The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1912-07-19
CHAPTER K.


 I saw the glaring head. lines of the motning paper, laid open at Wardrop's plate. She must have followed my eyes. for we reached for it simultaneously. She was nearer than I, and her quick eye caught the name. Then put my hand over the heading, and she flushed with indig- nation.
 "You are not to read it now," said. meeting her astonished gaze. "Please let me have it. promise you I will give it to you almost immediately" "You are very rude," she said with out relinquishing the paper. T saw a part of that. It is about my ia ther."
 Drink your coffee, please" plead, ed. T will let you read it then, on my honor"
 "How can you be so childish?' she exclaimed. eff there is anything in that paper that it will hurt me to learn, is cup of coffee going to make it any easierY
 gave up then, and, feeling that evasion would be useless, told her what had happened, breaking the news as gently as could. said that he had been accidentally shot.
 ,"Aceidentallyr' she repeated The first storm of grief over, she lifted her head from where it lad rested on her arms and looked at me, scorning my subterfuge. 'tHe was murdered. That's the word didn't have time to read Murdered! And you sat back and let it happen. went to you in time, and you didn't do anything. No one did anything"
 did not try to defend myself. How could I? And afterward when she sat up and pushed back the damp strands of hair from her eyes she was more reasonable.
 T did not mean what I said about your not having done anything" she said almost childishly. "No one could have done more. It was to happen. that's all.''
 ble in store that she did not suspect. What would she do when she. heard that Wardrop was under grave sus- picion? Between her dead father and her lover, what?
 I broke the news of her brother-in- laws death to Miss Letitia. "ShotH' she said, sitting up in bed while Heppie shook her pillows. Its a queer death for Allan Fleming. I always said he would be hanged"
 After that she apparently dismissed him from her mind, and we talked of her sister. She regretted that under the circumstances Jane would not rest in the family lot.
 fsWe are all there," she said-"eleven of us, counting my sister Mary's hus- band, although he don't properly be- long, and I always said we would take him out if we were crowded. It is the best lot in the Hopedale .ceme- tery. You can see the shaft for two miles in any direction We held family council that morn- ing around Miss Letitfa's bed-War drop, who took little part in the pro ceedings and who stood at window looking out most of the time; Margery on the bed, her arm around Miss Lett tia's shriveled neck, and Heppfe, who acted as interpreter and shouted into the old lady's ear such parts of the conversation as she considered essen tial.
 ,"I have talked with Miss Fleming I said as clearly as I could, land she seems to shrink from seeing people The only friends she cares about arc in Europe, and she tells me there are no other relatives"
 Heppie condensed this into voca capsule and thrust it into Miss Le titia's ear. The old laGy nodded.
 "No other relatives she corroborat ed. God be praised for that any how"
 "I was going to suggest" I put in 'that my brothers wife would be only too glad to help, and if Miss Fleming will go into town with me am sure Edith would know just what to do She isn't curious, and she's very capa ble."
 Margery threw me grateful glance | grateful, I think, that could under stand how, under the circumstances, : stranger was more acceptable than GU rious friends could be:
 "Mr. Knox's sister-in-lawp' interrupt ed Heppie.
 "When you have to say the letter ts' turn your head away" Miss Letitis rebuked her. "Well, don't object ii Knox's sister-in-law don't" She ha( an uncanny way of expanding Hep pies tabloid speeches. You can take my white silk shawl to lay over tht body, but be sure to bring it back. We may need it for Jane.'' If the old lady's chin quivered bit while Margery threw her arms around her she was nightly ashamed of it But Heppie was made of weaker stuff She broke into a sudden storm of sobs and left the room to stick her head il the door a moment after.
 Kidneys or chops?' she shouted al most belligerently.
 Kidneys" Miss Letitia replied il kind.
 CTo Be Continued.)