Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1911-12-28

iNm 1.-The hour; the
muttered.
ARE you SUI HE .IIo -
MADE NO DENIAL" ~
upper hall window, or so be saws, but
he is not to be believed in all his state
know to be false"
(which ones? Give me a specimen,
Charlie. Mention something he has
said that you know to be false"
well. it is hard to accuse a man of
a direct lie But he cannot be telling
the truth when he says that he crossed
the links Immediately to C%uthbert road,
thus cutting out the ride home Of which
we have such extraordinary proof"
Under the fear of %betraying my
thoughts ! hurriedly closed my eyes.
l was in an extraordinary position my
self. What seemed falsehood to them
struck me as the absolute truth. Car
me! had been the one to go home; he.
without doubt. had crossed the links
as he said AS this conviction pene-
trated deeply and yet more deeply into
my mind Shrank inexpressibly from
the enewcd mental struggle into
which it plunged me. To have suf-
fered myself-to have fallen under the
ban of suspicion and the disgrace Of
arrest-had certainly been hard. but it
was nothing to beholding another in
the same plight through my own rash
and i'll advised attempt to better my
nnSifi0n and NarYpo1,c NV rhot 7 boz
considered a totally harmless subter-
fuge.
Forced by doubt to open my eyes. l
met Clifton's full look turned watch
fully IN me. The result was calm
ing. Even to my apprehensive gaze it
betrayed no new enlightenment. My
struggle had been all within. No to-
ken Of it had reached him.
This he showed still more plainly
when he spoke.
"There will be a close Sitting of evil
dence at the inquest. You will not
enjoy this. but the situation. hard as
it may prove, has certainly improved
so far as you are concerned. That
should hasten your convalescence."
Poor Arthur" burst from my lips.
and the cry was echoed in my heart.
what sort Of nan would you make
him out to be when you accuse him
of robbing the wine vault on top Of
a murderous assault on his sister,"
81 know. 1t argues a brute. but
he
"A1thur Cumberland is selfish. unre-
sponsive and hard. but he is not a
brute. I'm disposed to give him the
benefit of my good opinion to this ex-
tent. Charlie. l cannot believe he first
poisoned and then choked that noble
woman"
Clifton drew himself up in his turn.
establishment battling with renewed
distrust.
Either he or you. Ranelagh!!" he ex
claimed firmly. There is no third
person. This you must realize"
Was Arthur in the clubhouse when
1 first stepped into it? 1t was just pos,
sible. I had been led to prevaricate as
to the moment l entered the lower gate.
way. and he may have done the same
as to the hour he left by the upper hall
window. Whatever his denials on this
or any subject. / was convinced that
he knew as well as that Carmel had
been in the building with her sister
and was involved more or less person.
ally in the crime committed there
Might it not be simply as his acces.
sorry after the fact? If only I could be-
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 TIA 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. saye-and what a fearful ex
ception / here make--the awful end,
which. alas, bespoke the fiery rush and
impulse to destroy which marked Car.
mei's 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 wal due 10 anoth-
er's forethought. another's dstermina.
ton. But the poison had not hillad.