Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1912-02-16

passed since he hung upon the words
Sf a fellow being for his condemnation
% death or release to the freedom
which he now enjoyed.
A moment. But what an eternity
before | saw the rigid lines of her
white, set face relax-before | mark
ed the play of human If not womanly
emotion break up the misery of her
look and soften her lips into some SEM
blance OF their old expression. Love
might be dead. friendship, even. be a
thing Of the far past. but c0nsidera-
ton was still alive. and in another in
stant 1t spoke In these trembling SEN
tences, uttered across a threshold
made sacred by a tragedy involving
our three lives:
Come in and explain yourself No
man should 60 unheard. | know you
will not come where Adelaide's spirit
yet fingers If you cannot bring hands
clean from all actual violence"
motioned my driver away. and as
Carmel drew back out of sight l
caught at Arthur's arm and faced him
with the query:
"Are you willing that should enter?
l only wish to declare to her and to
you an innocence l have no means of
| proving. but which you cannot disbe-
heye If swear it, here and now. by
| your sister CarmePs sacred disfgure-
ment. Such depravity could not exist
4 q Qtfnh a from ha of
the crime you charge me with. Look
at me. Arthur. l considered you; now
| consider me-"
Quickly he stepped back. Enter"
said he.
1t was some minutes later-I cannot
say how many-that one of the serv-
ants disturbed US by asking IL we
knew anything about Zadok.
He has not come home" said he,
''and here is a man who wants him"
What man." asked Arthur.
"Oh. that detective chap. He never
will leave US alone"
| arose. In an instant enlighten-
ment had come to me. Its nothing"
said |. with my eyes on Carmel, but
the gesture | furtively made Arthur
said otherwise.
| A few minutes later we were both In
the driveway. I'VE are on the brink
of surprise" l whispered. II think
l understand this Sweetwater now"
Zadok could not be found. He was
wanted by the district attorney. who
wished to put some questions to him
Were there any objections to his
searching the stable loft for indications
of his whereabouts?
| Arthur made none. and the detective,
after sending the Cumberlands' second
man before him to light up the stable,
disappeared beneath the great door,
whittier we more slowly followed him.
mot here" came in shout from
above as we stepped in from the night
air, and In a few minutes the detective
came running down the stairs, batfled
and very I'll at ease. Suddenly he en-
countered my eye. "Oh, know" he
cried and started for the gate
81 am going to follow him." con-
fided to Arthur Look for me again
tonight, or at least expect a message.
If fortune favors us, as | now expect,
we two shall sleep tonight as we have
not slept for months" And, waiting
for no answer, not even to see If he
comprehended my meaning, | made a
run for the gate and soon came up
with Sweetwater.
'To the cemeteryw l asked.
"Yes; to the cemetery"
And there we found him in the same
place where we had seen him before,
but not in the same position. He was
sunken now to the ground, but his face
was pressed against the rails, and in
his stiff. cold hand was clutched let
ter which afterward we read.
Let 1t be read by you here 1t will
explain the mystery which came near
destroying the lives of more than Ade-
laide:
"No more unhappy wretch than I
goes to his account. l killed her who
had shown me only goodness and will
be the death of others II do not con-
fess my dreadful my unsuspected Sc
cret. This is how it happened. can
not give reasons. I cannot even ask
for pardon.
"That night, just as was preparing
to leave the stable to join the other
servants on their ride to Tibbitt's hall.
the telephone rang, and l heard Miss
Cumberland's voice. 'Zadok, she said,
and at nrst could hardly understand
her. I am in trouble. l want help,
and You are the only one who can aid
me-
81 had been with her many years,
and loved her as well as could love
anybody, though you won't think it
when tell you my whole story. What
she wanted was this: was to go
to the ball just as If nothing had
happened. but was not to stay there.
AS soon as could was to slip out,
get a carriage from some nearby sta
BILE and hurry back up the road to
meet her and take her where she would
tell me or, II did not meet her. to
wait two houses below hers till she
came along. She would not want me
long and very soon | could go back
and have as good time as I pleased
But she would like me to be secret. for
her errand was not one for gossip. even
among her own servants. l even tried
to do better and be even more secret
about 1t than she expected. Instead of
going to stable, took one of the rigs
which I found fastened up In the big
shed alongside the hall, and. being SC
fortunate as not to attract anybody's
attention by this business. was out
on the road and half way to the Whs
pering Pines before Helen and Maggie
could wonder why | had not asked
| fhon IN damon