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

will leave us alone"
/ arose. In an instant enlighten-
ment had come to me. Its nothing"
said l.. with my eyes on Carmel, but.
the gesture | furtively made Arthur
said otherwise.
A few minutes later we were both in
the driveway. I'VE are on the brink
Of a surprise" l whispered. II think
l understand this Sweetwater now"
Zadok could not be found. He was
wanted by the district attorney. who
wished to put some questions to him.
Were there any objections to his
searching the stable loft for indications
of his whereabouts?
Arthur made none. and the detective,
after sending the Cumberlands' second
man before hin to light up the stable.
disappeared beneath the great door.
whittier we more slowly followed him.
mot here" came in a shout from
above as we stepped in from the night
air. and in a few minutes the detective
came running down the stairs, baff1ed
and very ill at ease. Suddenly he en-
SouAIC GU A1y eye. Ou> l huO". liz
cried and started for the gate.
Il am going to follow him. l con-
fded to Arthur. Look for me again
tonight. or at least expect a message.
If fortune favors us, as l now expect,
we two shall sleep tonight as we nave
not slept for months.'' And, waiting
for no answer. not even to see if he
comprehended my meaning, l made a
run for the gate and soon came up
with Sweetwater.
"To the cemetery?" asked.
Eyes; to the cemetery"
And there we found him in the same
place where we had seen him before,
but not in the same position. He was
sunken now to the ground. but his face
was pressed against the rails, and in
his stiff. cold hand was clutched a let
ter which afterward we read.
Let it be read by you here. 1t will
explain the mystery which came near
destroying the lives of more than AIDE
laide:
"No more unhappy wretch than I
goes to his account. l killed her who
had shown me only goodness and will
be the death Of others if I do not con
TESS my dreadful. my unsupported Sc
cret. This is how it happened. l can
not give easons. I cannot even ask
for pardon.
"That night, just as l was preparing
to leave the stable to join the other
servants on their ride to Tibbitt's hall,
the telephone rang, and l heard Miss
Cumberland's voice. 'Zadok.' she said,
and at first I could hardly understand
her. 7 am in trouble. I want help,
and you are the only one who can aid
me-
II had been with her nan years,
and I loved her as we'll as 1 could love
anybody, though you won't think it
when I tell you my whole story. What
she wanted was this: l was to go
to the ball just as if nothing had
happened. but l was not to stay there.
AS o as l could l was to slip out,
get a carriage from some nearby sta
BILE and hurry back up the road to
meet her and take her where she would
tell me or, if l did not meet her. to
wait two houses below hers till she
came along. She would not want me
long and very soon l could go back
and have as good a time as l pleased.
But she would like me to be secret. for
her errand was not one for gossip. even
among her own servants. 1 even tried
to do better and be even more secret
about it than she expected. Instead Of
going to a stable. l took one Of the rigs
which l found fastened up in the big
shed alongside the hall. and. being so
fortunate as not to attract anybody's
attention by this business. I was out
on the road and half way to the Whis-
pering Pines before Helen and Maggie
could wonder why I had not asked
them to dance.
"a few minutes later I was on the
hill. for the horse l had chosen was a
fast one, and I was just turning into
our street when I was passed by Mr..
Arthur's gray mare and cutter. This
made me pull up for a minute, for I
hadn't expected this. but on looking
ahead and seeing Miss Cumberland
peering from our own gateway I
drove quickly on and took her up.
II was not so much astonished as
you would think to be ordered to fol-
low fast after the mare and cutter
and to stop where it stopped. That
was all she wanted-to follow that
cutter and to stop where it stopped.
Well. it stopped at the clubhouse. and
when she saw it turn in there I heard
her give a little gasp.
"'Wait,' she whispered. Wait till
she has had time to get out and go
in. Then drive in. too. and help me
to find my way into the building after
her. .....
"And then I knew it was Miss Cav
mel we had been following. Before 1
thought it was MI. Arthur.
Presently she pulled me by the
sleeve. 4 heard the door shut said
she. and I was a little frightened at
her voice, but l was full of my i'm
p~ortance and went on doing just as
she babe me. Driving in after the
cuttor T drew TN into tho shodOws