Forest City press. (Forest City, Potter County, D.T. [S.D.]) 1883-19??, 1911-08-10
AFFAIR AT
RI IVA RETH BY Burton F: Stevenson,
l. A0xL Il i i Author OF Th Marathon Mystery" The
HoNedayC Case" Etc
New York-Henry Holt & Co-1sN
CHAPTER v11-(continued.,


"Or. at least" l persisted, pressing
my advantage, "if you know why your
daughter fed, YOU might yourself tell
MIR. Curtiss-'
Again she stopped me.
"The secret is not mine,' she said
hoarsely.
whose is it? who has the right to
yell?"
mo one."
"And you will let 1T wreck two liscs""
saw the spasm of pain which
crossed her face. She must yield: a
moment more, and I should know the
secret!
"Tomorrow-give me till tomorrow"
she cried. perhaps you're right
stantly. There are so many things to
considerable dead as we'll as the liv-
ing"
Very we'll" 1 agreed. u will call
tomorrow morning.
11-not before"
Tomorrow at IL, then. And l hope
you'll decide. Mrs. Lawrence. to help
me all you can. The living come be-
fore the lead.
She bowed without replying, and see
ing how deadly white she was. /
checked the words which rose to my
lips and let myself u into the hall.
The maid was standing just outside
tho door. l wondered how much she
had heard of what had passed with
in.
lone moment" said, as she start
ed for the stairway, and / stepped
again into Miss Lawrence's room.
1t had grown too dark there to sec
anything distinctly, for this room WAS
not flooded, as her mothers had been,
by the last rays of the sun, but i'm a
moment l switched on the light. Th
maid stared from the threshold. her
&ace dark with anger, but not Daring
60 interfere.
'Thi is the dressing table. isn't it?"
i asked, walking toward it.
Yes. sly" she answered snllenlN.
lit was here you found the letter."
"Yes, SIR
"You persist in that farce?" de-
manded, wheeling round uron her.
She did not answer, only stared back
without finching. l realized that here
was a will not easily overcome.
Every WE'LL" I said quietly at last.
II shall get along then in spite of YOU"
n l returned to my inspection of the
room.
There was a writing desk in one cor
ner, with pens, ink n paper. l picked
up a sheet of and looked at it:
I dipped Il pen in the ink and wrote
q few words upon it; then l blotted it,
folded 1t and placed it in my pocket.
Nov we can co. I said, and
switched off the light.
She led h way down the stairs with
out replying.
my hat is in the library 1 said.
as we reached the foot, l turned
down the lower hall.
The library was even darker thar the
room upstairs had been, for the trees
around the house seemed to shadow
especially the windows of this wing. I
noted how the windows extended to the
floor and opened upon a little balcony.
One of the windows was open. and l
went to it and locked out. A fight OF
steps connected n end of the bal
cony with the ground. and l fancied
from the steps l could discern Il faint
pathway running away among the
trees.
A %convulsive sob at the door brought
me around. 1t was the maid, who had
entered and was glaring at me with a
face to which the growing darkness
gave an added responsiveness. The sob.
which had more of anger than of soi-
row in 1t, had burst from her invoiun-
tarily. called forth. no doubt. by her
inability to hinder me in my investiga-
tons, to show me the door, to kick ME
out. l could see her growing hatred
of me in her eyes, in the grip of tho
hands she pressed against her bosom:
and a certain reciprocal anger arose
within me.
Here is a handkerchief OF your mis-
tress,' l said. plunging my hand into
my pocket and drawing forth the
square OF lace. please return it to
her wardrobe. It's valuable" / added,
with a sudden burst of inspiration; ''es-
pecially so, since it's her brida hand
kerchief."
The shot told. h took the hand
kerchief with a hand that shook con-
vulsively, and l determined to risk a
second guess.
"She left it here" I said 'She left
It here when she went out by yonder
window and ran through the grove.
Shall I tell you where she went? But
you know"
Il do mott" burst from her. Its a
lie!"
"You know" 1 repeated remorseless-
ly. You followed her there. 1t was
there she wrote that note which you
brought back with you and which you
found OF her dresser"
mo, nor The words were two sobs
rather than two articulate sounds.
Don't lie to me! If the note was
written here, why did she used a writ
ing paper different from her own?
You're playing with fire! Take care
that it doesn't burn you!"
But had touched the wrong note.
'.Burn mel" she cried. You think
you can brighten me! Well. you can't.
I'm not hat kind"
And indeed as I looked at her, I saw
that she spoke the truth.
hest. i've warned you." and without
waiting for her to answer, I passed
before her down the hall. not without
the thought that she might plunge a
knife into my back-she was certainly
that kind! I opened the door myself
and closed 1t behind me, then started
down the walk. But in a moment. I