Arizona republican. [volume] (Phoenix, Ariz.) 1890-1930, 1911-07-19
TIE Narrow
Ledge
BY HORACE HAZELTINE.
Copyright. 1910, by the Pearson Pub
fishing Co.

| OlO Joe tarrlSh Illustrated the sue
cess of his method; Edith Thornton
its failure. Stanton had picked up his
dresser in London, and by kindness and
unwavering faith in the old fellows
better nature had = transformed him
from an unreliable, shiftless drunkard
to steady, hardworking, self-respect-
ing servant, whose loyalty approached
sublimity. Stanton had met Edith
| Thornton in London, too. Hollis re-
rhembered very well the letter telling
| of this meeting; the letter in which
was drawn pathetic picture of this
| beautiful girl, stranded in the modern
| Babylon, four thousand miles from
! home. without friends and surrounded
| as by ravening wolves. The writer
spoke then of her impregnable virtue,
of her purity of thought, Of her sweet
ness of temper, of her abundant graft
tude for the small assistance he had
been able TO accord her. And Hollis
had hoped that it might all be true
but had mentally commented that
"Warrie was so easy"
He recalled now the wtrole ensuing
history of his friends infatuation for
the woman. 1t had been of that blind
description which he feared it might
be. Stanton had believed in Edith
Thornton against overwhelming evi.
GenCe that she was unworthy of his
fidelity. He would have married her,
long ago, but for her conjured rea.
sons for delay; so. at least, he had
been spared that ignominy And, as
time passed and her bold, open unfaitb
became obvious TO about everyone,
save to the man who adored her, Hol-
lis had trembled at the thought of
what might result when the veil should
eventually be torn from his friends
eyes.
Within the week just passed, the
actor and the woman had had words.
He had begun, at length, to suspect;
and her lies, lacking the care or even
the will to make them plausible, had
taken on rather the nature of insults
to his power of reason. Disillusion,
horrid and sickening, had begun
mistily TO emerge. But, instead of
weakening Stanton's ardor, it had
seemed to quicken IT, And II was in
this that Hollis had foreseen the
danger.
Once the lover had said to him: 81
suppose I'm about as peace-loving a
chap as you'll find anywhere. But
there's one humiliation l wouldn't
stand for. If | loved and trusted a
woman, and she deceived me, I'd Kill
her"
The young lawyer wondered if Stan
ton had said this to others. The news
paper had made mention of threats;
yet that line might, after all, have
been only a bit OF reportorial inven-
ton.
He recovered the paper from the
floor TO which it had fallen, and read
the account through once more, care
fully. Then he began, with close at
tentiOn and deep concentration. to ana
lyZe the situation, and TO adjust so far
as possible the conflicting elements
The testimony of the elevator boy was
necessarily of first importance. Stan
ton was a frequent visitor at the
"Clydesdale." and the elevator boy
knew him well. Therefore 1t was not
likely that the hoy could be mistaken.
But the boys statement, so far as the
printed summary disclosed. was with
out CorrobOration. What weight would
it carry. therefore, against the testi-
mony of a dozen. a score, OF persons
at the time of the crimes commission
he was on the stage of the theater?
And this testimony was easily procur-
able. II, however, Fahy'S witness
should persist in his assertion of STAN
tons absence, the balance might be
thrown the other way Assuredly It |
would be sufficient to raise a very |
grave doubt. It was of primary i'm
Dortance. therefore, to find this witness |
and to convince him that his magma |
lion had been playing him tricks.
When at length Hollis rose from the |
edge of his bed and crossed the outer |
room to one Of the windows which |
looked out upon the street, he found |
hat the rain had ceased and that the |
Ky, gray with the coming dawn. was
lear of clouds. The sidewalks, how
,Yer. were still wet and dimly shining /
n the early light. Already the city
vas beginning to stir A truck lum-
,ered by: and then came a speeding |
ransom, From the Broadway corner.
| messenger boy was crossing the
treet diagonally. Hollls's gaze fol-
owed him until he disappeared below.
mt of range. But a few minutes later
here was a knock at his door, and in
nswer to his Come in" the mes
enger boy reappeared in his room,
With two kilograms.
Until then, 1t had not occurred to
i'm that Stanton would communicate.
lie had rather fancied that his friend
Tould take 1t for granted that he must
ertainly learn of the arrest and en-
age at once in his defense. Neyerthe- /
5ss. one of the messages was from the
ccused actor. bidding him come as
arly as possible to the TOmbs.
While this was unlocked for, the
Their was a distinct, If not altogether
erplexing surprise.
81 must see you to-day. Arrange
ime most convenient" it read. And
bore the signature Of Beryl Wynne,
sading woman in THE Soul of the
own" Hollis knew Miss Wynne; but
My in casual. disinterested sort of
'ay. He questioned whether, in all
is acquaintance with the actress, he
ad addressed a dozen words TO her.
mt Of late. in some intangible fashion,
e had gathered the impression that
she were not in love with Warren
tanton she was. at least. so attracted
y him as to resent his devotion to the
nworthy woman who was now dead;
nd. in the telegraphed message. the