The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1911-06-16
The House of the
Whispering
 Pines

ing up the rear stairs I got a fright at being where I should not be and slipped into the first door I found, ex- pecting this man to come out and join the ladies.
 But he did not. He just fingered for a moment in the hall I had left; then I heard him chamber out of the win dow and go. I now know that this was Mir. Arthur. But I did not know it then, and I was frightened for the horse I had run off with and so got out of the building as quickly as could.
 And all might yet have been well if I had not found lying on the snow at the foot of the shed a bottle of whisky such as I had never drunk and did not know how to resist. Catching it up, I ran about the house to where I had left my rig. It was safe, and in my relief at finding it I knocked off the head of the bottle and took a long drink.
 "Then I drank again; then I sat down in the snow and drank again. In short, I nearly finished it. then I became confused. I looked at the piece of broken bottle in my hand, took a fancy to it's shape and, breaking off bit more, thrust it into one of my big pockets; then I staggered up to the horse, but did not unite him.
 Curiosity seized me again, and I thought I would take another look at the ladies-perhaps they might want me-perhaps-f was pretty we'll con- fused, but I went back and crawled once more into the window
 ''This time the place was silent-not faint glimmer of light. I followed this glimmer. Still there was no sound
 "I came to an open door. A couch was before me, heaped with cushions. A long ray of moonlight had shot in through a communicating door, and could see everything by it. This was where the ladies had been when I lis tened before, but they were not here now.
 Weren't they? Why did I tremble so, then, and stare and stare at those cushions? Why did feel I must pull them away, as I presently did? I was mad with liquor and might easily have imagined what there saw. but I did not think of this then. I believed what I saw instantly. Miss Cumberland was dead, and I had discovered the crime. She had killed herself-no; she had been killed!
 ''Should yell out murder? No, no; could be sorry without that. I would not yell. Mistresses were plenty. I had liked her, but I need not yell. There was something else I could do. ''She had ring on her finger-a ring that for months I had gloated over and watched as I had never watched and gloated over any other beautiful thing in my life. I wanted it-I had always wanted it. It was before me for the taking now. I should be . fool to leave it there for some other wretch to pilfer. I had loved her. I | would love the ring.
 Reaching down, I took it. I drew it from her finger. I put it in my pocket. I-God in heaven, the eyes I had seen glassed in death were look ing at me! (
 ''She was not dead; she had been witness of xthe theft. Without a thought of whatI was doing my hands closed round her throat. It was drink, fright, terror at the look she gave me, which made me kill her, not my real self. My real self could have shrieked when in another instant I saw my work
 "But shrieking would not bring her back, and it would quite ruin me- Miss Carmel was somewhere near. I heard her now at tue telephone. In another minute she would come out and meet me. I dared not finger. Tossing back the pillows, I stum- bled from the place. Why I was not heard by my young mistress l do not know. Her ears were deaf, just as my eyes were half blind. In a half hour I was dancing with the maids, telling them of the pretty stranger with whom l had been sitting out an hour of fun LII Lucy UCllCNcu lHc, and not particle of suspicion has any man ever had of me since.
 But others have had to suffer, and that has made hell of my nights I re- stored the ring to my poor mistress, but even that brought harm to one had no quarrel with. But he has es- caped conviction, and if 1 thought MT. Ranelagh would also escape 1 might have courage to live out my miserable life and seek to make amends in the way she would have me.
 ''But fear for him. fear for Miss Carmel; Never could I testify in an other trial which threatened her peace of mind. I see that, instead of being the selfish stealer of her sisters happi- ness, as I had thought, she is an angel from whom all future suffering should be kept.
 'oThis is my way of sparing her. Per haps it will help her sister to forgive me when we meet in the world to which am now going"
 THE END.