Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1912-02-01
The House of the
Whispering
Pines

poets were for the night. These were
favorable, or so the doctor declared,
but the injured woman's condition call
ed for great care, and he would send
over a capable nurse at once. Mean
while the maid who was with her
would do very we'll. She herself need
have no worry.
You are very good" said Carmel.
II am tired and when 1 ice get to bed
shall certainly sleep. l shall give or
ders not to be disturbed. Isn't that
right?"
"Shall l accompany you to the door
of your room?" he asked.
She shook her head, with a smile.
II am quite capable of finding my
room. I hope Miss Huckins will be as
we'll in a week from now as I am at
this moment. But, doctor'-she had
been struck by a strange possibility
IT should like to settle n little mat
ter before we part. The money I have
may not be quite safe in my hands.
My memory might leave me again,
and, then Miss Huckins might suffer.
If you will take charge of some of it
on her account 1 shall feel relieved"
ut would be a wise precaution," he
admitted. "But you could just as well
leave it at the desk"
$50 I can" she smiled. Then, as his
! eye remained fixed on her: "You are
wondering if I have friends. We bott
have. and I have just come from tele-
graphing to one of them. You can
leave us with an easy mind. All that I
dread is that Miss Huckins will worry
about me if her consciousness should
return during the night"
cit will not return so soon. Next
week we may look for it. Then YOU
can be by to reassure her if she asks
for you"
The doctor, lifting his hat, took his
departure. The interview might have
lasted five minutes. She felt as though
it had lasted an hour.
She followed the doctors advice and
left half the money she had in charge
Of the clerk. Then she went upstairs.
She was not seen to come down again,
but when the S:45 train started out OF
the station that night it had for a pas.
senger a young, heavily yelled girl. who
went straight to her section. A bal
cony running by her window had ia.
vored her escape.
She was missed the next morning,
and an account of her cratic flight
reached the papers and was published
far and wide. But the name of Miss
Caroline Campbell conveyed nothing
to the public.
At the house of DR.. Carpenter she
met Mr.. Moffat. What she told him
heartened him greatly for the struggle
he saw before him. Indeed, it altered
the whole tone of the defense. Per
ceiving from her story and from what
the doctor could tell him of their meet
ing at the station that her return to
town was as yet a secret to every one
but themselves. he begged that the
secret should continue to be kept,
Carmel wished her brother Informed
Of her return. but the willy lawyer per-
suaded her to excuse him from taking
Arthur into his confidence until the
last moment. He knew hat he would
receive only opposition from his young
and stubborn client. One Of the stipu-
~lations which he had made in securing
Mr.. Moffat for his counsel was that
Carmels name was to be kept as much
as possible out of the proceedings, and
to this Mr.. Moffat had subscribed, not
| uyifhcfor1irc hfc aN~vSo{3o- fh0+ thu
crime laid to the defendants charge
was a result of Ranelagh's passion for
Carmel and consequently distinctly the
work Of Ranelagh's own hand.
He had thought that he could win
his case by the powers of oratory and
a somewhat free use of innuendo, but
his view changed under the fresh en-
lightenment which he received in his
conversation with Carmel. He saw
unfolding before him a defense Of un-
paralleled interest. True, it involved
this interesting witness in a way that
would be unpleasant to the brother.
but he was not the man to sacrifice a
client to any sentimental scruple-
certainly not this client, whose worth
he was just beginning to realize.
Carmel was not strong enough for
much talk. DR.. Carpenter would not
allow it, and the continued clearness
Of her mind was too invaluable to bis
case for this farseeing advocate to
take any risk. She had told him
enough to assure him that circum-
stances and not guilt had put Arthur
where he was and had added to the
assurance details of an unexpected
nature-so unexpected. indeed, that
the lawyer was led away by the
prospect they offered of confounding
the prosecution by a line of defense
to which no clew had been given by
anything that had appeared.
He planned then and there a drama
tic climax which should take the
breath away from his opponent and
change the whole feeling of the court
toward the prisoner. Strangely enough.
the subject of Adelaide's death was
discussed in her hearing without any
mention being made of strangulation
as its immediate cause. Would her ac-