Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-01-14

R. man! No wonder she-he put up such fight.
Who was he?"
"NIy son." said Alexander Blair
CEDGWICK took swift step toward Marjorie; but
Kent was before him, putting firm hand on his
shoulder
"Not now, Frank" he said; then turning to the
girl widow, "You see, Mrs Blair he said very gently,
ut isn't so bad you feared. There was no other
woman in the case, no disgrace, no shame You need
feel nothing but pity for unhappy, wrecked mind for
which death was the happest refuge
Marjorie Blair sat very still and white "Let me
Think she whispered. "Let me Think
"But the mans voice!" exclaimed lax 1.-THE voice
of the the cliff
@Eis" said Kent, aWilfrid Blairs There had been
one of those strange assumptions of personality that
puzzle the aensts. Wilfnd Blair's disordered mind
had transformed him into his idea of the long dead Eng
lsh Queen OF whom he believed himself to be rencarna
tion Even his voice altered to suit the part of his
conscious mummery In the moment Of the terror of
DEATH his natural voice returned. This obsesson must
have been coming on for long
yes said Alexander Blair. II thought it only
melancholia; My son had been very secretive for
months. We had no clue to this But | had kept
Gansett Jim with him sort of bodyguard"
Marjorie Blair got to her feet She ghost white:
but her voice and eyes steady, she faced Kent
"Let me get this right. Wifrds body is where?"
ain Annalaka churchyard.'
@Then who-what is buried in his grave at Hedgerow
House,"
Nothing, said Alexander Blair
"a mock funeral!"
@My dear" said the man,-he seemed to have grown
suddenly Old under the unspoken arraignment,-"I
could not tell you what though the truth | thought
then that Wilfrid had encountered Mr. Sedgwick and
that-that there had been fight in which he was
killed Rather than face the scandal of murder trial.
| chose the part of deceit 1t for you as much as
for myself"
and you made me believe that Mr.. Sedgwick killed
Wrid' she accused.
Il believed it myself" he retorted
But what basis had you for suspecting of the
crme! cried Sedgwick, turning to Mrs. Blair. "You
didn't know of his visit to me in womens clothes You
For what possible reason, in your belief should have
killed him?"
She flushed to her temples. 81
thought" she murmured, shat he
I r.. might have known of our acquaintance
III and have msconstrued; that he might
have gone to find you, and attacked
7 you, and that you killed him in self
defense"
"Thank you for that last said Sedp
wick rather bitterly. Forgive me-"
he added in low tone. "But to be
suspected by you even though you
were misled-" He stopped, catching
Kents browning glance
- WHO discovered that the burial was
nlal false one?' pursued Mrs. Blair
II II III Professor Kent" said Blair "He
IT'D .hsf. and Mr.. Sedgwick exhumed the coffin
L--- "That was the night" her eyes
dIH II questioned Sedgwick
>a|{t.fl THAT | found you at Hedgerow
~ E|s.! House. Yes he said gently.
s. Iy,.' "And that my father in law charged
XNW H. ouwith being my husband murderer"
Nv "My dear Mrs. Blair' said Kent
!: !!
ZA>@ uncomfortably Remember what JUS
&%HN66V tifcation he thought he had"
HNWXIf She considered moment. "You are
Ez#ZZWM right she said with an effort. Il don't
)%>MW mean to be unjust" Her head dropped
[ZzMW in thought. whatever Wilfrid NAV
have been, she continued after mo-
l%<N= ments silence, "he my husband.
I'M 1 bear his name. And to leave him in
l4Ska"@5+5 nameless grave is to dishonor not him
alone, but myself"
. ,lssA%TW "You would claim the body?" cried
Alsfx2SfaIIWIIi Alexander Blair