Atlanta Georgian. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1912-1939, 1912-06-15
"TE4E GATES OF Sill ENCE" 81 By AlETA u SNMNS
Mystery Ppmd i mn Prise

though Sir George had urged him to come
to the Croft Only that morning he had
been pleading with her to cut her visit
short and return with him. for what was
left ~ the summer, to their villa at Au-
teril, and TO bring Betty with her. that
| the girl might be placed under the care
of one Of the great mental specialists
Tragedy In the Air
You know Hardinge is one of the dear
est old chaps going. but a bit of a fossil.
| and in my opinion, there's not a man in
London can touch the Frenchmen where
diseases Of the brain and nerves are con
cerned You must leave this place The
atmosphere of the house is deadly. Edith -
he said
There's tragedy in the air of it, You
may talk Of shock If you will but it's
my belief that Bettys illness is not the
| result of any great sudden shock. but
merely the elimination of the daily blud-
geoning of sensitive nerves that existence
with your father means You'n be break
Ing down next. BE sensible, my dear girl.
make arrangements fer getting away. fo-
II YOU won't I'll take you by force
No; very clearly it was not possible for
her to hope for any long continuance of
Anthonys patience.
She stood up, shedding the newspap ers
that had lain upon her lap about her.
those newspapers. in which she had been
reading a description of the result OF the
inquest on Mr.. Fitzstephen, and went over
TO the window Although consciously she
saw nothing of what her eyes rested on.
insensibly the cool grays and greens of
the garden spaces soothed her nerves
The day itself was a day OF balm after
the long weeks of hrazen glory-a day
Of gray stiffness with a soft low sky
massed by heecy clouds
Betty's Plight.
Anthony was in London Sir George
was shut up in his own apartments In
stairs in the blue and white bed room.
under the picture OF the Pitiful Shepherd.
Betty was sleeping She selpt a great
deal, as though in things physical as we'll
as mental she were reverting to the con
dition Of a child Edith Barrington's
ewes filled with a singing rush of tears.
the thought of Betty was uncomfortable
1t was like living with the corpse Of
some one YOU had loved and murdered
That was what she felt that II was by
her action this misfortune that seemed
SO much worse than death had come
upon the girl who was so dear to her
For DAYS past Mrs Barrington's brain
! had seemed numb, a dark. fear bound
! place. across which fugitive thoughts
flashed with grim suggestion Thoughts
Of the slip of paper that had dropped
from Betty's unconscious clasp; of those
strange faltered words There's blood on
my hands'" of that hush money that
had como to her SO mysteriously on the
morning following Bettys return Sug-
gestions compiling her sister with the sin
lister happenings in that house where Ed
mond LaVasseur had been caught. a muir
derer, red handed. but now this after
noon the power for collected thought re
turned in some part to her
Standing there by the window she tried
to focus facts to make plans
II was almost impossible to do that
The element Of uncertainty was too great
Blocking the way was always that aw-
tul possibility that Lavasseur. even now,
when he had nothing 10 gain by speech.
might. for all that, impelied by a samson
like desire to involve others In his ruin
make all the tfagic story public And
money. not even that money that Law
locked away in her jewel case. even if
she dare use it, could silence him il he
wished 70 speak
Mas he guhty9 She strove to sin the
evidence she had read so carefully in the
many papers that lay scattered about
her ana always The dominent impression
in her mind was one in Lavasseurs favor.
He was not tho man 10 do murder from
motives " theft
And u he were not guilty
With a little cry she put up her hands
20 her face the thought was too horri-
BILE The man had treated her shameful
W. vet she had loved him onre-or thought
she did
II he were not guilty. II behind that