The Bon Homme County independent. [volume] (Tabor, S.D.) 1904-1913, 1911-07-27
THAT AFFAIR AT
ETTZ By Burton E: Stevenson
IT, i i i o thon M tery,"
NewY -HenryHo & Co.-1s0
CHAPTER V-(Continued.)
don't. Rather the contrary"


II don't. Rather the contrary"
ITS a little out Of our line," he add
ed. but for q friend-and certainly
pity the poor fellow--we lawyers have
- do peculiar things sometimes"
"I've done more peculiar ones than
this" said. This is, at bottom, mere
~ matter Of finding an important
witness who is missing"
THANK you, Lester" he said, and
held out his hand. Il didn't want to
,eem to be imposing on YOU"
You're not" 1 assured him again,
and rose. Now / think I'd better be
getting to work.
Can be OF any help?" he asked,
rising too. IF not, I'll take the four
needs little looking after I'll hunt
him up and take him with me. Be-
sides, my wife is so wrought up over
this affair that she wants to get home
Every WELL" assented. "Curtiss will
need some one to protect him from the
reporters. It's a wonder they haven't
reed him before this"
"They tried to-" said Mr.. Royce, smil-
Ing grimly. II succeeded In keeping
them off. He was too preoccupied to
notice. There's nothing else can
ao%
mo. think not. If I need you, I'll
WIRE"
"You won't need me-" and he smiled
again. You know I'm no good at this
kind of work"
II know you'll be working harder
than I will, keeping up with things at
the office"
Don't worry about that. You in
tend to stay here?"
Yes; but only for a day or two. ]
trust. I can't think 1t very difficult
task to find a young woman who has
run away In broad daylight in her we'd
Sing finery. Somebody must have seen
her-that is, IL she ran away at all
mo doubt" he agreed. "Of course
you'll find her--it's not about that I'm
worrying so much; it's about her mo-
tive for doing such a thing. 1t seems
preposterous to suppose that any woman
In her right mind would run away half
an hour before her wedding. Curtiss
saw her at 10 o'clock and found her
,, happy, yet an hour later she had taken
this desperate step. I wonder, Lester.
IL you realize just how desperate 1t
Was?"
Eyes" said; II think do"
"WeIl, I'm free to confess didn't I'M
Ill saw its effect on my wife. Why.
Lester. IL was suicidal-it means social
ostracism--no less. Even II 1t doesn't
shadow ii. It's something she can
never outlive."
yes" l said again; "it's all that"
"And yet she was a thoughtful, self
controlled, well-balanced woman, who
would foresee all this--who would real
lie the consequences more clearly than
we can do. Lester-what was 1t drove
her 20 it,"
"Ah. If only knew. But I'm going
10 find out!"
IT hope you willard yet fear it,
too. I'm afraid to think OF tim
afraid to try to guess the secret-Im
afraid I'll unearth some grisly, loath-
some skeleton. which should never have
seen the light! But I'm sure of one
thing" he added, his face hardening.
II think you suspected, too"
what was that?"
Whatever the secret is, Mrs. Law
renee knows it."
YES" l agreed. II believe she does. -
"And had hand in her daughters
disappearance"
Yes" / said again, Il think that
very likely"
He stood for a moment longer, look
Ing at me as though half inclined to
say something more; then he shook
hands abruptly and left the room.
As turned to sit down again, / no
ticed, in the chair from which l had
arisen, something white crushed into
one corner Of the seat. l picked 1t up.
1t was a handkerchief Of dainty lace
and II was damp-with tears?