Enterprise news-record. [volume] (Enterprise, Wallowa County, Or.) 1910-1911, 1911-06-03
CHAPTER IT.
"opEN!"

having noticed TWO small cOrUlal
glasses standing on little table over
against the fireplace. When 4 was
conscious again of my own fears
crossed to the table and peered into
these glasses. They were not cllb
glasses. and they both were empty.
However. they had not been so long.
In each I found traces of anisette
cordial, and. though no bottle stood
near, I was very confident that 1t
could readily be found somewhere in
the room. What had preceded and
followed the drinking Of this cordial?
Alas, there was but little more to
see! A pair of curling irons lay on
the hearth. but had no sooner lifted
them than l dropped them with a
shudder of unspeakable loathing. only
to start at the noise they made in
striking the tiles, for 1t was the
selfsame noise had heard when
listening from below. These tongs.
set up against the side of the fire.
place. had been Jared down by the
forcible shutting of the large front
door, and no man other than myself
was in the house or had been in the
house-only the two women. A stick
or two still smoldered on the hearth
stone. In the ashes lay some scat
tered fragments Of paper which
crumbled at my touch. On the floor
In front espied only stray hairpin.
Everything else was in place through
out the room except the cushions and
that horror on the lounge. waiting the
second look l had SO far refrained
from giving it.
That look / could no longer with
hold. l must know the depth Of the
gulf over which | hung. l must not
wrong with thought one who had
smiled upon me like an angel of light
young girl. too. with the dew of in
nocence on her beauty to every eye but
mine and only not to mine within
shall say ten awful minutes?
would look again and perhaps discover
that my own eyes had been at fault:
that there were no marks on Adelaide's
throat. or. If marks, not just the ones
my fancy had painted there.
Turning. let my glance fall first on
the feet. had not noted them before,
and was startled to see that the arc
ties in which they were clad were filled
all around with snow. She had walked
then as the other was walking now
she who detested every effort and
was of such delicate make that exer-
tion of unusual kind could not readily
be associated with her. Had she come
alone or In Carmel's company, and, II
in Carmel's company. on what osten'
sibie errand If not that of death? Her
dress, which was of dark wool, showed
that she had changed her garments
for this trip. / had seen her at dinner
and this was not the gown she had
worn then-the gown in which she
had confronted me during those few
intolerable minutes when l could no
meet her eyes. Nothing spoke of the
dinner party or Of her having beer
dragged here unaware. but all of pre-
wions intent and premeditation. Surel!
hope was getting uppermost. If l hat
dreanaed the marks
But. no! There they were, unmistak
able and damning, just where tn
breath struggles up. ! put my owl
thumbs on these two dark spots to Sc
ff. when What was tia lightning
stroke or call Of fate which on
must answer while sense remains?
felt my head pulled around by som
unseen force from behind and me
staring into mine through the glass
fhe window a pair of burning eyei
or was it fantasy? For I'm another me-
ment they were gone But the pOss
, bility of a person having seen me !
this position before the dead wa
enough to startle me to my feet, ant
though In another instant I becam
convinced that had been the victiI
OF hailucination. 1 nevertheless mad
haste to cross to the window and TAX
a look through its dismal panes
gale Of binding snow was sweeptn
past, making all things indistinguisi
able, but the absence of balcony on
side was reassuring. and Istepped ha
lily back. asking myself for the fir
time what I should do and where
should now go to insure myself frol
being called as witness to the awf
occurrence which had just taken plat
in this house Something must do
Z save myself the anguish and Carm
the danger of my testimony In tn
matter. She must never know. Il
world must never know. that ha
seen her here.
could not be the death Of two wor
en-. The loss Of one weighed heavi
enough upon my conscience. wou
fy the place. would leave tn
ghasfiy find to tell its own story. II
night was stormy, the hour late. Il
spot a remote one and the road to
but little used. l could easily escar
and when the morrow came But
was the present must think Of
this hour. this moment How came
to stay SO long? In feverfsb haste /
gan to throw the pillows back over 4
quiet limbs, the accusing face. Shu
deringly / hid those eyes Il understo'
their strange protuberance now an
(. reckIessly bent on fight. was halfwi
across the door when my feet we
sfayed--I wonder my reason was n
+ uuseated by sudden and tremendo