Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1911-12-15

fAN -eaNNs - NAAg WIN bN
lieve this.
But she had gone in disguise to the
Whispering Pines. and she had re-
turned home in the same suspicious
fashion.
The wearing of her brother Arthur's
hat and coat over her own womanly
garments was no freak. There had
been purpose in it-a purpose which
demanded secrecy. That Adelaide
should have accompanied her under
these circumstances was a mystery.
But then the whole affair was a mys-
terry, totally out of keeping in all its
details with the characters of these
women, save-and what a fearful ex-
eeption | here make-the awful end,
which. alas, bespoke the fiery rush and
impulse to destroy which marked Car
mels unbridled RACES.
OF a less emotional attack she would
be as incapable as any other good
woman. Poison she would never use.
It's presence there N9s due TO anoth-
er's forethought. an8her's determine
ton. But the poison had not killed.
Both glasses had been emptied. but
alb, those glasses! What explanation
had the police now for those two
emptied glasses? They had hitherto
supposed me to be the second person
who had joined Adelaide in this totally
uncharacteristic drinking.
Knowing nothing of Carmel having
been on the scene, they must ascribe
this act either to Arthur or to me,
and when they came to dwell upon
this point more particularly they must
see the improbability of her drinking
with him under any circumstances.
Then their thoughts would recur to me,
and l should find myself again a sus-
pect. The monstrous suggestion that
Arthur had brought the liquor there
himself. had poured it out and forced
her to drink it, poison and all. out Of
revenge for her action at the dinner
table a short time before, did not oc-
cur to me then, but If it had there
were the three glasses-he would not
bring three, nor would Adelaide, nor,
as saw IL, WOulu Carmel.
Chaos-however one looked at it,
chaos. Only one fact was clear-that
Carmel knew the whole story and
might communicate the same if ever
her brain cleared and she could be
brought to reveal the mysteries of that
hour.
Did l really desire such a consum-
nation? Only God could tell. 1 only
know that the fear and expectation Of
such an outcome made my anguish for
the next two weeks.
Would she live? Would she die? The
question was on every tongue. The
crisis of her disease was approaching,
and the next twenty-four hours would
decide her fate, and in consequence
my own. If not her brother Arthur's.
AS I contemplated the suspense Of
these twenty-four hours l revolted
madly for the first time against the
restrictions of my prison. l wanted
air, movement, the rush into danger,
which my horse or my automobile
might afford-anything which would
drag my thoughts from that sick room
and the anticipated stir of that lovely
form into conscious life and suffering.
Clifton told me no one was allowed
in the sick room but the nurse and
the doctor. Even Arthur was denied
admission and was wearing himself
out in his own room, as | was wearing
myself out here, in restless inactivity.
He expected her to sink and never to
recover consciousness and was loud
in his expressions of rebellion against
the men who dared to keep him from
her bedside when her life was trem-
bling in the balance. But the nurse
had hopes. and so had the doctor. AS
for Carmers looks. they We're greatly
changed, but beautiful still in spite
of the cruel scar left by her fall
against the burning bars of her sis
ters crate. No delirium disturbed the
rigid immobility in which she now lay.
I could await her awakening with
quiet confidence in the justice of God.
Thus Clifton, in his ignorance.
The day was a bleak one. and the
CNCLlliS NtIc lO uc
hands on my watch crawled. When
the door finally opened it came as
shock. I knew that it was Clifton
who entered. but I could not meet his
eye.
l dug my nails into both my palms
and waited for his first word. When
1t came / felt my spirits go down,
down. had thought them at their
lowest ebb before. He hesitated and
I started up:
"Tell me-" cried-"Carmel is dead"
"Not dead" said he, "but silly. Her
testimony is no more to be relied upon
than that Of any other wandering
mind"