Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1911-10-27

me. ! had been seen lingering my
dead betrothed's throat. and nothing
could now say or do would ever con.
vince people that she was dead before
my hands touched her, strangled by
snOther's clutch. One person ouly in
'he whole world would know and feel
low false this accusation was. And
yesterday that ones trust in my guilt
lessness would have thrown a ray of
light upon the deepest infamy which
could befall me. But today there had
settled over that once innocent spirit
a cloud of too impenetrable a nature
for any light to struggle to and fro be-
tween US.
| could not contemplate that cloud.
i could not dwell upon her misery or
upon the revulsiOn of feeling which
follows such impetuous acts. And it
had been an impetuous act, the result
of one of her RACES. l had been told
of these RACES. had even seen her in
one. When they passed she was her
lovable self once more and very peni-
tent and very downcast. If all fear
ed were true she was suffering acute
ly now.
Turning to the officer next to me. l
put the question which had been burn
ing in my mind for hours:
Tell me how you came to know
there was trouble here. What brought
you to this house? There can be moth
ing wrong in telling me that"
"Well. if you don't know he began.
Il do not" broke in.
"l guess you'd better wait till the
chief has had word with you"
Where was Carmel, and how was she
enduring these awful hours? Had re-
pentance come and with it a desire to
own her guilt? Did she think of me
and the effect this unlocked for death
would have upon my feelings? That
/ should suffer arrest for her crime
could not have entered her mind.
had seen her, but she had not seen
| me in the dark hall. No intimatiOn OF
| my dubious position or its inevitable
| consequences had reached her yet.
When it did what would she dof did
not know her well enough to tell.
| The attraction she had felt for me had
! not been strong enough to lead her to
! accommodate herself to my wishes and
mary me offhand, but 1t had been
| strong enough to nerve her arm in
whatever alteration she may have
had with her Jealous minded sister. 1t
was the temper and not the strength
of the love which would tell in strait
like this. Would 1t prove of a gener-
GUS kind? Should l have to combat
her desire to take upon herself the
full blame of her deed, with all its
shames and penalties, or should have
the still deeper misery Of finding her
callous to my position and welcoming
any chance which diverted suspicion
from herself? All communication be-
tween us. In spite of our ardent and un-
governable passion, had been so casual
and so slight Looks, a whispered
word or so, one furtive clasp in which
our hands seemed to grow together
were all had to go upon as tests OF
her feeling toward me. Her character
| had Judged from her face, which was
lovely.
What would relieve my doubts? As
Hexford drew near me again on ouI
way to the head Of the staircase
summoned up courage to ask:
Have you heard anything from the
billq Has the news of this tragedy
been communicated to Miss Cumber
lands family, and, if so, how are they
bearing this affiictionT'
His lip curled, and for a minute ht
hesitated; then something In my as
pect or the straightforward look
gave him softened him, and he answer
ed frankly. If coldly:
"Word has gone there, Of course, bu
only the servants are affected by it 81
far. Miss Cumberland, the younger
is very i'll, and the boy-I don't know
his name-has not shown up since las
evening. He's very dissipated, the!
say, and may be in any one OF th
Joints In the lower part Of the town"
| stopped in dismay, clutching Wild.
at the railing of the stairs we wer
descending. l had hardly heard tn
latter words. All my mind was o.
what he had said first
Miss Carmel Cumberland ILL.,"
stammered. 'too Ill to be told?'
was sufficiently master Of mysel
, to put it this way.
EYES," he rejoined kindly as he ure
ed me down the very stairs l had see
her descend in such a state of mind
few hours before. "a servant wh
had been out lat