The daily telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1901-1926, 1911-05-10

er tnan my nofe had hesn when ft
left my hands. Tf Il were the same
then some of the words were gone.
Were they the first ones or the last3
II would make difference in the read
ing or. rather. In the conclusions to
be drawn from what remained II only
the mtsr would clear from before my
eyes or he would hold the slip of paper
nearer. The room was very dark. The
the
els It your writing2 Coroner Perry
asked for the third time.
There was no denying t. Ny writ
ing was peculiar and quite unmistak.
able. should gain nothing by saying
no,
at looks Ike It. / admitted reIue-
family. -but / cannot be sure In this
light May ] ask what this bit OF pa
per is and where you found IT.
sits contents / think you know. Al
Tor the last question, ithink yOu can.
answer thnt also II son VIII Say
ing which he quietly replaced the scrap
OF paper IN his pOcketbool<.
: followed the action with my eyes.
caught fresh glimpse of darkened
edge and realized the cause of the faint
odor which had hitherto experienced
without being conscious OF It The
scrap had been plucked out of the
chimney. She had tried to burn it 1.
remembered the Ore and the SmoldeF-
Ing bits of paper which crumbled az
my touch, And this one-thiS. the most
important. the only important one Of
them all-had down. half scorched. mp
the chimney and chung there within
easy reach.
The whole incident was plain to me.
and could even Ok upon the moment
when Hex6ord or Clarke discovered
this Invaluable bit of Evidence. It was
inst before / burst In upon them from
the ballroom. and It was the undoubt-
ed occasion Of the remark then over
heard:
..Thls settles 1t He cannot escape
Us now"
During the momentary silence which
nov ensued tried TO remember the
exact words which had composed this
note:
'4TonIght- 1870 trRIn-we viii be
married at r. Come. come. my dar-
ling, my life. She VIII forgive when
all is done. Hesitation WIN only undo
us. Tonight Mt 1890 DO NOT fail me.
i shall never marry uny one but you"
Was that RliS md nm indistinct
remembrance of having added some
wild and Incoherent words of passion
ate affection affixed to her name Her
name. E8Iif Il mny he that in fhe hur-
~ and durry OF the moment these
terms OF endearment simply passed
through my mind und found no exc
preston on paper. could not be sure
any more than could be positive
from the hnIf glimpse got of these
lines which portion had hs'eu burned
o6-the top. IN which the word train"
occurred. or the tinnI words. empbasiz-
ing time OF meeting und any detPrmi- |
nation to nInrry ITO one but the per
son addresses The first gone. the lat |
ter might take on any slniSter mean
ing. The latter gone. the hrst might |
prove Safeguard. corrObornting my |
THAT un errhnd bud tnken
me into town
IL would he hnrd to fiud nm abb for /
Curnel II suspicion once turned her
w;,y. She had mt met me Mt the
train. The unknown but doubtless
easily TO be. found mnu who had hand. I
ri me her NOTE could swear to that
fact
Then the note Itself: bad destroyed
It. 1t is true. but ITS phrases were pres
ant to my mind. They were these-in-
locent. IL she were innocent. but how
suggestive in the light other probable
guilt:
81 cannot. Walt till tomorrow. Then
-ou will see the depth Of my love for
rou-whnt 1 owe you. what owe
1 was conscious that not look or
movement OF mine had escaped the
Considerable but watchful eye of the
nan before me.
"You do not relish my questions"
1e dryly observed. "Perhaps you
would rather tell your story without
IL so beg you to be
IS explicit as possible. The circum-
Itanera are serious enough Tor Per
'eet candor on your part"