Atlanta Georgian. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1912-1939, 1912-06-27
about Edmond. Has anything happened


"Spoken!" With a rush of words Edith
had poured out her story the history of
the murder in Tempest street, the details
of Levasseur's arrest, of his impudent
| noldness IN sending for her and his chal-
lenge:
Find the murderer-ind the man who
did this thing
HE protested his innocence, Betty
swore to it, and, scoundrel as he is, be-
| lieve him; of murder, at least, he Is not
guilty. But what can l dol who know
nothing?"
AS she spoke with a sense of shame
that scorched her, Edith's eyes had
searched the pale, pain drawn face of the
girl before her.
Ievasseur-Edmond Levasseur arrest
ed for murder!' AS 1t had seemed to
Huntington that he could not forget the
agony that thrilled III those words of
] Betty's, Il remember" so now 1t seemed
to Edith harrington that the pain which
rang In that appalled, question must echo
forever in her heart. Edmond Levas-
seur. Oh, Edith, Edith"
And for the moment it was she who
had to turn comforter, to hold the trem-
bling girl against her breast and chafe
the ice-cold hands.
"Betty-little Betty, won't you speak to
me? Won't you confide in me? What
happened-for l know that something
dreadful must have happened. Child,
were you at Tempest street, and what
took you there? Do you know anything
of this?"
But no answer to all her questionings
Betty had chung to her for a long time
silent and trembling; only at last when,
her own misery taking fire at the contact
with hers, Mrs Darlington had broken out
into despairing words: IT'S the end,
Betty, absolutely the end All this week
have waited and hoped--heaven knows
for what. But Tony is beginning to sus-
pect something. l suppose l look strange
hunted and desperate. And how long
will Levasseur stay his hand. l can bear
it no longer Tomorrow they are bring
ing little Phil back from Paris, and when
have kissed him good by-after that
Betty. as though the words called her
back from some terrible place of dreams,
had broken out with a strange energy
5etty's Vow.
Edith, you mustn't speak like that
You mustn't. 1t kills me to hear you. 1t
breaks my heart. You've got nothing to
fear, darling, nothing So much l can
tell you with absolute certainty How
ever dark things may seem. I can at least
buy Edmond Levasseurs silence-I can
buy that"
Only these words, and with them the
girl had left her. rushing from the room
like woman possessed. But for all their
convictions they had brought no reassur-
ance to Edith Darlington Fear had her
far too tightly in its grip; apart from re-
assuring her, indeed, they had seemed
once again to knock home with tremen-
dous emphasis that question Levasseur
had put to her at their hideous inter
view:
But what of your sister, Betty? What
of her?"
1t was plain that Edmond Levasseur
knew something of Bettys presence in
I that house where murder had been done
Did he know anything of the presence
there of Betty's lover?
Why had Remington been there? Search
ing her mind for memories, Edith could
find no reason. She knew nothing of
Toby-nothing of Rimington's hatred of
The man who had f1eeced his brother-but
vaguely she remembered that Jack Rim
ington had lately boosted of coming in
presently for money. Jane, the pleasant
faced woman she had slandered to her
husband a few minutes since, had gos-
siped cheerfully on the subject "They do
say that one of these days Mr. Jacks to
be rich man"
Was this the source from which his
fortune was TO come? OF course it wasn't
only what was he doing there that
night and why had he spoken so strange
ly to Betty of his presence in Tempest
street down tberp nv tho riIaro
over and over again the same questions
weaved themselves into her thoughts.
The way out of her trouble stared her
in the face. 1t would be so easy to cast
suspicion on Jack RiminSton. cast it in
such a way that however innocent he
was, he would find it difficult to clear
himself, save at Eettys expense After
all, it was only right that the police
should know-but she had stopped short
at that argument
A She Judas.
Only Betty's lover-litte Betty's lover.
self to do-to play the Judas to the man
whom Betty loved But those who would
weave ropes of sand must have the devil
for master. She thought of LeVasseur
in prison-of his threat and of his prom
Use. Only she, who knew him so in
timately, knew how entirely he was to
be depended upon to keep his word as the
purpose served him. Destruction or sal
vation-he rose before her memory hold
ing them out before her at a price.
Continued Tomorrow.