Kingsbury County independent. (DeSmet, Kingsbury County, S.D.) 1894-1929, 1911-08-25
CHAPTER N-(Continued.)


HE seems to have left q large prop
ert-."
Yes; one of the largest in Elizabeth.
Mrs. Lawrence, of course, inherited her
fathers, also"
Both she and her daughter are
members Of our church,"
Two OF the most faithful. They
give largely to charity; they are really
christian women"
We sat silent for a moment. To me,
at least, the mystery seemed deeper
than ever.
Has it occurred to you, Mr.. Les
ter asked the clergyman h~esitating-
ly, that perhaps Miss Lawrence dis
covered something In Mr.. Curtiss's
past" 81
Yes" / interrupted. az put that be-
fore Curtiss squarely, and he assured
me there was nothing she could dis
cover. I'm sure he spoke the truth.
Besides, In that case, why should Miss
Lawrence fee? Why not merely dis
miss him? Her flight seems to argue
some guilt on her part"
Yes" nodded my companion; yves"
Some guilt, too" I added, "of a
very remarkable kind, which she was
not conscious Of until this morning and
which then appeared suddenly before
her In such hideous shape that flight
was her only That seems In
conceivable. doesn't it?"
DR.. Schuyler dropped his head back
against his chair with a little sigh
which bespoke utter fatigue.
Yes" he said, "inconceivable-the
whole thing is inconceivable. It's a
kind Of horrible nightmare. I can't
make anything Of it. Ny brain is in
q whirl."
I'm taxing you patience too long"
I protested, rising instantly. You
need rest; Only let me thank you for
your kindness"
He helu out his hand with a smile.
Il seem only to have made dark
places darker" he said. IF you sue
coed In untangling the snarl, I should
ike to hear about It,"
you shall" l promised and took my
SELF back to the hotel. I felt that there
was nothing more to be done tha night
n so mounted to my room.
As 1 started TO undress, I remembered
suddenly he envelope Curtiss had sent
me. I got it out and opened it, and my
heart leaped with a sudden suffocating
sympathy as l looked at the photo
graph within. A Madonna, indeed! Mr.,
Royce had chosen the right word, had
PAID a lifting tribute not only to her
beauty but to the spotless soul behind
". For the face was essentially girl
ish. yirginal-there was no shameful
secret back Of that clear, direct gaze.
It was sweet, frank, winning-a strong
face, too, showing intellect and train
ing; no ordinary woman, I told myself;
not one, certainly, to be swayed by
monentary passion, to yield to an un-
reasoning impulse. No, nor one to fall
victim to an adventurer; for this was
o woman with ideals and high ones-a
woman whose clear eyes could detect
any specious imposture at a glance. A
hitting mate for Burr Curtiss-the ap-
pointed mate-and yet not his! Not
MS! Snatched from him by a desperate
act. Desperate! II I. a man hardened
Sy contact with the world, could feel
mat, how much more poignantly must
she have felt it-with what horror must
she nave shrunk from ft-with what
agony yielded!
AS | gazed at her. it seemed to me
that there was something familiar in
the face-in the set OF the ewes the
shape Of the Notwithstanding ia
mil1ar in the expression, in the poise
or the head, which puzzled and eiuded
me. a resemblance to her mother. I
oeclGeo at last. and so put the photo
graph away n went to bed.
But sleep did not come easily. Ever
oerore my eyes there danced a vision
or that vine uncovered cottage omen
ing from the Lawrence grounds. There.
/ felt, lay the key to the naystery: il
was to 1t l must turn for the clue
whlch would lead me out OF this laby-
rlnth. There was some secret about
these Kingdom sisters which deffed and
worried me. DR.. ~Schuyler's explanation
OF thelr connection with Mrs. Lawrence
did not In the least satisfy me. That
she should keep them near her. shower
them with gifts, merely because of an
old fondness for a cousin of theirs.
seemed TO me exceedingly Improbable.
There must be some other reason. some
more compelling one thar that
IL was much more likely, told NV
self, remembering the passionate fierce
ness or the younger sister. that the
gifts were intended to placate. not to
reward; that they were the outgrowth
OF fear, not Of affection. Fear of what7
l could not even guess. Fear of ex-
posture or some secret, perhaps-and
the thought stung me to a sudden at
tention.
Had the gifts been in vain? Had the
secret been exposed? Was II thew who
whispered In Marcia L~awrence's ear the
story which had broken the marriage
caused her flight, uin her future
was that their revenge for some Ola
injury2 Had they waited tin the last
moment to make II more complete
more ~crushing? But If they, indeed
a SO avenged themselves, would
she nave fed to them for
refuge1 Would she not rather have
ned from them with Iothing?
l felt that ] was entangling myself
In a web OF my own weaving. / mt
the problem from me, but It pursued
me even past sleeps portals. I
dreamed that / was staring over the
hedge at the Kingdom cottage, at 4
lighted window. Three women were
IN the room, as / could see from the
shadows thrown upon the blind Thay
were walking up and down, seeminrly
In great excitement. I fancied thai 7
ould hear h sound OF voices. but 7
could distinguish no words. Then
suddenly, two OF the women sprang IN
on the third. h struggled desperate
ly, but their hands were at her throat
choking her life away. She turned
toward me, the curtain seemed to IF.
and l beheld the agonized face OF
Marcia Lawrence.
I tried to leap the hedge but could
49, oEls Cn~