The citizen-Republican. (Scotland, Bon Homme County, S.D.) 1???-19??, 1911-07-20
THAT AFFAIR AT
A. Bly, B B aTse n. E; Stevenson ss,aassoa !.
Honaday Case"E Etc 4
6M& New York-Henry Holt & Co-1ap #
New York-Henry Holt 8 co.-1so7.

. - we Z ol SOIlO SrOOnQ, well.
that point is settled then. And now /
must ask you another question, Mr..
Curtlss, which you may resent, but
which ii is absolutely necessary /
should ask II I'm to be of any help to
you"
Il think I can guess what it is. Mr..
Lester and he smiled grimly. Since
Marcia disappeared, I've reviewed care
fuliy my whole past life, and I can
md nothing in it which would Justify
IN the slightest degree such an action.
Y not been a saint, but at least I've
never been dishonorable nor dissolute.
Does that answer the question:
Perfectly" / said. There could be
no doubling his utter truthfulness.
And your family history?"
Is neither long nor brilliant. My
father and mother both died when I
was a baby. I was, raised by my grand
parents
They lived in New York ?"
NO; Long Island. My gr%andfather's
name was Joh Curtiss. He managed
an estate belonging to a New York
banker. He was an honest and hon
orable man"
And he is dead?"
Yes; he and his wife nave been dead
ten years and more"
You have no brothers or sisters 2"
NO; nor any other near relatives"
Ihat was the end of that theory then.
II the secret did not concern Curtiss,
1t must concern Miss Lawrence her
sen, More and more ! felt that she
was the victim Of a plot. OF the maids
completely, I had not the shadow of a
doupt-but was Mrs. Lawrence a party
to it. too?
l turned back to her. She was. APP
parently, so busy with her w
thoughts that she paid no need to what
was passing. How explain her calm
ness, her lack of interest? How, er.
cept In the theory that she knew where
her daughter was, had assisted in her
d~lsappearance and approved of it? I
Ielt my blood warm suddenly In Cur
tlss's behalf. If he had been the VIC
tim of an adventures. it should be nv
business to expose her!
But a second glance at Mrs. Law
rence's face SHOWED me the folly of
such thought. She was no adventures
she was a gentle, cultured christian
woman, who a suffered, as all NOR
tails must, but had still preserved her
sweetness n serenity, as few mortals
90. Yet more and more was / per-
picked by that indefinable abstraction in
her behavior, which seemed somehow
out OF tune with the circumstance Per-
maps she was really more moved than
she seemed to be; perhaps her apparent
lndlitersnce was in reality only an ad-
mHabie self-control. l fancied that il
had given way for an instant when she
was telling us the story of her daugh-
tefs disappearance. If l could onlv hit
upon some way to startle her out OF
her self-possession, l might yet learn
she turned suddenly and met my
eyes, She blushed acknowledgement
she read my thought; and instantly l
planned myself for my clumsiness in
permitting my suspicion to appear in
my race. 1t was a mischance not cas-
lily retrieved. -
II have told you all 1 know" she
said. rising quickly, and answering the
question had not uttered. II feel the
need or rest. If I can help you in any
way, command me-"
"Thank you,' 1 answered and onenea
the door for her.
She paused on the threshold-glanced
fouhd-her eyes rested on Burr Cur
tlSSDS dreary face. In an instant she
was beside him, bending over him with
infinite tenderness.
Dear boy" she said. so low l could
scarcely hear her, and smoothed back
ms mar with a gesture almost mother
sure it will all come right"
he looke up and smiled at her
tremulously. With a quick impulsive-
ness, she stopped and kissed him, then
went rapidly from the room. leaving
me, at least, more puzzled tina before
- ms StouSH SlllIlpSe OIL u1SlSnprtnd
depths of tenderness.
1 closed the door after her and turned
back to Curtiss.
Has Mrs. Lawrence favored vour
suit for her daughters hand?" l asked.
Favored it?" he repeated. yes.
from the very first"
Then, In your opinion, she couldn't
have had anything to do with this
disappearance-advised it, perhaps as
sisted in it?"
surd."
"And yet" l began.
If o knew her" he interrupted.
always been most kind to me. You
Yes I nodded.
She has always been like that. She
has treated me as a dearly beloved
son ever since we told her Of our en-
gagement."
There has been no cloud?"
No the slightest. She seemed to
share in her daughters happiness and
in mine. She has told me more than
once that she thought fate had made
us for each other"
And she helped on the weddinr
day."
In a thousand ways. She and Mar
cha worked together upon the troJs-
seau. She helped with all the plans.
surely, Mr. Lester, II she objected she
wouldn't have waited till the last
minute TO make her objection known"
Most certainly she would not" l
agreed.
Besides" curtiss added hoarsely, Il,
don't believe that even her mother
could have kept Marcia from me"
She's a Widow" I. asked.
Yes. Her husband has been dead
child" 0"'
She seems to have had her share of
sorrow" I remarked. Her face shows
it,"
She has not beer quite well lately;
but she was ALWAYS a little-wou-sca.
II seemed to me; serious, you know;
sometimes, but rarely laugh
ing. " fancted she grieved for her
husband; but I really know nothing
about it."
She doesn't look very strong"
h~azarded, in the hope that Curtiss
really knew more than he supposed.
She Isn't strong; but i've never
her really Ill. She is subject to
spells of depression. so Marcia told
me. OF course, I've known her only
six months"
So there was an old trouble "a