The Bridgeport evening farmer. [volume] (Bridgeport, Conn.) 1866-1917, 1911-06-10

| ordeal At me she never glanced.
ST do not remember the words" she
said finally as her eyes fell again to
her lap. But remember it's mean
ing. 1t was an invitation for me to
leave town with him that very even
Ing and be married at some place he
| mentioned. He said it would be the
best way toto end-matters."
CHAPTER XIV.
II LOVED ADELAIDE BETTER THAN MY
SELF"
~HIS brought Mr.. Fox to his feet.
Turning to the judge, he cried:
"This testimony is irrelevant
and incompetent, and 1 ask to
have it stricken out
Mr. Moffat's voice as he arose to an
swer this was like honey poured upon
gall.
at is neither irrelevant nor incom-
petent, and if it were the objection
comes too late. Ny friend should
have objected to the question
1.-THE whole course Of counsel has
been very unusual" began Mr.. Fox.
''Yes, but so is the case. I beg your
honor to believe that in some Of its
features this case is not only unusual,
but almost without precedent. I beg
that my witness may be allowed to
proceed and tell her story in all its de-
tails
"The motion is denied" declared the
judge.
2Nr Fox sat down, to the universal
relief of all but the two persons most
interested-Arthur and myself.
Mr.. Moffat, generous enough or dis
Greet enough to take no note of his
opponents discontinue. lifted paper
from the table and held it toward the
witness.
''Do you recognize these 1ines?' he
asked, placing the remnants of my
half burned communication in her
hands.
She started at sight Of them. Evil
IDENTIFY she had never expected to see
them again.
eyes," she answered after a mo-
ment. 'This Is a portion of the note
/ have mentioned
"You recognize it as such?'
81 do"
Her eyes fingered on the scrap and
followed it as it was passed back and
marked as an exhibit.
Mr. Moffat recalled her to the matter
in hand.
what did you do next, Miss Cum
berland?'
81 answered the note"
"May ask to what effect?"
Il refused Mr.. Ranelagh's request. I
said that could not do what he asked
and told him to wait till the next day
and he would see how felt toward
him and toward Adelaide. That was
all. 1 could not write much. I was
suffering greatly
suffering in mind or suffering in
body?'
Suffering in my mind. / was terri
fed, but that feeling did not last very
long. Soon grew happy, happier than
/ had been in weeks, happier than I
had ever been in all my life before. 1
found that loved Adelaide better than
did myself This made everything
have told you about to Mr.. Ranelagh."
miss Cumberland, how did you get
this answer to Mr.. Ranelagh?
by means of a gentleman who was
going away on the very train 1 had
been asked to leave on. He was a
guest next door, and carried the note
In to him"
did you do this openly?"
"No; I'm afraid not. I slipped out by
the side door in as careful a way as 1
could"
did this attempt at secrecy sue
coed? Were you able to go and come
without meeting any one?"
mo. Adelaide was at the head of
the stairs when 1 came back, standing
there, very stiff and quiet"
did she speak to you?"
mo. She just looked at me. But it
wasn't a common look. I shall never
forget it."
"And what did you do then?"
II went to my ROOM
Miss Cumberland, did you see any
body else when you came in at this
timer
Yes, our maid, Helen. She was just
laying down q bunch Of keys on the
table in the lower hall. 1 stopped and
looked at the keys. 1 had recognized
them as the ones 1 had seen in Mr..
Ranelagh's hands many times. He
had gone, yet there were his keys.
One Of them unlocked the clubhouse.
L noticed it among the others, but 1
didn't touch it then. Helen was still
In the ball, and I ran straight up
stairs, where l met my sister, as 1
have just told you
Miss Cumberland, continue the sto-
~. What did you do after re-entering
your room:"
Il don't know what 1 did first. I
was very excited-elated one minute,
deeply wretched and very frightened
the next. / must have sat down, for
| was shaking very much and felt a
little sick. The sight Of that key had
brought up pictures of the clubhouse,
and thought and thought how quiet
1t was and how far away and how
cold it was, too, and how secret.
would go there for what had to do
there! And then 1 saw In my fancy
one of its rooms, with the moon in it,
and-but l soon shut my eyes to that.
heard Arthur moving about his room,