New Ulm review. (New Ulm, Brown County, Minn.) 1892-1961, 1911-11-15

e..JTU
IN HIS STIFF, COLD HANDS WAS oLUTCHED
A LETTER
afraid to leave her. But she made me
u gesture of such command that l ran
quickly down the steps and so round
the house till / came to a shed over
| the top of which | saw window
partly open.
"Could get her up on to the shed?
thought could and went hurrying
back to the big entrance where l had
left her She was still there, SILVER
ing with the cold, but just as determin.
ed as ever Come whispered; I
have found way
'She gave me her hand. and led
her around to the shed. She was like
snow woman. and her touch was
ice itself. Wait till get box or
board or something said. Hunting
about. found box leaning against
the kitchen side, and. bringing it, /
helped her up and soon had her on
level with the window.
"As she made her way in she turned
and whispered to me: Go back now
Carmel has horse and will see me
home. You have served me well. "a
dok.'
II nodded, and she vanished into the
darkness. Then l shoulc have gone,
but my curiosity was too great l
wanted to know just little more.
Two women in this desolate and bitter
~ cold clubhouse! What did it mean?
81 could not restrain myself from
following her in and listening for q
few minutes to what they had to say.
But l did not catch much Of it, and
when | heard other sounds from some
place below and recognized these
sounds as mans heavy footsteps COM
ing up the rear stairs got a fright
at being where | should not be and
slipped into the first door found, ex-
pecting this man to come out and join
the ladies.
| "But he did not He just fingered for
a moment in the hall had left: then
l heard him Chamber out of the win
dow and go. l now know that this
was Mr.. Arthur. But l did not know
it then. and l was frightened for the
out of the building as quickly as l
could.
And all might yet have been well If
had not found lying on the snow at
the foot of the shed bottle of whisky
such as | had never drunk and did
not know how to resist. Catching it
up. ran about the house to where
had left my rig. 1t was safe. and in
my relief at finding 1t knocked of
the head of the bottle and took long
drink.
"Then drank again; then I sat
down in the snow and drank again.
In short, nearly finished it: then
became confused. looked at the piece
of broken bottle in my hand. took a
fancy to its shape and, breaking of
bit more. thrust it into one Of my
big pockets; then staggered up to
the horse. but did not unite him.
"Curiosity seized me again. and l
thought l would take another look at
the ladies-perhaps they might want
me-perhaps-I was pretty well con-
fused. but l went back and crawled
once more into the window.
"This time the place was silent-not
4 q sound. not breath-but could see
faint glmmer Of light. I followed
this glimmer Still there was no
sound
II came to an open door A couch
was before me, heaped with cushions
A long ray of moonlight had shot in
through communicating door. and I
could see everything by it. This was
where the ladies had been when lis
tened before. but they were not here
now
Weren't they? Why did tremble
so. then. and stare and stare at those
cushions? Why did ! feel must pull
them away. as presently did, ! was
mad with liquor and might easily have
imagined what there saw. but did
not think of this then believed what
saw instantly Miss Cumberland
was dead and had discovered the
crime She had killed herSelf-no: she
had been killed.
"Should yell out murder? No no.:
l could he sorry without that. I would
not yell MistresSes were plenty l
had liked her. but | need not yell
There was something else ] could do
'She had ring on her finger-a ring