Atlanta Georgian. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1912-1939, 1912-09-20
Copyright, 1911. Street & smith.l
roryright, 1911, by Dodd. Mead &, Coz
TODAY's INSTALLMENT.

L
.rycuse me, I had rather not. l am
,,sre that they were bitter and should
he the cause of great regret. I was angry
when ! wrote them
aTbat is evident But the cause of
,.o,r anger is not so clear, Mr., Brother
con Miss Challoner was a woman of
1oftv character, or such was the ufliver-
col opinion of her friends. What could
sbs nave done to a gentleman like your
self TO draw forth such tirade?"
You ask that"
.l am obliged to. There is mystery
surrounding her death-the kind of mys-
,sry which demands perfect frankness on
tho mart of all who were near her on that
evening or whose relations to her were
in any way peculiar. You acknowledge
that your friendship was of such a guard
Oh nature that 1t surprised you greatly
~ hear it recognized. Yet you could
p.rire her letter of this nature. Why?"
"Because-" the word came glibly: but
fre rext one was long in following. Be
cause" he repeated, letting the fire of
same strong feeling disturb for a moment
his dignifed reserve, 81 offered myself to
Miss Challoner and she dismissed me
with great disdain."
An. ana SO you IhouSiit q tliea' was
due her.
"A threat"
THESE words contain threat, do they
not''
'oThey may | was hardly master of
myself at the time | may have ex-
messed myself in an unfortunate man
ner"
Read the words, Mr.. Brotherson. l
must insist that Won do So
There was no hesitancy now. Rising
he leaned over the table and read the
few words the other had spread out for
his perusal. Then he slowly rose to his
full height, as he answered, with some
slight display of compunction
Il remember it perfectly now 1t is
not q letter to be proud Of I hope"
PRAY finish, Mr.. Brotherson.'
"That-you are not seeking to establish
a connection between this letter and her
violent death?"
Letters of this sort are often very
mischievous, Mr.. Brotherson. The harsh
ness with which this is written might
easily arouse emotions of a most UNI
happy nature in the breast of a woman
as sensitive as Miss Challoner."
Pardon me, DR.. Heath; can not flat
ter myself so far. You overrate my in
huence with the lady you name"
You believe, then, that she was sim
cere in her rejection Of your addresses?"
start. too slight to be noted by any
one but the watchful Sweetwater, showed
that this question had gone home. But
the eIf-pose and mentral control of this
man were perfect, and in an instant he
was facing the coroner again, with
dignity which gave no clew to the dis
4 turbance into which his thought had Just
4 been thrown. Nor was this disturbance
apparent in his tones when he made his
reply;
Il have never allowed myself to think
II otherwise l have seen no reason why
should The suggestion you would convey
Il by such d question is hardly welcome,
q now l pray you to be careful in your
Judgment of such a womans impulses.
They often spring from sources not to
be sounded even by her dearest friends. "
Just; but how cold! DR. Heath, eye
& ing him witt admiration rather than
sympathy hest Cd how to proceed; while
Il Sweetwater, peerins :, from his papers,
sought in vain for some ,,t'ence of the
hereaved lover in the impIe- We but
N wholly dispassionate figure of him who
mad just spoken. Had pride got the bet
u Ter OF his heart? Or had that organ al
II ways been subordinate to the win in
n this man Of instincts so varying that at
one time he impressed you simply as
81 typical gentleman of leisure at another
q as no more than a fiery agitator with
s. powers absorbed by, if not limited to the
cause he advocated; and again-and this
seemed the most contradictory of all
just the ardent inventor, living in a tene-
ment, with Science for his goddess and
# "ork always under his hand? As the
youhg detective weighed these possibili-
"A res and marveled over the contradictions
M ,ney offered, he forgot the papers now ly-
M ing quit under his hand. He was too
Interested to remember his own part
"a something which could not often be said
e Of Sweetwater.
Meantime, the coroner had collected
s. ''S thoughts. With an apology for the
Fl ,AFeineE personal nature of his inquiry.
asked Mr.. BrOtherson if he would OBJ
s.. 10 giving him some further details
's acpuaintanceship with Miss Chal-
''"ef, Where he first met her and under
I'D. circumstances their friendship had
81 developed
N"' at all, was the ready reply. Il
# ave Nolhlng to conceal in the matter |
my WISH that her father was present