Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1912-01-26
interested-Arthur and myself.

interested-Arthur and myself.
Mr.. Moffat. generous enough or dis
Greet enough to take no note of his
opponents discontinue. lifted o paper
from the table and held II toward the
witness.
"Do you recognize these linesT he
asked. placing the remnants of my
half burned communication in her
hands.
She started at sight of them. Evil
dently she had never expected to see
them again.
YES" she answered after a mo-
ment. "This is a portion of the note
I haze mentioned"
You recognize 1t as such?"
"I do"
Her eyes fingered on the scrap and
followed It as 1t was passed back and
marked as an exhibit.
Mr.. Moffat recalled her TO the matter
in hand.
"what did you do next, Miss Cum
berlandT
"I answered the note"
"May ask to what effectF
II refused Mr.. Ranelagh's request. l
said that could not do what he asked
and told him to wait till the next day
and he would see how | felt toward
him and toward Adelaide. That was
all could not write much. was
suffering greatly"
Suffering in mind or suffering in
body?"
Suffering in my mind. was terri
fed, but that feeling did not last very
long. Soon grew happy, happier than
l had been In weeks. happier than 1
had ever been in all my life before.
found that loved Adelaide better than
I did myself. This made everything
easy. even the sending of the answer
have told you about to Mr.. Ranelagh."
miss Cumberland. how did you get
this answer TO Mr.. Ranelagh?"
by means Of a gentleman who was
going away on the very train l had
been asked to leave on. He was a
guest next door. and l carried the note
in to him"
"Did you do this openly?"
"No; Pm afraid not. l slipped out by
the side door in as careful way as
| could"
did this attempt at secrecy sue
coed? Were you able to go and come
without meeting any one?"
"No. Adelaide was at the head Of
the stairs when I came back. standing
there, very stiff and quiet"
"Did she speak to your
"No. She just looked at me. But it
wasn't common look. l shall never
forget it."
"And what did you do then?"
II went to my room"
"Miss Cumberland, did you see any
body else when you came in at this
timer
"Yes, our maid, Helen. She was Just
laying down bunch Of keys on the
table in the lower hail. stopped and
looked at the keys. l had recognized
them as the ones I had seen in Mr..
Ranelagh's hands many times. He
had gone, yet there were his keys.
One Of them unlocked the clubhouse
noticed 1t among the others, but I
didn't touch 1t then. Helen was still
in the hall. and l ran straight up
stairs, where I met my sister. as 1
have just told you"
"Miss Cumberland, continue the sto-
ry. What did you do after re-entering
your room?"
81 don't know what / did first. l
was very excited-elated one minute,
deeply wretched and very frightened
the next. l must have sat down. for
was shaking very much and felt
little sick. The sight of that key had
brought up pictures of the clubhouse.
and 1 thought and thought how quiet
1t was and how far away and how
cold 1t was, too, and how secret. l
would go there for what had to do
there. And then l saw in my fancy
one OF its rooms. with the moon in it,
and-but l soon shut my eyes to that.
I heard Arthur moving about his room,
and this made me start up and go out
into the hall again.
"Arthur's room Is near and Ade-
ladies far off. but I went to Ade-
laide's first. Her door was shut. and
when I went to open it / found 1t
locked. Calling her name, I said that
was tired and would be glad to say
good night. She did not answer at
once When she did her voice was
strange though what she said was
very simple-I was to please myself;
she was going to retire too. And then
she tried to say good night. but she
only half said 1t, like one who is
choked with tears or some other dread.
full emotion. / cannot tell you how
this made me feel, but you don't care
for that. You want to know what |
did-what Adelaide did. l will tell
you. but l cannot hurry"
Take your time, Miss Cumberland;
we have no wish to hurry you"
II can 60 on now. The next thing
did was to knock at Arthur's door.
heard him getting ready to go out, and
wanted to speak to him before be
went. When he heard me he opened
the door and let me in. He began at
once on bis grievances, but ! could not
listen to them. ! wanted him to har'
ness the gray mare for me and leave
Ii standing In the stable. I explained
the request by saying that 1t was
necessary for me to see certain friend
of mine Immediately and that no one
would notice me In the cutter under
the-bearskins. He didn't approve, bnl
persuaded him. | even persuaded
him to wait till Zadok was gone sc
that Adelaide would know nothing
about it. He looked glum. but he