The citizen-Republican. (Scotland, Bon Homme County, S.D.) 1???-19??, 1911-07-27
AFFAIR AT
A. By Burton uric a. E, sss a,assss =.
HolSday Case" Etc
New ork-Henry Holt & co-1sn.
CHAPTER v-(continued.,
don't. Rather the contrary
New York-Henry Holt & co.-1so7.

II don't. Rather the contrary"
It's a little out of our line he add
ed. But for a friend-and 1 certainly
pity the poor fellow-we lawyers have
to do peculiar things sometimes"
I've done more peculiar ones than
this" I said. This is, at bottom, mere
ly a matter Of finding an important
witness who is missing" !
THANK you, Lester he said, and
held out his hand. II didn't want to
seem to be imposing on YOU"
You're not" l assured him again,
and rose. Now 1 think I'd better be
getting to work"
Can I be of any help?" he asked.
rising toe. IF not. I'll TAX the four
ten back to New York I think Curtiss
him up and take him with me. Be-
sides. my wife Is SO wrought up over
this affair that she wants to get home"
Very we'll" I assented. "Curtiss Will
need some one to protect him from the
reporters. It's a wonder they haven't
freed him before this"
"They tried to-" a Mr.. Royce, smtl-
ing grimly. II succeeded in keeping
them off. He was too p~reoccupied to
notice. There's nothing else I can
do?"
mo. I hin not. If 1 need you, I'll
wire..'
You won't need me-" and he smiled
again. you know I'm no good at this
kind OF work"
IT know you'll be working harder
than I will. keeping up with things at
the office"
Don't worry about that. You in
tend to stay here?"
Yes; but only for a day or two, I
rust. l can't think it a very difficult
task to find q young woman who has
run away in broad daylight in her we'd
ding flnery. Somebody must have seen
her-that is. If she ran away at all"
mo doubt" he agreed. "Of course
you'll find her-it's not about that I'm
worrying SO much; it's about her mo-
tive for doing such a thing. 1t seems
In her right mind would u away half
an hour before her wedding. Curtiss
saw her at 10 o'clock and found her
happy, yet an hour later she had taken
this desperate step. I wonder, Lester,
IL you realize just how desperate it
wasp"
Yes" 1 said; 'I think I do"
well I'm free to confess I didn't I'M
I'll I saw its effect on my wife. Why,
Lester, it was suicidal-it means social
ostracism-no less. Even if it doesn't
altogether ruin her life, it will always
shadow it. It's something she can
eve outlive."
Yes" I said again; ITS all that"
And yet she was q thoughtful, self
controlled. ~well-balaaced woman, who
"Ould lOlGSe6 al LlllS-WilO WOulQ iSol-
lie the consequences more clearly than
We can do. Lester-what was 1t drove
her to it?"
"Ah, If I My knew! But I'm going
to find outl"
IT hope you willard yet I fear it,
too. I'm afraid to think of tim
afraid to try to guess the secret-I'm
afraid I'll unearth some grisly, loath-
some skeleton. which should never have
seen the light! But I'm sure of one
thing" he added, his face hardening.
II think you suspected, too"
What was that"
Whatever the secret is, Mrs. Law
renee knows it."
Yes" I agreed, 'I believe she does"
And had g hand IN her daughters
Disappearance"
Yes" I said again, II think hat
very likely"
He stood for a moment longer, look
ing at me as though half inclined to
say something more; then he shook
hands abruptly and left the room.
AS 1 turned to sit down again, I no
ticed, in the chair from which L had
arisen, something white crushed into
one corner of the seat. 1 picked it up.
1t was a handkerchief of dainty lace
and 1t was danp-with tears?