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

III
eiose sipBely hstlf Whaf does
u meant know 10 more than yol d..
The two men eyed me eIuietly: then
FoIieel1hn Hexford. whom knew
pointei % my slioeles feet and sternIy
reborted
Permit me TO doubt your last as.
seftion. You seem % be n better pc-
sitton than ourselves 20 explain the
eireuElstanees which puzzle you q.
They were right Il vas for me 70
talk. not for them. But here eniotloD
seized me. ana ] almost broke down.
] was IN q position much more dread
full than any they eould Imagine or
should be allowed 60.
Their sileuce LED me % e1an1ine.
their faces. Hex6ord's mouth md
settled into a stfR. strRfGht line, and
the other mans wore q cynical smile
did not like. At this EIresagsi Of the
difficulties awaiting me I felt one
strand OF the rope sustaining me
above this yaWning gulf OF shame and
lgnomIny crack and give way. But
the courage which had served me In
lesser extremities did not IAN me now
and. lrneeling down before my dead
hetrothed. kissed her cold white
hand with sincere computation before
attempting the Rarbled and prohably
LClLlA1N =
endenvored to explain the 4ne1platlS
/ able situation.
They Hstened-I WIN do them that
much 1uStice-but It was with such
an air Of tncredulftY TINT my Mords
fen with less and less continuity and
finally lost themselves IN Q confused
stammer as I reached the point where
/ pulled the. cushions from the couch
ana made my CHASTITY discovery.
:sYou see-see for yourselYes-Wla nat
confronted me My betrothed -, q
dainty. delicate voman-dead. alone.
In this solitary, faraWay spot, the
victim of what7 asked myself then
= ask myself now. cannot under
stand it-or those glasses yonder-oE'-
or those marksP' They were black BY
this time-unmistalrRb le-nof to be 4g-
nored by them or by me.
eve understand those marks. ana
you ought to-. came from the second
man, the one did not know.
My head fen forward Ny lips re-
fused to speak the words The vision
of the one woman bending over the
lother was maddening one. shook
myself free from It by starting to my
feet. sIts-itas'-I gasped.
.she has been strangled." quoth
Hexford doggedly.
"a dogs death" mumbled the
other.
ford suddenly suggested, pushing
chair my way. "Clarke. look up the
telephone and ask for three more men
am going into this matter thorough
w. Perhaps you Wi1l ten us where
the telephone isY' he asked, turning
The second man left the room to go
10 the telephone. As he did 50 Hex
ford lit the candle. Idly watching.
for nothing now could make me look
ut the lounge again. I noticed the can
dlestick. It was OF brass and rnre In
style and workmanship candlestfck
to be remembered. one Of pair. per
haps. felt my hair stir as took in the
detaiIs of its shape and Ornamental
tion. If its mate were in her house
No. no, no! / would not have It so.
could NOT control my emotion IL
let my imagination stray too far. The
candlestick must be the property OF
the club. had only forgotten. It
was bought when? While thinking,
planning. was conscious Of Hex
ford.s eyes fixed steadily upon me-
sDId you go into the Kitchen In
yonr wanderings below?'' he asked.
.'No," l began. but seeing that I
had made a mistake. I bungied and
added weakly. eyes; after matches"
"And did you get themE
..fn the dark2 You must have had
trouble in hndIng themF'
mot Mt all. Only safety matches
are allowed here. and they are put in
a receptacle at the side OF each door.
had but to open the kitchen door.
feel along the jamb. hnd the recep-