so she said
that being a woman she might perhaps
know better how to elicit the real facts
Of the case from me. since the men-law-
yers, police officers and even my father
might very we'll have frightened away my
memory by their manner OF going about
It. But when I had been so obstinate, she
said she had lost her head and become
angry, and that had frightened me. She
said she had tried in every way 20 reas-
sure me; but I had resisted all her offers
OF hospitality, and finally. becoming hys-
terical, had struck a glass OF wine which
she had offered me, out Of her hand, and
rushed out of the room. before she could
stop me or even discover why I had so
suddenly fed
Mr. Dingley, father went on. had ex-
planned that he had been waiting for. me.
as he had said he would. downstairs; but
at the moment when I had come he had
not been In the sala