The Bon Homme County independent. [volume] (Tabor, S.D.) 1904-1913, 1911-10-26
THAT AFFAIR AT
TT 7ARETH By Burton E; Stevenson.
-
New YORK. 4
New York.-Henry Holt 4 co.--lsn.

WHoiH nc Couio WreaK MS gusts OF
passion. He had always believed
himself irresistible to women; he knew
the dog-like devotion which Harriet
Kingdom had had for him; he believed
that he had only to speak the word.
and she would crawl back to him.
But he. would do more than that; he
would be generous; he would offer to
make her really his wife. Magnificent!
Could she refuse such an offer as that?
The wife of Parello!
So he had made inquiries at the
asylum, had learned her address, and
had taken the train. for. Elizabeth on
the morning Of that fatal 10th Of June.
He had made his way to the Kingdom
cottage, had found Harriet Kingdom
there alone, had entered. seated him
self Familiarity. perhaps attempted
some entearment. He was confident,
self satisfied. 1t was better than. he
had hoped. Here was comfortable
nome ready for him. wife who
seemed TO be making q good living.
Iif IT should be necessary, he could no
doubt find many pupils at Elizabeth,
and II the pay was not quite metro
politan, why, neither was the work.
| Here was golden future; yes, he
would be generous; she should be his
wife; he would forget all that had
But the sight of him had brought
| back the memory Of her old infamy
WHICH her attack of madness and the
years had partially blotted out: the
cloud. rolled down upon her brain
| again, that white hate leaped to life
She snatched up her revolver and shot
him through the heart, even as he sat
there" confidently smiling. Then, with
| a strength born of insanity, she had
| dragged him to the cellar and dug q
grave for him there.
| The story was strong in every link;
| ha n "a
Not until the inquest was finished.
and we entered the train together
to return to New. Y ork,. did I get the
| chance to talk quietly with Godfrey.
You did great work." 1 said, as we
| sat down together.
Yes" he agreed, smllingly,-1 was
pleased with it myself. The story de-
veloped beautifully"
And clearly. Even the coroner's
jury couldn't question It. There's no
possibility, now, Of any one associating
this affair with Miss Lawrence's dis
appearance. II it had to happen, I'm
glad that 1t happened just when it
forget the other mystery. I'm pleased
for another reason I added. Lucy
Kingdom won't be called upon to
tell that story on the stand. I don't
like her nor trust her, but I'm glad
she'll be spared that ordeal"
Godfrey agreed. 'The coroner tells
me that she's very ill., / feel guilty;
In way. l should have prepared her
| for that horror in the cellar. I
shouldn't have taken her without
warning to brink of that grave"
THAT wasn't the only cause of her
Illness" l said. She had sins of her
derstand even yet," added, why that
I face should affect her so. She couldn't
have recognized it. since she'd never
seen Parello."
How do you know she never saw
him? I'm decidedly inclined to
think she habitat he was the
cause OF that violent quarrel between
her and her sister which DR.. Schuyler
| mentioned. Lucy Kingdom, looking at
the man clear-eyed, saw him as he was
and tried to dissuade her sister from
the enlargement; the elder woman,
blinded by passion. wouldn listen, and
the quarrel followed, in which both, no
| doubt, used words which they after
wards regretted"
yes" agreed. perhaps you're
right"
Even II she'd never seen him." God
frey added, ''she must have suspected
who 1t was-there was only one man
In the world whom her sister was cap
able of killing. Or she might have
|
There's been nothing in all this, Les
ter, to disprove my original theory
about Miss Lawrence
/ Godfrey" ! said impulsively, I'm
going to disprove 1t once and for all.
Look at this" and l thrust into hts
hands the photograph Burr Curtiss had
He gazed at it for some moments
IN silence: At last he handed it back
to me.
do you believe that theory now? %
l. asked.
mo-" he answered. and sat staring
straight before him, his lips com
pressed.
"I knew you'd say So" I said. ~
knew you'd see. how impossible it was
that there should be any shameful sec
ret In her life. / wavered once or twice
when every discovery we made seemed
to. confirm your theory, but I never
really believed it.. I'd only to recall
Why didn't you show it to me be-
fore?" he asked.
"Candid,y, Godfrey" I answered,
crimsoning a little, IL don't know
"Oh, yes; you dol" he retorted. you
We're afraid I'd chin it out of You"
We'll. yes. I was" admitted.
He looked at me curiously for a mo-
ment.
'I"see' you don't know me very well,
even yet, Lester" he said, at last.
I'm sorry you didn't let me see it.
1t would have saved me a wild goose
chase. But then" he added, with a
grim little laugh. II might not have
stumbled upon this second tragedy. So
perhaps it. was as well. after all. i
forgive YOU"
"You think the photograph would
have made the. mystery clearer" I
asked.
Clearer" he echoed. my dear Les
ter. it makes 1t more unexplainable
than ever 1t converts it from a vul-
gar intrigue into the most puzzling
problem ever had to deal with"
Il was. staring at him in astonish-
ment.
81 don't see how it can do that" I
protested.
Don't you? Well, I'll tell YOU I've
already pointed out to you that, so far
as 1 could see, my theory was the only
conceivable one which would explain
Marcia Lawrence's flight. 1 look at
that photograph and see at once that
must throw that theory aside. What
have left? Nothing! That photograph
SHOWS me { pure, cultured, innocent
woman; know that she loved devoted
ly the man she was to marry Yet she
deliberately deserts him. 1 should say
it was incredible. if didn't know 1t
was true!'
Then" I said, while we've solved
one mystery. the other. is as deep as
ever
"Deeper!" he corrected: miles deem