Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1912-02-29

SAsxeR ~
IN HIS STIFF, COLD HANDS WAS CLUTCHED
A LETTER.
afraid to leave her. But she made me
a gesture Of such command that l ran
quickly down the steps and so round
the house till 1 came to a shed owe
the top Of which | saw a window
partly open.
Gould I get her up on to the shed?
I thought l could and went hurrying
back to the big entrance where l had
left her. She was still there, SILVER.
ing with the cold, but just as determin-
ed as ever Come l whispered; 4
have found a way
"She gave me her hand, and l led
her around to the shed. She was like
a snow woman, and her touch was
ice itself. Wait till 1 get a box or
board or something l said. Hunting
about, l found a box leaning against
the kitchen side, and, bringing it, /
helped her up and soon had her on a
level with the window.
LAS she made her way in she turned
and whispered to me: Go back now.
Carmel has a horse and will see me
home. You have served me well. Ia
dok.'
Il nodded, and she vanished into the
darkness. Then l should have gone,
but my curiosity was too great. I
wanted to know just a little more.
Two women in this desolate and bitter
~ cold clubhouse! What did it mean?
Il could not restrain myself from
following her in and listening for a
few minutes to what they had to say.
when l heard other sounds from some
place below and recognized these
sounds as a mans heavy footsteps COM
ing up the rear stairs l got a fright
at being where l should not be and
slipped into the first door l found, ex-
pecting this man to come and Join
the ladies.
But he did not. He just fingered for
a moment in the hall | had left; then
l heard him Chamber out Of the win
dow and go. l now know that this
was Mr.. Arthur. But did not know
it then, and l vas frightened for the
horse l had run off with and so got
out of the building as quickly as l
could.
"And all might yet have been well if
I had not found lying on the snow at
the foot of the shed a bottle of whisky
such as l had never drunk and did
not know how to resist. Catching it
up, l ran about the house to where l
had left my rig. 1t was safe, and in
my relief at finding it l knocked off
the head of the bottle and took a long
drink.
"Then l drank again; then I sat
down in the snow and drank again.
In short, l nearly finished it.; then I
became confused. l looked at the piece
of broken bottle in my hand, took a
fancy to its shape and, breaking off
a bit more, thrust it into one of my
big pockets; then l staggered up to
the horse, but l did not unite him.
curiosity seized me again, and l
thought l would take another look at
the ladies-perhaps they might want
me-perhaps-l was pretty well con-
fused. but l went back and crawled
once more into the window.
This time the place was silent-not
a sound, not a ~breath-but l could see
a faint glimmer Of light l followed
this glimmer. Still there was no
sound. ......
II came to an open door. A couch
was before me. heaped with cushions.
A long ray Of moonlight had shot in
through a communicating door, and
could see everything by it. This was
where the ladies had been when l lis
tened before. but they were not here
now.
weren't they? Why did 1 tremble
so. then, and stare and stare at those
cushions? Why did l feel l must pull
them away. as l presently did? l was
mad with liquor and might easily have
imagined what / there saw. but l did
not think Of this then. l believed what
I saw instantly. Miss Cumberland
was dead. and l had discovered the
crime. She had killed herself--no: she
had been killed!
"Should | yell out murder? No. no:
I could be sorry without that. l would
not yell. Mattresses were plenty. l
had liked her. but | need not yell.
There was something else l could do.
"She had a ring on her fnger-a ring
that for months l had gloated over
and watched as | had never watched
and gloated over any other beautiful
thing in my life. | wanted it, had
always wanted it. 1t was before me
for the taking now. l should be a
fool to leave it there for some other
wretch to pilfer. l had loved her. l
would love the ring.
Reaching down. l took it. I drew
it from her finger. put 1t in my