The Washington herald., 1912-03-03
A Fascinating Mystery Story
ByWILLLAM JOHNSTON
coPymoh islI-Int eoees-r1eRRu Co

ognized the man who occupied il. He
was standing beside his chauffeur, as il
ready to leap out II was DIR. Wilcox,
a noted practitioner who attended the
Parrish family, and whom / had met at
their house. plunged forward in
anxious dismay as | saw the machine
halt before the Parrish door and the
doctor jump out and run up the steps.
My first my only thought, was Of
Louise. What could have happenedl
She must be ill-desperately i'll, as the
doctors haste suggested. Did not this
explain her failure to telephone? Gould
il be that she was deadi What thoughts
flashed through my mind cannot ana
lyze further. ! only know reached
the house but step behind the doctor.
He had hardly passed through the door
when ], too, flung myself into the hall
and stood there swaying, with not voice
enough 10 ask a question of the white
faced, horror-stricken maid who had
answered the doctors ring.
Where is she" ! heard the doctor
ask as he flung his coat to the maid and
started up the stairs. Before she could
answer him there were hurried foot
steps on the upper landing and Louise
peered down, the anxiety in her face
lessening at the welcome sight Of the
doctor.
i gave a little silly cry of joy and
started up the stairs. DR.. Wilcox was
ahead Of me, three steps at time, and,
following Louise's silent direction, had
disappeared in room on the second
floor, when ], with outstretched arms,
approached her. / did not think to ask
what had happened or who was jill or
what the matter was. My only thought
was one Of JOY that she was alive and
well. What mattered il Louise was
safe? And the emotion that filled me
was still more intensified when she ran
to me, and throwing herself into my
arms, cried out:
"oh, Harding, thank Cod, you've
come |"
1t was almost the first time she had
called me by my name, certainly the
first that she ever had given herself
TO my embrace, and ] held her closely,
thrilled through at the thought that it
was TO me she turned in time of trouble.
Then, all at once, | was aroused by
the opening of the door through which
DIR. Wilcox had gone and the appear
ance Of maid, who ran along the hall.
What is it? What has happened?"
| asked
Katharine moaned Louise, "Kath-
arine-she has killed herSelfp
For a moment | was stunned. The
first thought that came to me was the
impossibility of it. What place had
tragedy in this happy, quiet home? Fa-
miliar enough, though / was, with deeds
Of violence, with self-murder as it
thrust itself forward in the courts and
in the lurid headlines OF the news
papers, that such thing could intrude
on the peace of this well-ordered house.
hold seemed beyond my comprehension.
IL telephoned to you, but you were
not in your Office" sobbed Louise, still
clinging TO me in the abandonment of
grief.
when did you telephone" I asked,
even under such circumstances rejoic-
ing to learn that she had telephoned
Just after she did i'll don't know
when it vast seems ages ago. |
couldn't-gct you and-I thought-you
would never me-then-then-l tele-
phoned for the doctor and father"
Just after she did it / had been try
been an accident, though from Louise's
manner ! feared the worst. Yet kath-
arine Parrish was the last person in the
nection with suicide. A quiet, reserved
girl of great strength Of character, sew
eral years older than Louise, her dig
nifty and her well-considered actions had
led me to believe her far less emotional
than her younger sister.
ct was an accident, of course" | said,
though doubtfully.
MOP gasped Louise, shuddering
anew at the thought of the horror she
had just witnessed. 81 heard the shot
and found her on the divan in her room.
The revolver was still in her hand-her
own revolver"
For the first time it came to me with
sudden vivid force that in the elder
sisters life, behind the smiling mask of
reserve she always wore, was Hidden
some sectet sorrow. l understood, now.
that faraway look in her eyes felt
there may have been-there must have
been-concealed the knowledge Of some
mystery that impelled her to this awful
saaI 4 l..