The Huttig news. (Huttig, Ark.) 1907-1955, 1912-10-05
Iolifse had. Led Ia NE

Louise had lied 10 me.
Crandall had been in the house. She
had seen him. She had left me 10
join him. She had even deserted her
helpless sister and her dying father
70 go with him. And all The Willie her
lips had protested that no one h2d
been in the house but the doctors and
nurses.
As | paced the platform and paced
t back again. waiting two weary hours
or an Ardway train. as I sat for two
amending hours more in the long ride
through New Jersey. like a poisoned
knife, cutting my heart to shreds and
cutting the shreds again. the thought
itept coming back to me over and
7Yer: She lied TO me-"
Quarter a man alive, pour molten
retail into his eyeballs, feed him salt
.sh and cut off water. bury him alive
Il quicklme. devise what torture ycu
sill and double It. the pain aid agony
AN not equal that which ccnes to a
nan who, believing in and trusting
nd loving a woman with his whole
ieart, is forced to admit to himself
hat she has deceived him-that she
aas lied to him. In those awful hours
| came to know the seven bells.
fent through all of them
Only one ray of comfort came to
ne. As l had asked myself why die
lie lie?" | found myself believing that
he had done so, not of her own free
&ill but impelled by some motive SO
eoWerful that she could not resist it.
That it was the influence of Grandall
could no doubt He had so preyed
n her fears for her f&sher and sister,
perhaps on her fear for me, that he
lad induced her to try to persuade me
give up my investigation and had
made her promise 10 accompany him
On some doubtful secret mission.
ut is not my secret"
| recalled the piteous cry my en-.
sreaties had wrung from her lips, and
ound the logical explanation of it in
aer having been terrorized by that
sillain, Crandall. If could have found
i'm at the moment | could have killed
i'm with my naked hands.
Yet even though l was convinced
hat Louise had lied to me, began tc
eel that whatever she had done, what
yer she was now doing, was in the
belief that she was acting for the best
Cor her dear ones, for me.
My duty to her, my duty to myself,
/ reasoned, demanded that | do my
almost to solve the hideous mystery
and free her from the fear that | was
sure was responsible for her strange
actions. l swung off the train at Ard
way and fastened to the hotel, eager
10 tell Davis what l had learned about
he movements of Hugh Crandall, but
Davis was not there. All that | could
earn was that he had hired horse
ne buggy early in the morning aid
Nd driven off in the direction taken
~ Crandall the day before.
IF he is following Crandall's trail"
aid | to myself, he is just day 70
ata"
So long as Davis was not about |
.teeided | might as well see If the misR
ing postmaster had been found As
walked up the street ! could not help
thinking how dumfounded Davis would
be when he returned from his fruit
less chase for Crandall and listened
to my tale of Crandall's actions. While
he had advised against my return 10
the city, he would have to admit that
1t had not been without result.
As | entered the post-ofTice Lfourd
that Miss Cox was still in charge.
Approaching the letter window bate
her good afternoon and asked if there
was any news of the missing postu 3
ter. 1t was late in the afternoon ard