The citizen-Republican. (Scotland, Bon Homme County, S.D.) 1???-19??, 1911-10-19
CHAPTER XXI.
LIGHT AT LAST!

x
LIGHT AT LAST!
I sank back into my chair. overcome
by such a flood of relief and thankful
ness that / could not speak. But DR..
Schuyler laboured under no such dis.
ability.
Il cannot understand he said. and I
saw by his flushed face that he was
genuinely angry, how YOU could have
got the preposterous idea that Marcia
Lawrence was connected in any wav
with this affair. Any sane man would
nave seen the utter absurdity of such
"a theory"
Il see 1t now" assented hoarsely.
why, Marcia Lawrence could no
more he concerned in a thing like that"
ne went on hotly. tthan-than a babe
unborn. She could not be concerned
IN anything wrong, or mean, or GRIM
ma. 1 want you to understand, Mr..
Lester that she's absolutely spotless.
II you knew her. 1 shouldn't need to
tell you" -
I've always believed It," I protested.
IN my heart of hearts, I've always be-
lieved it. We've been fools-we've
been trying to make two things fit
must fit because they happened so close
together. | see now that it was merely
q coincidence, and I'm glad from the
very bottom of my heart"
fou helleVed. than, that Miss Law
renee was really concerned in this muir
We thought her the active party in
The active party! But on what
We thought the dead man was her
h~usband-an a~dventurer who'd llred
her into a marriage while she was
abroad. You'll remember I mentioned
this theory to you the other night
Yes, and | told you at the time how.
ridiculous | thought it,"
I've never wholly believed it," 1 re-
peated. TT wasn't mine. But II
seemed to fit the facts so perfectly. and
when You minated this Afternoon, as
thought. thai Miss Lawrence wes sIIh-
lect TO speiis OF insanity. imagined
ina understood the whole story
he sat for d mor1enty silent. regard
ing me from half closed eyes; I saw
that ne was considering whether bn
houid speak or remain silent.
! nope this mistake has gone no
fart5er;" he said, at last.
No. answered, n genuinely
i kept it absolutely to myself"
ne breathed a sigh of relief.
Then no harm has been done. Tn,
Elad of tina I see that you're glad.
Yes" I said; Il ANYMORE glad than
can say $3.50
And now that yon understand the
matter" he continued, II Won
see 1t in q different light?'
In a different light?"
AT least, you'll hardly advise nov,
that | keep silent?"
by no means" l asserted heartily
I think it is clearly your duty 10 foil
III you know. You will absoive Har-
iiet Kingdom from responsibility for
her act--as you said, change loatbinr
IN nit,r ISncilnc 20 ~. L., .
terved death, let the world know IT."
Il don't know that he did" cor
!ected my companion; 4 know moth
ing about him.
But you suspect 1 prompted.
Perhaps / DO he admitted, ,rout
thing What l do know came to me
In the way so many things come TO a
minister. | was asked for advice
received a confidence
He stopped and pondered for a mo-
nent.
Il came very near telling you night
before last he continued. when YOU
were asking me about the Kingdoms
telling you, at least. as much as
could without violating that con
Ldence. But on second thought, did
not see that any good would come of
At, and so kept silent. Now, circum-
stances ;tosoive Inc from any obliga-
ton of secrecy and | can speak freely.
Il told you the other evening that
John Kingdom had died in an asylum
for the insane, and that his family
had a hard struggle for existence.
After the mothers death, they had no
means to maintain a home, and Lucy,
who was only a girl, went to the
Lawrence house to help her cousin,
Ruth Endicott, who was h~ousekeeper
there, as have said. The elder
daughter, Harriet, secured a position
In New York; think as governess in
a private family. She was called
home some time later, by the illness
of her cousin Ruth, whom she took
to Florida, where Ruth died. Mr..
Lawrence was married soon after
wards, and Lucy Kingdom remained
in his house as maid, first to his wife
and afterwards to his daughter.
Harriet Kingdom returned to New
York and took up again her work of
teaching. About six months later,
there was a quarrel of some sort be-
tween her and her sister Lucy-a vio-
lent quarrel-and they ceased to cor
respond or hold communication of any
kind. Just how long a time elapsed
don't know, but I should Judge 1T
was at least three years, when a let
ter came to Lucy Kingdom from
Bloomingdale hospital. stating that
her sister had been brought there a
year before, violently insane, that she
was practically well again and wished
to be taken away. Lucy went after
her at onc n brought here bome.''
Homer" repeated.
Yes; it was at that time h a Mrs.
Lawrence gave them the cattage in
which they still live. She virtually
supported them for same time, until
Harriet was able to attend to the
tc,znhold duties, and Lucy to resume
,lace as maid"
V ME-. lawrence living at the