The citizen-Republican. (Scotland, Bon Homme County, S.D.) 1???-19??, 1911-08-17

H seems to have left a large prop
erty."
Yes; one of the largest in Elizabeth.
Mrs. Lawrence, of course, inherited her
fathers, also"
Both she and her daughter are
members of your 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 ~hesitating-
ly, that perhaps Miss Lawrence dis
covered something in Mr.. Curtiss's
past"
Yes" I interrupted. II put that be-
me there was nothing she could dis
cover. I'm sure he Spoke the truth.
Besides. in that case, why should Miss
Lawrence flee? Why not merely dis
miss him? Her flight seems to argue
some guilt on her part"
Yes" nodded my companion; yes"
Some guilt, too" added. ..of a
not conscious of until this morning and
which then appeared suddenly before
her in such hideous shape that flight
was her only resource. That gems 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. My brain is in
a whirl."
I'm taxing your patience too long"
l protested. rising instantly. you
need rest: Only let me thank you for
your Kindness"
He hello out his hand with a smile.
u seem only to have made dark
places darker" he said. IF you sue
ceed in u~ntangling the snarl, I should
like to hear about it."
You shall" l promised and took my
self back to the hotel. 1 felt that there
was nothing more to be lone that night
n SO mounted to my room.
AS started to undress, / remembered
suddenly the envelope Curtiss had sent
me. l got it out and opened it, and my
heart leaped with a sudden suffocating
sympathy as 1 looked at the photo
graph within. A Madonna, indeed! Mr..
Royce had chosen the right word, had
PAID a hitting tribute not only to her
beauty but to the spotless soul behind
IT,; For the face was essentially girl
ish, virginal-there was no shameful
secret back of that clear. direct gaze.
iiH ID SlIOIlS
face, too, showing intellect and train
ing; no ordinary omar l told myself;
not one, certainly, to be swayed by
monentary passion, to yield to an UNI
reasoning impulse. No, nor one to fan
victim to an a~dventurer; for this was
a woman with ideals and high ones-a
woman whose clear eyes could detect
any speclous lmposture at a glance. A
Httlng mate for Burr Curtiss-the APP
pointed mate-and yet not his. Not
MS 9tiatcled from him by u desperate
act. Desperate. If /, a man hardened
by contact with the world, could feel
that, how much more poignantiy must
she nave felt with what horror must
she nave shrunk from it-with what
agony yielded!
AS eazed at her, it seemed to me
tnat there was something familiar i'm
the faee-in the set of the eyes, the
shape of the forehead-sometlina IA
m1llar in the expression, in the poise
OF the head, which puzzled and eluded
me-. a resemblance to her mother.
ueelaeo at last, and so put the photo
graph away and went to bed.
But sleep did not come easily. Ever
peiore my eyes there danced a vision
oI ina VINE empowered cottage OPEN
ing from the Lawrence grounds There.
1 felt. lay the key to the mystery; it
WAS 70 II | must turn for the clue
Wflch would lead me out of his laby-
Tlnth- There was some secret about
these sisters which defed and
Worrled me. DR.. Schuyler's explanation
OF their connection with Mrs. Lawrence
olo not IN the least satisfy me. That
she should g them near her. shower
them with gifts, merely because Of an
old fondness for a cousin of theirs
seemed TO me exceedingly jmnrobab la
iAere must be some other reason. some
more compelling one than that.
seif was inuch more likely, I told my
sell, remembering the passionate fierce
ness of the n sister that tbe
gifts We're intended to placate. not n
| rsWard that they were the outerowth
OF Iear, not of affection. Fear of what
l coula not ever guess. Fear of ex-
u some secret, perhaps-and
.he thought stung me to a sudden AZ
tention. ~ a.
mao the gifts been in vain? Had the
secret peen exposed? Was it they who
whispered in Marcia Lawrence's ear The
STORY which had broken the marriage
J a ner hight, ruined her future?
was lnaL their revenge for some ola
injury? Had they waited tin the. las,
moment TO make it more compIete
more crushing? But if they. indeed
nad SO avenged themselves, would
S Sa pave fed to them for
aed 3. W1ula n not rather have
L felt that ] was en~tanpIine n,s,,
~ a Web OF my own weaving. mi
me problem from me, but it pursned
me even past sleeps portals.
dreamed that I was staring ovsr tha
iedge at the Kingdom cottage, at a
lighted window. Three womea were
IN the room. as I could see from the
thrown upon the blind. They
were walking up and down. seeminely
IN great excitement. fane;es .L-3
eou,a E the sound Of voices, but
could distinguish no words. Ther
suddenly. two of the women sprang m.
on the third. she struggled desperate.
~, but their hands. were at her throat
choking her life away. She turned
toward me, the curtain seemed to lift
and l beheld the agonized face n,
Marcia Lawrence. =
! tried to leap the hedge but could
no stir. Some power beyond ms
seemed to hold me fast; some mighty
weight bound me to the spot. 4 mo.
ment longer the struggle lasted, whjlc
/ stood staring: 1 felt her ewes or
mine, | knew that she had seen me
She held out an impforing hand: Their
when I made no sign in answer, de.
spair swept across her face, she seemed
to realize her helplessness, and col.
Il J9nSpda into tina q N, Of lor aec,;I,-t