The citizen-Republican. (Scotland, Bon Homme County, S.D.) 1???-19??, 1911-10-12

tnvoiuntarily my eyes sought the por
TRAIT on the wall opposite h front
windows. It was still there-as al
turing, astonishing, compelling as ever.
indeed, as l gazed at 1t now 1t seemed
even more striking than 1t had when
/ saw it first.
Look al that I said, turning to
Godfrey, but there was no need for
me TO call his attention to the por-
trait. He had already seen 1t, and was
gazing at 1t In rapt admiration.
Whose is it?n he demanded at last.
'Who painted it?"
! pointed to the name scrawled in
the corner.
Ruth Endicott, :, ha4read slowly
Well, and who was she?"
That her portrait,'1I said. Does
1t remind you Of any one?"
He looked at 1t for a moment in
silence; then he shook his head.
] NO, | can't a that it does. But
who was Ruth Endicott2'
Nobody in particulars distant rel
ative of the Kingdoms"
Godfrey gazed at me specifically.
Really" he asked.
Really. This vas the asst picture
h painted-of herself. You see how
crude it is
"Crude-yes: but it's got power, Les
ter. The woman's there, somehow,
looking right out of the canvas. Did
she die?"
Yes; 30 years ago. and I told him
the little 1 Knew of Ruth Endicott M
her history,
He listened without comment, his
eyes still on the bewitching face gaz-
ing down from the wall at us.
We'll, it beats me- was his only
remark. when I had ended, and with
a visible effort he tore himself away
from the portrait, and turned to the
coroner, who had been waiting pa
finnf1p until M ~. r inSnnnf{np ~ tho
painting was ended. lis this Where the
inquest will be held?"
Yes, sir; I'll have some chairs
brought in. 1t won't last very long.
I'll have TO adjourn it.of cenrse..a@
til Miss Kingdom can give her testi-
mony."
Godfrey nodded.
Yes, you'll have to do that. Well,
you may depend upon us-but ! doubt
il our evidence will go very far toward
solving the mystery"
II the town had been glowing the
night before over the disappearance of
Marcia Lawrence, it was fairly blaz-
ing now over this new mystery. In
fact, the one a quite eclipsed the
other, and l was nightly relieved to
find that no one suspected any relation
between them. | bought copies Of both
the local papers and observed again
their prodigal use of black type and
exclamation points. Each of them de-
voted the whole front page to the case,
without, however, throwing any new
light upon it. On another page, one
of them stated in a few lines that
nothing further had been heard from
Miss Lawrence; the other contained
no reference whatever to the Law
renee affair. and a apparently for
gotten all about it.
Could any good come of reviving It?
Why need DR.. Schuyler interfere at
l alIn TP a IVA MI ,.ria M r n urya,,, r-In
was insane. the law could not touch
her, whatever she had done. Harriet
Kingdom was dead, and the obloQuy
OF the crime could do her no injury.
Besides. whoever had fired the shot
Then, suddenly, / remembered the
revolver. That was going to prove an
awkward piece of evidence. Godfrey
has suspected instantly who its owner
was; and he certainly would permit
no sentimental considerations to inter-
fere with placing the whole truth be-
fore the public.
ell. Granted that Marcia Lawrence
had been subject to spells of derange-
ment, hat was no proof that she had
committed the crime. 1t might be, in
deed, that that very infirmity was the
cause OF her flight. She may have be-
tiss in good faith, only to discover at
the last moment that she was not
cured; or the impulse to flight may
have seized her during a sudden aber-
ration caused by the excitement of her
wedding day. Aversion to friends and
kindred was. as l knew, one of the
most common symptoms Of such de-
rangement. Was this the key to the
mystery? Was this the explanation of
her flight?
1t was with my mind in this tumult
that I approached DIR. Schuyler's house
that evening and ran the bell. He
opened the door himself
II was expecting you he said and
led the way to his study. "Sit down,
Mr.. Lester. I've been thinking over
what you told me, n 1t seems to
me thai the world should know the
whole TRUTH
My heart sank at the words.
But what good will 1t do?" I ques-
toned. "Of course, DR.. Schuyler, ]
suspect wha the secret is. What good
will it do that the world should know
it?"
TT will at least turn loathing into
pity; it will show that she was justified
in so far as there can be justification
for such an act. 1t will show that she
was not mentally responsible-there-
fore neither legally nor morally guilty
Il wasn't aware that she was re.
garded with loathing." I said. Tn fact
I didn't know that she was connected
with this case at all in any ones MIND
outside Of ourselves and a friend OF
mine"
Not connected with it," DIR. Schuy,
Ter cried. you astonis mel"