Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1912-06-19

Of honor. If she was going to see Hugh
she would have done so openly.
But ne telephoned her today I per-
sisted.
That's So" admitted Louise. "An6l
[ think he must have done SO day be-
fore yesterday, too Some one called
iher, and she went out just as she did,
today Generally we tell each other,
where we are going, and I thought iei
peculiar at the time that she said ncth>l
ing to me-"
In deep perplexity we both sat, 81.
lentIy bordering the mystery Of Kathael
rine's action. What could have made
her do it? Was it, wondered, because
her father had learned something dis.
creditable about her sutton and had
| forbidden him the house? Had Grams
dali been trying to persuade her to
continue to see him despite her IA
theirs wishes? Was the conflict il her
heart between love and duty too much
for her? Louise turned to me and laid
her hand gently on my arm.
Harding" she said, there is some
| deep mystery behind all this that has
been creeping like a black shadow
across the lives of both Katharine and
my father. In some way Hugh Crane
dali is concerned in it. I know it. q
feel it. Tt is something more than meree
ly the refusal of my father to permie
her to marry Crandall. have watched
them both and l know. I have seen
this mysterious specter lowering over
my father, gradually crushing the very
| soul out of him. I have seen Kathe
arine's life, too, blighted by its con,
slant presence. Whether Katharine
lives or whether she dies, I must fnG
out what it is. l must, before it kills
my father, too. You'll help me, won'e
your"
| There have been strange wooings
and strange betrothals in loves his
! tory, but never before has any man
been brought to fuller realization Of
the depth of woman's affection for
him or her confidence and trust in him
than was at this moment when Lorl@
Use put this question to me. Ny arms
went about her and my lips met hers
in one long kiss that was pledge-a
pledge that henceforth my life, my
heart, my mind, my powers, my every~
thing were hers. All my abilities woAlG
| be devoted to clearing this mystery
| that was stealing the Joy from her
years, when they should be the pleas
ATTEST But this was no time for love.
dalliance. The mystery must be
solved. Suicides generally left letters,
Perhaps
Hand in hand, Louise and I went
into Katharine's apartments, where
J the rooms disorder still told Of the
| tragedy so recently enacted there. In
one corner stood a little open desk,
It's contents bore evidence Of a recent
| careful sorting that limited very plain
ly of reconciliation, but there was no
note or letter there. l looked next on
the mantelpiece, hoping to find among
the photographs and cotilliOn fayors
that Uttered it some clue which might
solve the mystery, but there was nothy-
ing there, either. 8
My eye fell TO the CRATE below
where fire burned cheerily. Here
Fagain was evidence of generalization
in the ashes of burned letters and the,
charred corner of photograph. A
blackened bit of paper that had fallen
through the CRATE before it burned
caught my glance and I stopped to-
| pick it up. 1t was just scrap of vel.
low, torn from folded letter, with it's
edges burned to fragileness. Careful
ly Louise and 1 unfolded it, for ii
seemed the only thing in all the roon0
that might yield some explanation. As
we pored over the meaningless frag~
ments of sentences, an exclamation OF
horror came from the doorway. Looks
| ing up we saw the tall form of General
Parrish tOttering on the sill.
, Clad in dressing jacket, his white
hair in wild disorder, he pointed with
accusing finger at the yellow scrap of
paper in my hand. Never in mortal
face have | seen such terror as saw
in his. His eyes, dilated, seemed bulgs
| ing from their sockets. His counte<
| nance was white as chalk. His Jaw
had dropped in the paralysis Of terror.
From his throat came horrible mumb4
| lings, as he tried to speak and could
not.
Louise and 1 sprang to his side, but
with almost maniacaI strength he
shook US off and, with finger still
pointing to the yellow scrap I had let
| fall to the floor, he managed to gasp:
"That yellow letter. Where did"
Before he could finish the sentence
he fell stricken to the floor, his voice
choking, his eyes glazing, paralyzed by
some hidden terror-We knew not
what.