The Bridgeport evening farmer. [volume] (Bridgeport, Conn.) 1866-1917, 1911-06-12
Whispering
Pines

| nanQ went 10 ner breast, as L naQ SO
long expected. and I saw the glitter
of a little vial as she drew it forth.
"'Oh. Adelaidev 1 began, but she
needed me no more than the dead.
"On leaving home she had put on a
long coat with pockets, and this coat
was still on her and the pockets gap
| ing. Thrusting her other hand into one
of these she drew out little flask
| covered with wicker and set it on a
stand beside her. Then she pulled out
| two small glasses and set them down
also, and then she turned her back.
could hear the drop-drop of the liquor,
and dark as the room was it seemed to
| turn darker till put out my hands like
| one cropping in sudden night. But
everything cleared before me when she
turned around again. Features set like
| hers force themselves to be seen.
"She advanced, glass in either
| hand. AS she came the floor swayed
| and the walls seemed to bow together,
| but they did not sway her. Step by
step she drew near, and when she
reached my side she smiled in my face
once. Then she said: Choose Alright,
dear heart Leave the poisoned one
| for me-
Fascinated, 1 stared at one glass,
| then at the other. Had either Of her
hands tremoled I should have grasped
at the glass it held, but not a tremor
| shook those icy fingers, nor did her
eyes wander to the right hand or to the
| left. Adelaide I shrieked out, toss
them behind you. Let US Twelve!
But she only reiterated that awful
word, 'Choosev and I dare not hesitate
longer lest / lose my chance to save
| her. Cropping, touched glass;
| never knew which one-and, drawing
| it from her fingers. L lifted it to my
mouth. Instantly her other hand rose.
| Il don't know which Is which myself,
| she said and drank. That made me
| drink also.
1.-THE two glasses sent out clicking
sound as we set them back on the
stand. Then we waited, looking at
each other. Which? her lips seemed
to say which, In another moment
we knew. Your choice was the right
pne,' said she and she sank back into
a chair. Don't leave meY she called
out, for I was about to run shrieking
out into the night. II am happy
now that it is all settled, but I do not
want to die alone. Oh, how hot am!
And leaping up, she flung off her coat
and went gasping about the room for
air. When she sank down again ii
! was on the lounge, and again 1 tried
$r. aryf For hn1r in 20 or
let me.
81 tried to soothe her-to keep down
my awful fear and soothe her. But
the nearness Of death had Gained her
poor heart into its old love and habit
ual thoughtfulness. She was terrified
at my position. She recalled our moth
er and the oath she had taken at that
mothers deathbed to protect me and
care Cor me and my brother. And
have failed to do either she cried.
Arthur 1 have alienated, and you I
danger
'fShe was not to be comforted. /
saw her life ebbing and could do
nothing. She chung to me while she
called up all her powers and made
plans for me and showed me a way Of
escape I was to burn the note, fling
two of the glasses from the window
and leave the other and the deadly
vial near her hand-this before 1
left the room. Then 1 was to call up
the police and say there was some
thing wrong at the clubhouse, but I
was not to give my name or ever &C
knowledge I was there. Nothing can
save trouble she said, but that trou-
BILE must not come near you. Swear
that you will heed my words-swear
that you will do what say
81 swore. All that she asked prom
ised. 1 was almost dying, too, and
had the light gone out and the rafters
Of the house fallen in and buried us
both it would have been better But
the light burned on, and the life in
grasping mine relaxed. 1 heard one
little gasp, then low prayer, Tell
Arthur never-never-again to- Then
silence
Sobs, cries, yelled faces, then ST.
lence in the courtroom too. 1t was
broken but by one sound-a heart
rending si;.h from the prisoner. But
nobody looked at him, and nobody
looked at me. Every eye was on the
face of this young girl whose story
bore such an impress of truth and yet
was so contradictory of all former evil
dence. What revelations were yet to
follow? 1t would seem that she was
speaking Of her sisters death.
But>her sister had not died that way;
her sister had been strangled. Could
this dainty creature, with beauty
Scared and yet powerfully triumphant,
be the victim of hallucination, or did
she seek to mislead justice and to con-
ceal truth?
At question from Mr. Moffat she
spoke again, and we heard her say:
Yes, she died that way, with her
hands in mine. There was no one else
by. We were quite alone"
That settled it, and for a moment
the revulsion Of feeling threatened to
throw the court into tumult.
Can you fix the hour Of this &C.
currence?" Mr.. Moffat asked. ''In any
way can you locate the time?"
NO, for / did not move at once. !
felt tee to that couch. 1 am very
youus, and / had never seen death
before. When | did get UP l hobbled
like an old woman and almost went
distracted. but came to myself as !