The Bon Homme County independent. [volume] (Tabor, S.D.) 1904-1913, 1911-08-10

at least. She was very fond OF France
and SO was Marcia. perhaps because
she was born there"
Fern there?"' repeated in some
surprise.
Yes: Mr.. Lawrence had very Sc
we're illness few months after his
pnarrfage-I don't remember just what
IL was-and his doctor ordered him 10
the south Of France for a long rest.
his wife. OF course, accompanied him.
ana Marcia was born there. think
tnat Is all the story, Mr.. Lester"
Not quite ALL" l said. There is
stu loose end. What became of Mrs.
Endicott and her daughter-I think
you ays salo rnere was a daughter?"
girls ! ever knew. They came here
from Scotch Plains, as I'VE said. to
make their home with Mrs. Endicott's
sister, Mrs. Kingdom"
HE noticed my start of astonish-
ment and paused to look at me in
II beg your pardon" I said "but
the name struck me. Miss Lawrence's
maid Is named Kingdom"
les; shes niece Of Mrs. Endi-
cot. i've sometimes thought that II
was because Of this relationship that
Mrs. Lawrence was so kind to her and
to her sister,"
way?"
She gave them the cottage they
i've In, he explained. land has helped
tnem IN many other ways. The young
er girl, Lucy, has q place In her house,
hold. where her duties, fancy. are
purely nominal. Her sister Is supposed
TO take IN sewing, but she really does
And they are Mrs. Endicott's
nieces?"
"Yes-her sisters children"
Precisely"
I felt little glow of excitement.
Tor here was a clue which might lead
me out OF the labyrinth loose end.
Wnicn. grasped firmly, might serve to
unravel this tangled skein.
Please go on" said. you have not
yet told me what became Of Mrs. Endi-
colt and her daughter"
They made their home with Mrs.
kingdom, who was also widow. Mrs.
Kingdom had had much trouble-her
husband had died in an asylum for
the lnsane-and they had hard time
TO get along. But Mrs. Endicott died
within a year"
And RUTH" I questioned.
ruth was q lovely girl-and shall
never forget herewith the same dark
passionate beauty her brother had. She
possessed artistic talent which seemed
TO me OF an unsual order and she
aahcied that she could make
But she soon found that there was no
market for her work here in Elizabeth
and that she needed years of training
before she could hope to be successful
elsewhere. So she was forced to give
1t up"
And them" I prompted for saw
by his hesitation that there was still
something coming, and was determined
to have the whole story.
nave already told you that Mr..
Lawrence was a widower. His first
wife was an invalid for a long time
before her death, and when Ruth En-
dicott found she could not make a Iiv
Ing with her brush, she accepted the
renee. / do not fancy the place was
a pleasant one, but she kept it until
Mrs. Lawrence's DEATH"
leaned back in my chair and closed
my eyes for an instant in the effort to
straighten out this story, which was
always turning back upon itself What
mystery was there--what mystery could
there be-in the lives of the Kingdoms
and the Lawrences and the Endicotts
which had led up to the tragedy for
which was seeking an explanation?
We'll. and after that?' | asked, Civ
ing itup with a sigh of despair and
turning back to the clergyman
There isn't much more to tell. After
Mrs. Lawrence's death, Ruth Endicott
remained for time as Lawrence's
housekeeper But she had overworked
herself-she seemed the very embodi-
nent of health, and taxed her strength
too heavily. She broke down very sud.
denly and died il l remember rightly.
in Florida, where the elder kingdom
girl had taken her. She was the last
OF the Endicotts."
THE last of the Endicotts. The last
Of the Endicotts." repeated the words
over and over to myself 1t may have
been a presentiment or merely an idle
fancy, but something whispered in my
ear-some impalpable presence warned
me-that I had not yet heard, the last
of her. Ruth Endicott," There was
a something in the name-a melody, the
vision II evoked Of dark and bril-
liantly beautiful wom.an-which haunt
ed me.
And yet. what possible connection
could she have with the mystery which
had started to investigate? Thirty
years dead-how could any fact con-
nected with her drive Marcia Lawrence
forth into hiding at the hour Of her
wedding? The utter absurdity Of the
thought was so apparent that I put il
impatiently from me.
You knew Mr.. Lawrence, Of courses"
asked, at last.
"Oh, yes" and he hitched uneasily
in his chair. as though approaching an
unwelcome topic. But did not know
him well. He was what the world calls
hard man-somewhat harsh and cold
though perfectly free from positive
vice. he was thoroughly respected"
CONTINUED Next weekb