Kingsbury County independent. (DeSmet, Kingsbury County, S.D.) 1894-1929, 1911-08-18

for a long time-six or seven years
at least. She was very fond Of Frana
she was born there"
Born there2" I repeated In somt
surprise.
Yes. Mr.. Lawrence had a very Sc
we're illness a few months after his
marriage don't remember Just what
It was-and his doctor ordered him to
the south OF France for a long rest!
His wife, OF course, accompanied him.
and Marcia was born there. ! think
n Is all the story, Mr.. Lester"
Not quite ALL" / said. There Is
still a loose end. What became Of Mrs.
Endicott and her daughter-I think
you said there was a daughtsr7"
,fes-Ruth. One Of the loveliest
girls ever knew. They came here
from Scotch Plains. as I've said, to
make their home with Mrs. Endicott's
sister, Mrs. Kingdom"
He noticed my start OF astonish-
ment, and paused to look at me In
quiringly.
Il beg you pardon" I said, but
the name struck me. Miss Lawrenoe's
maid Is named Kingdom"
yes she's a niece Of Mrs. Tndi-
colt. I've sometimes thought that 10
was because OF this relationship that
MRS. Lawrence was SO kind to her and
to her sister"
Kind to them?" I repeated. TN what
way7"
She gave them the cottage they
live a." he explained, land has helped
them In many other ways. The young
er girl. Lucy, has a place In her house.
mold. where her duties. I fancy, are
purely nominal. Her sister Is supposed
to taks in sewing. but she really does
very little"
"And they are Mrs. Endicott.s
nieces2"
"Yes-her sisters children"
%2nd Boya Endicott's cousins7"
I felt a little glow of excitement,
for here was q clue which might lead
ne out OF tho labyrinth-a loose end,
which, grasped firmly, might serve to
unravel this tangled skein.
Please go on" ] said. "You have not
yet told me what became Of Mrs. Endi-
colt and her d~aughter."
They made their home with Mrs.
Kingdom, who was also q widow. Mrs,
Kingdom had bad much trouble-her
husband had died In an asylum for
he t~nsane-and they had q hard time
to get along. Put Mrs. Endicott died
"' sAna 8 yssES" ,r..,on
Ruth was q lovely girl-and I shall
never forget her-w!th the samo dark
passionate beauty her brother had. She
possessed artistic talent which seemed
70 me or an unusual order and she
fancied that she could make
q Living by painting portraits;
market for her work here in Elizahsth
and that she needed years OF training
before b could hope to be successful
elsewhere. So she was forced to give
it up"
And Them" I prompted. for I saw
by his hesitation that there was still
something coming, and l was determined
to have the whole story.
Il have already told you that Mr..
Lawrence was a widower. His first
wife was an invalid for a long time
before her death. n when Ruth En-
dicott found she could not maxi q liv-
ing with her brush, she accepted the
position of companion to Mrs. Law
renee. / do not fancy the place was
a pleasant one, but she kept it until
Mrs. LawrenCe's death"
l leaned back In my chair and closed
my Eyes for an instant in the effort to
straighten out this story, which was
always turning back upon itself. What
mystery was there-what mystery could
there be-in the lives Of the Kingdoms
n The Lawrences n the EndicottS
which had led up to the tragedy for
which I was seeking an explanation?
well, and after that?" / asked. CIV
ing itup with a sigh OF despair and
turning back to the clergyman.
There isn't much more to tell. After
Mrs. Lawrence's death, Ruth Endicott
remained for q time as Lawrence's
housekeeper. But she had overworked
h~erself-she seemed the very embodi-
ment Of health, and taxed her strength
too heavily. She broke down very sud
denly and died IL I remember rightly,
in Florida, where the elder Kingdom
girl had taken her. She was the last
Of the Endicotts."
THE last Of the Endicotts. The last
of the Endicotts." I repeated the words
over and over to myself. 1t "a have
been a presentiment or merely an idle
fancy, but something whispered in my
ear-some impalpable presence warned
me-that I a not yet heard the last
of her. Ruth E~ndicott." There was
a something In the name-a melody, the
vision it evoked OF a dark and brill
liantly beautiful woman-which haunt
ed me.
And yet. what possible connection
could she have with the mystery which
I had started to investigate? Thirty
years dead-how could any fact con-
nected with her drive Marcia Lawrence
forth into hiding at the hour Of her
wedding? The utter absurdity Of the
thought was go apparent that I put It
impatiently from me.
you knew Mr.. Lawrence, of course ?'
I asked, at last.
"Oh, yes" and he hitched ~uneasily
In his chair, as though approaching an
unwelcome topic. But I did not know
him well. He was what the world calls
a hard man-somewhat harsh and cold,
though perfectly free from positive
vice. He was thoroughly respected"
.