Kingsbury County independent. (DeSmet, Kingsbury County, S.D.) 1894-1929, 1911-07-28
AFFAIR AT
TTARETH By Burton E. Stevenson,
- Holiday Case" Etc.
New York-TIenry Holt & Co-lsN.

IuIllSS, WHICH you may resent, DuN
which it is absolutely necessary I
should ask If I'm to be of any help to
you"
II think / a guess what II is, MI.
Lester" and he smiled grimIy. Since
Marcia disappeared, I've reviewed care
fully my whole past life, and / can
find nothing in it which would Justify
in the slightest degree such an action.
I've not been a saint, but at least I've
V been dishonorable nor dissolute.
Does that answer the question:"
Perfectly" / said. There could be
no doubling his utter truthfulness.
And your family history2"
rs neither long nor brilliant. My
father and mother both died when /
was a baby. l was raised by my grand
parents"
They lived In New York;"
mo; Long Island. My grandfather's
name was John Curtiss. He managed
an estate belonging to a New York
banker. He was an honest and nom
orable man."
And he Is dead?"
Yes; he and his wife have been dead
ten years n more"
You have no brothers or slsters?"
mo; nor any other near relatives"
That was the end Of that theory then.
If the secret did not concern Curtiss.
- - 1AS ~ w SAA>S y -
self. More and more I felt that she
was the victim Of a plot. OF the maids
completely, i had not the shadow of a
doubtful was Mrs. Lawrence a party
to it, too?
l turned back to her. She was, ap-
p~arently, so busy with her own
thoughts that she paid no heed to what
ness, her lack Of interest? How, ex-
cspt In the theory that she knew whers
hsr daughter was. had assisted IN her
disappearance and approved Of 1t? I
felt my blood warm suddenly in Cur
tiss's behalf. If he had been the vic
tim Of an adventures, it shosld be my
business to expose her!
But a second glance at Mrs. Law
rence's face showed me the folly of
such thought. She was no adventures
she was a gentle, cultured christian
woman, who had suffered, as all NOR
tails must, but had still preserved her
sweetness and serenity, as fe~ mortals
do. Yet more and more was l per
picked by that indefinable abstraction in
her behavior, which seemed somshow
out OF tune with the circumstance. Psr-
haps she was really more moved than
she seemed to be; perhaps her apparent
indifference was in reality only an adj
mirable s~elf-control. / fancied that il
had given way for an instant whe she
was telling us the story of her daugh-
ter's disappearance. If ! could only hit
upo some way to startle her out of
her self-possession, l might yet learn
h turned suddenly and met my
eyes. She blushed neutrality-suspicious.
she read my thought; and instantly I
blamed myself for my clumsiness in
permitting my suspicion to appear in
my face. It was a mischance not cas-
lily retrieved.
Il have told you all I know" she
said, rising quickly, AND answering the
question l had not uttered. II feel the
need of rest. If I can help you In any
way, command me-"
Than you" I answered ana opened
the door for her.
She paused on the threshold-glancsd
around-her yes 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
ly, 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
ms, at least, more puzzled than before
at this sudden glimpse of unsupported
depths of tenderness.
l closed the DOR 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"
Then, in your opinion, she couldn't
hoOa hn1 nnUfhfnv 70 1n ryith 3Lsn
diSappearance-advised 1t, perhaps as
sisted In it,"
mo" he said decidedly; that's alb
surd."
And yet" / began.
IF you knew her." he interrupted,
you woul see it's a~bsurdity. She has
always been most kind to me. You
saw
Yes" / nodded.
she has always been like that. She
has treated me as a dearly beloved
son sver since we told her Of our en-
gagement."
There has been no cloud?"
mot the slightest! She seemed to
share in her daughters happiness and
in mine. She has told me more than
once that h 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 trsus-
seau. She helped with all the plans.
Surely, Mr.. Lester. II she objected, she
wouldn't have waited till the last
minute TO make her objection known"
Most certainly she would not" i
agreed.
Besides" Curtiss added hoarsely. IT
don't believe that even her mother
could have kept Marcia from me-"
She's a widow ?" asked.
Yes. Her husband has beer dead
10 or IL years. Marcia is the only
child"
she seems to have had her share of
sorrow" I remarked. Her face shows
IT."
She has not been quite we'll lately;
but she was always a little-well-sad,
1t 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.
hazarded. In the hope that Curtiss
really knew more than he supposed.
She Isn't strong: but I've never
seer her really III. She is subject to
spells OF depression. SO Marcia told
me. OF curse, I've known her only
six months"