The Bon Homme County independent. [volume] (Tabor, S.D.) 1904-1913, 1911-07-20
THAT AFFAIR AT
TT TZARETH By Burton E. Stevenson
i i i Author Of The
New Co-lW
New York-Henry Holt Co.-lsN.

IT. There were on solid ground Well,
| that point is settled then. And now I
must ask you another question, Mr..
Curtiss. which you may resent, but
which 1T Is absolutely necessary 1
should ask II I'm to be Of any help to
YOU"
| Il think 1 can guess what it is. Mr..
Lester" and he smiled grimly. "Since
Marcia disappeared, I've reviewed care
FULLY my whole past life. and I can
md nothing in it which would justify
In the slightest degree such an action.
I've not been saint. but at least I've
never been dishonorable nor dissolute.
Does that answer the question:"
perfectly" l said. There could be
no doubling his utter truthfulness.
And your family history?"
is neither long nor brilliant. NV
father and mother both died when I
was baby. was raised by my grand
parents"
They lived in New York;"
NO; Long Island. My grandfather's
name was John Curtiss. He mana ged
an estate belonging to a New York
banker. He was an honest and hon
orable man."
| And he Is dead?"
! Yes: he and his wife have been dead
ten years and more"
| You have no brothers or sisters ?"
| NO; nor any other near relatives"
That was the end Of that theory then.
II the secret did not concern Curtiss,
1t must concern Miss Lawrence her
self. More and more I felt that she
was the victim Of plot. OF the maids
completely, l had not the shadow of a
doubt-but was Mrs. Lawrence a party
to it, too?
1 turned back to her She was, ap-
parently, so busy with her own
thoughts that she paid no heed to what
was passing. How explain her calm
ness, her lack of interest? How, ex-
| cept In the theory that she knew where
her daughter was, had assisted in her
disappearance and approved OF it? I
felt my blood warm suddenly in Cur
tiss's behalf If he had been the vic
tim of an adventures, it should be my
business to expose her!
But second glance at Mrs. Law
4 rence's face showed me the folly of
such thought. She was no adventures
she was gentle, cultured christian
woman, who had suffered, as all mo-
| tails must but had still preserved her
| sweetness and serenity, as few mortals
| 40. Yet more and more was 1 per-
picked by that indefinable abstraction in
| her behavior. which seemed somehow
out OF tune with the circumstance Per-
maps she was really more moved than
| she seemed TO be; perhaps her apparent
Indifference was in reality only an adj
| miraDle self-control. i fancied that It
| mad given way for an instant when she
was telling us the story Of her daugh-
| ter's disappearance. If could only hit
upon some way to startle her out Of
her self-possession, might yet learn
She turned suddenly and met my
| eyes. She blushed painfully-perhap s
she read my thought; and instantly
| blamed myself for my clumsiness in
| permitting my suspicion to appear in
my face. 1t was mischance not cas-
| lily retrieved.
Il have told you all ] know" she
said, rising quickly. and answering the
| question l had not uttered II feel the
need OF rest. IL / can help you in any
| way, command me-"
| Thank you," l answered and opened
| the door for her
| She paused on the threshold-glanced
| around-her eyes rested on Burr Cur
| tiss's dreary face. In an instant, she
| was beside him, bending over him with
! infinite tenderness.
| Dear boy" she said so low I could
scarcely hear her and smoothed back
| his hair with a gesture almost mother
| ~, dear boy, don't worry so. I'm
sure 1t will all come right.
He looked up and smiled at her
| TREMENDOUSLY. With a quick impulsive-
ness. she stopped and kissed him, then
| went rapidly from the room, leaving
me, at least, more puzzled than before
| at this sudden glimpse Of unsupported
depths OF tenderness.
L closed the door after her and turned
back to Curtiss.
Has Mrs. Lawrence favored your
| suit for her daughters hand?" / asked
| Favored it?' he repeated. Yes,
| from the very first"
| '''Hhan he lo,t
have had anything to do with this
disappearance-advised it, perhaps as
| sisted In it?"
No" he said decidedly: that's alb
surd."
And yet" I began.
If you knew her." he interrupted.
| you would see its absurdity. She has
always been most kind to me. You
| saw"
Yes" I nodded.
she. has always been like that. She
| has treated me as a dearly beloved
son ever since we told her OF our en-
| gagement."
There has been no cloud?"
Not the slightest! She seemed to
share in her daughters happiness and
| in mine. She has told me more than
once that she thought fate had made
us for each other"
And she helped on the wedding
day."
I'm a thousand ways. She and Mar
ella worked together upon the trous-
seau. She helped with all the plans,
Surely, Mr.. Lester, if she objected, she
wouldn't have waited till the last
minute to make her objection known"
Most certainly she would not" !
agreed.
Besides" Curtiss added hoarsely, Il
don't believe that even her mother
could have kept Marcia from me-"
She's a widow?" / asked.
Yes. Her husband has been dead
10 or IL years. Marcia is the only
child"
"She seems to have had her share of
sorrow" remarked. Her face shows
IT,"
"She has not been quite well lately;
but she was always littIe--well-sad,
il seemed to me; serious. you know:
smiling sometimes, but rarely laugh
ing. I've fancied she grieved for her
husband; but really know nothing
about It,"
"She doesn't look very strong" l
hazarded, in the hope that Curtiss
really knew more than he supposed.
She Isn't strong; but I've never
seen her really Ill. She Is subject to
spells Of depression. so Marcia told
me. or course. I've known her only
six months"
So there was an old trouble, as |
thought, besides which this new one
Of & he