Okolona messenger., 1911-12-14

| Alicia looked at her anxiousiy az Il
trying to read what might be in her
mind Indifferently she went on:
"The papers say there was quar-
rel about you, that yOu and Mr.. Un-
derwood were too friendly. They i'm.
piled that Howard was Jealous. Is
this true?"
IT'S all talk" cried Annie indig
nothing but scandal-lies!
There's not word Of truth In 1t.
Howard never had Jealous thought
of me-and as for me-why-Tve al
ways worshiped the ground he walked
on. Didn't he sacrifice everything for
my sake? Didn't he quarrel with his
father for me? Didn't he marry me?
Didn't he try to educate and make a
lady of me? My God!-do you sup
pose I'd give a man like that cause
for jealousy? What do the newspa.
pers care? They print cruel state.
ments that cut into a woman'g heart,
without giving it a thought, without
knowing or caring whether it's true
or not, as long as it interests and
amuses their readers. You-you don't
really believe I'm the cause of his
misfortunes, do your"
Alicia shook her head as she an
swered kindly:
No, l don't. Believe me, l don't.
You were right when you said that at
such time as this one woman should
stand by another. I'm going TO stand
by you. Let me be your friend, let
me help you" Extending her hand,
she said: "Will you?"
Annie grasped the proffered hand.
1t was the first that had been held
out to her in her present trouble. A
lump rose in her throat. Much at.
fected, she said:
ITS the first kind word that" She
stopped and looked closely for mo-
ment at Alicia. Then she went on:
TITS the queerest thing, Mrs. JeR.
ries, but it keeps coming into my
mind. Howard told me that while he
was at Underwood's that dreadful
night he thought he heard your voice,
1t must have been a dream, of course.
yet he thought he was sure Of 1t,
Your voice-that's queer, isn't itf
Why-whats the matter?"
Alicia had grown deathly pale and
staggered against a chair. Annie ran
to her aid, thinking abe was ILL.,
ITS nothing - nothing!" stam
mered Alicia, recovering herself.
Fearing she bad said something tn
hurt her feelings, Annie said symp&
thetically:
Il haven't said anything
out of the way-have 1? If have I'm
sorry-awfully sorry. I'm afraid
I've been very rude and you've bePR
so kind!"
mo, MOI" interrupted Alicia quick
ly. you've said nothlng-done moth
ing-you've had great deal to bear
"a great deal to bear. l understand
that perfectly" Taking her compap
ions hand in hers, she went on;
"Tell me, what do they say about the
woman who went to see Robert I'm.
derwood the night Ct the tragedy"
"The police can't find her-we don't
know who she is" Confidently she
went on: But Judge Brewster will
find her. We have a dozen detectives
searching for her. Capt. Clinton &C
cused me of being the woman-you
know he doesn't like me-"
The bankers wife was far too busy
thinking of the number of detectives
employed to find the missing witness
to pay attention to the concluding
sentence. AnxiouSly she demanded
"Supposing the woman is found,
what can she prove? What differences
will it make?"
"All the difference In the world" 70
| piled Annie. "She is q most i'm
portant witness" Firmly she went on;
"She must be found. If she didn't
shoot Robert Underwood, she knows
who did"
But how can she know?" argued
Alicia. Howard confessed that he
did 1t himself. If he had not con-
fessed 1t would be different"
HE did not confess" replied the
other calmly. Mrs. Jeffries-hs
never confessed. II he did, he didn't
know what he was saying"
Alicia was rapidly losing her ssl&
possession.
did he tell you that?" she gSsrsd
Annie nodded.
"Yes. DR.. Bernstein says the po
lice forced 1t out Of his tired tfain
made Howard go over every second
of his life that night from tho time
he left me to the moment he A5OS ar.
rested. There wasn't harsA word
between them" She stopped short
and looked with alarm at Alicia, who
had turned ashen white. why,
what's the matter? Youf0 paSS az
death-you-"
Alicia could contain heIEeN no lOng.
er. Her nerves were on She point Of
giving way. She felt tha4 Il she could
not confide her secret @ some one
she must go mad. PactEg the door,
she cried:
What am I to do? What am to
do? believed Howard guilty. Why
shouldn't I? had no reason to doubt
his own confession! Every one be-
lieved it-his own father included.
Why should l doubt It. But l see II
all now! Underwood must have shot
himself as he said he would"
| Ann,ln nAnnAnd What dld AHrr "a