Atlanta Georgian. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1912-1939, 1912-09-04
Initials Only . y By Anna katherine Cree
A Thrilling Mystery Story Of Modern Times

could bear going to Adela's in my pres
ent state of mind. Don't you think the
man we saw had something to do with
this? Don't you believe"-
Hush! Let us listen rather than talk
What are they saying over there? Can
you hear?"
No. And l can not bear to look Yet
don't want to go away. It's all so
dreadful"
It's devilish. Such a beautiful girl!
Laura, l must leave you for a moment
Do you mind?" :.
mo, no; yeti
did mind; but he was gone before
could take back my word. Alone, |
felt the tragedy much more than when he
was with me. Instead Of watching, az /
had hitherto done, every movement In the
room opposite, ! drew back against the
wall and hid my eyes, waiting feVerishy
for Georges return.
He came, when he did come. In some
haste and with certain marks of in
creased agitation.
Laura" said he, Slater says that we
may possibly be wanted and proposes
that we stay here all night 1 have tele-
phoned Adela and have made it all right
at home. Will you come to your room?
Nothing could have pleased me bet
ter; to be near and yet not the direct OBJ
server of proceedings in which we took
so secret an interest l showed my graf
itude by following George Immediately
But | could not go without casting an
other glance at the tragic scene l was
leaving stir was perceptible there and
was just in time to see it's cause. A
n obi ,ey
from the direction of the musicians gall
lery, and from the manner of all present
as we'll as from the whispered comment
of my husband, l recognized in him the
special official for whom all had been
waiting,
Are you going to tell him?" was my
question to George as we made our way
down to the lobby.
That depends First, | am going to
see you settled in a room quite remote
from this business.
81 shall not like that"
Il know, my dear, but it is best"
l could not gainsay this
Nevertheless after the first few min
utes of relief, I found it very lonesome
upstairs. The pictures which crowded
upon me of the various groups Of ex-
cited and wildly gesticulating men and
women through which we had passed on
our way up, mingled themselves with the
solemn horror of the scene in the writing
room, with its fleeing vision of youth
and beauty lying pulseless in sudden
death. l could not escape the one with
out feeling the immediate impress of the
other, and if by chance they both yielded
for an instant to that earlier scene if a
desoate street, with its solitary lamp
Gbf n IN he Of
man washing his shaking hands in a
drift of freshly fallen snow, they immedi-
ately rushed back with force and clear
ness all the greater for the momentary
lapse.
l was still struggling with these fan
cies when the door opened and George
came in. There was news in his face
as | rushed to meet him
Tell me--tell," ! begged.
He tried to smile at my eagerness. but
the attempt was CHASTITY.
I've been listening and looking" said
he, "and this is all I have learned Miss
Challoner died not from stroke or from
disease OF any kind, but from a wound
reaching the heart No one saw the
attack or even the approach or de
parture of the person inflicting this
wound. If she was killed by a pistol
shot, it was at a distance, and almost
over the heads of the persons sitting at
the table we saw there. But the doc
tors shake their heads at the word pis-
tol shot, though they refuse to explain
themselves or to express any opinion
until the wound has been probed This
they are going to do at once, and when
that question is decided, I may feel it
duty To nell 10
support my story"
II will tell what l saw" said I.
Very good. That is all that will be
required. We are strangers to the par
ties concerned, and only speak from a
sense of justice. 1t may be that our
story will make no impression, and that
we shall be dismissed with but few
thanks. But that is nothing to us. If
the woman has been murdered, he is the
murderer With such a conviction in my
mind. there can be no doubt as to my
duty
To Be Continued in Next issue.