Kingsbury County independent. (DeSmet, Kingsbury County, S.D.) 1894-1929, 1911-09-08
AFFAIR AT
4. By B B #. n. E; s5s ss.sss.a :
@ Holiday Case Etc
New York-Eenry Holt Ca-l9E
New York-Henry Holt & Co.-lgU.

from the mar she loves, TO wreck her
life, throw away her future" stop
ped in despair. Really, / felt for the
moment like tearing my hair.
1T seems incredible, doesn't it?"
asked Godfrey, smiling at my bewild-
cred countananca.
Incredible? Why, It's more than
that-it's-it's-I don't know any word
strong enough to describe it. Godfrey,
what is this secret?"
II know what it isn't"
Well, what isn't it, then?"
1T isn't about Curtiss. We've looked
Into his life-I just got a report from
Delaney-and he's as straight as a
string?"
And the women"
With the women II isn't so easy
You see, they were In Europe for six
or seven years. and It's hard to follow
them. However, we're on their track.
and / have hopes"
"Hopes?"
"Of proving my theory the right one.
Depend upon 1t, Lester, there's either a
lover or q husband In the background
somewhere"
Blu again I remember the photo
graph.
"A lover, perhaps" I admitted, but
not a husband, Godfrey. here's no
stain like that IN her-there's no stain
at all. She's spotless-Irl stake my
soul upon tit"
He was gazing at me curiously.
You seem mighty certain about it."
he commented.
For an instant, ! had an impulse to
show him the photograph But /
stifled It.
Il am certain" I answered lamely.
Certain your theory's all wrong"
Well, I'm going to stick to 1t till I
find a better one."
Are you going to make 1t public7"
NO, not till we've something more
to back it. We've wired our European
correspondents to look up the record
Of the women while they were abroad.
Well wait till we get reports from
them. which will be tomorrow or the
day after. Let's see If we can find out
which way Miss Lawrence went last
night"
We had reached the hotel, and, as
he spoke, Godfrey turned into It.
THE ticket agent boards here" he
said, and l took care to make friends
with him. / thought perhaps he might
be able to help me. All, there he is
now. Wait a moment"
He hurried forward and intercepted
a well dressed man who was just
leaving the office. / saw them stop for
a moments low-toned conversation;
then Godfrey turned back towards me.
NO" he said, mo luck. Miss Law
renee bought no ticket at the station
here last night, nor did either of the
Kingdoms. The agent was on duty
from 6 till midnight. But he suggests
a very simple way In which she could
have escaped notice, had she wished.
She had merely to enter the train
without buying a ticket and pay her
fare direct TO the conductor. I'm in
clined to think that's what she did
providing, Of course, that she left town
at all"
that's no doubt the way she did it."
Now, I'll have to say goodbye he
added. Il don't think L shall stay
here much longer-the case isn't worth
it. When do you go back?"
II don't know yet" / answered.
I've got to have something to take to
Curtiss. l can't go back empty-hand-
ed"
I'll let you know If / hear anything
he said. our correspondent here will
be on the lookout for developments.
Ny S~ynipathies are ali with Curtiss. (
want to help you"
Thank YOU" l said. Goodbye"
/ watched him for a moment, as he
hurried down the street; then / turned
hack towards the Lawrence house. Yes,
Godfrey evidently wished to help me:
and yet, while he had given me a lot
Of what lie called interesting informa-
ton" and had treated me to a no-less-
interesting theory, he had only made
the mystery more impenetrable than
ever.
BEG pardon, sir" said a voice, and
somebody ran into me.
/ glanced up to see that II was a
~pert-looking boy, wearing a cap with
w. u" on the front We were Just at
the Lawrence gate.
"All right" l said. mo harm DONE"
and entered.
Not till / was half way up the walk,
did 1t occur to me that the boy had
probably come out OF the gate-that he,
had brought a message-from whom?
for whom?
/ rang the bell, and a girl admitted
me; but 1t was not Lucy Kingdom,
whom / had hoped to see. She showed
me into the library, and took my card.
She must have met her mistress in the
hall, for 1t was only a momen before
the rustic Of approaching skirts an
nounced her. AS she entered, / noticed
with a quick leap of the heart that she
held crushed In her hand a sheet Of
| yellow paper.
Good morning, Mr.. Lester" she said,
quite composedly, and 1t was evident
that h had entirely conquered the
agitation which had racked her the
evening DSIOTe. SlL DOWN, please
and she herself sank into a chair.
i've been thinking over what you said
to me yesterday afternoon" she on
tinued, and / believe that you were
right. Mr.. Curtiss unquestionably has
the right to know what 1t Is that takes
his promised wife away from him, and
to decide If he shall permit 1t to take
her away forever"
Then it's not impossible that she
should be his wife 2" I questioned
quickly. Your daughter was mis-
taken?"
'She perhaps thought 1t impossible at
first; but / don't see II SO. She has
been moved, I should say, by q sense
Of ~faithfulness to the dead. I don't
Think can't think-that he will take
1t so seriously as she does. He will
look at 1t from a mans point of view:
he won't shrink from It as she did; be-
sides. he'll see that It Is no fault In her,
that she's just as she always was,
sweet. pure and lovable. She herself
will take 1t less seriously when she has
time to think 1t over"
Yes" I agreed. striving to conceal
from her the fact that I did not in the
| least understand mo dOuht of that