Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1912-02-08

SASOA~ ANV 6AoopSu
ut the glass it held. but not a tremor
shook those icy fingers. nor did her
eyes wander to the right hand or to the
left. Adelaide l shrieked out, toss
them behind you. Let us live-live!
But she only reiterated that awful
word. Choose! and | dare not hesitate
longer lest | lose my chance to save
her. Cropping, l touched a glass-I
never knew which one-and. drawing
it from her fingers. l lifted it to my
mouth. Instantly her other hand rose
4 don't know which is which myself
she said and drank. That made me
drink also.
The two glasses e n out a clicking
sound as we set them back on the
stand. Then we waited. looking at
each other. 'Which?' her lips seemed
to say. which, In another moment
we knew. Your choice was the right
one.' said she and she sank back into
a chair. Don't leave me" she called
out. for | was about to run shrieking
out into the night. IL am happy
now that it is all settled. but I do not
want to die alone. Oh. how hot l ann
And. leaping up. she flung off her coat
and went gasping about the room for
air. When she sank down again it
was on the lounge, and again l tried
to fly for help. and again she would not
let me.
II tried to soothe her-to keep down
my awful fear and soothe her. But
the nearness of death had Gained her
poor heart into it's old love and habit
ual thoughtfulness. She was terrified
at my position, She recalled VI moth
err and the oath she had taken at that
mothers deathbed to protect me and
care for me and my brother. And l
have failed to do ether she cried.
Arthur l have alienated. and you l
am leaving to unknown trouble and
danger
"She vas not to be comforted. l
saw her life ebbing and could do
nothing. She chung to me while she
called up all her powers and made
plans for me and showed me a way of
escape. ] was to burn the note. fling
WV VI lut SidSScS ltOLu lue W1lluO"
and leave the other and the deadly
vial near her hand-this before |
left the room. Then | was to call I'D
the police and say there was some
thing wrong at the clubhouse. but I
was not to give my name or ever ac-
knowledge ! was there. Nothing can
save trouble she said. but that trou-
BILE must not come near you. Swear
that you will heed my words-swear
that you will do what I say
81 swore. All that she asked I prom
ised. ! was almost dying. too. and
had the light gone out and the rafters
of the house fallen in and buried us
both it would have been better. But
the light burned on. and the life in
her eyes faded out. and the hands
grasping mine relaxed. I heard one
little gasp. then a low prayer. Tell
Arthur ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS to- Then
-silence.."
Sobs. cries, yelled faces. then 81
lence in the courtroom too. 1t was
broken but by one sound-a heart
rending sigh from the prisoner. But
nobody looked at him. and nobody
looked at me. Every eye was on the
face of this young girl whose story
bore such an impress of truth and vet
was 81 contradictory of all former evil
dence. What revelations were vet to
follow? 1t would seem that she was
speaking of her sisters death.
But her sister had not died that way;
her sister had been strangled. Could
this dainty creature. with beauty
Scared and vet powerfully triumphant.
be the victim of a Authorization. or did
she seek to mislead justice and to con
ceal truth?
At a question from Mr.. Moffat she
spoke again. and we heard her say:
Eyes, she died that way. with her
hands in mine. There was no one else
by. We were quite alone"
That settled it, and for a moment
the revulsion of feeling threatened to
throw the court into tumult.
Can you fix the hour of this oc-
~currence?" MI. Moffat asked. I'm any
way can you locate the time?"
mo. for | did not move at once. |
felt tied to that couch. | am very
young. and | had never seen death
before. When | did get up | hobbled
like an old woman and almost went
distracted. but came to myself as l
saw the note or the 1oor-the note |
was told to burn. Lifting it, l moved
toward the fireplace, but got a fright
on the way and stopped in the middle
Of the floor and looked back. l thought
I had heard my sister speak.
But the fancy passed as l saw how
still she lay. and | went on after awhile
and threw the note into the one small
fame which was all that was left of
the fire. | saw it caught by a draft
from the door behind me and go fam
ing up the chimney.
Some of my trouble seemed to 80
with the note. and l lifted a pillow from
the window a near by and covered
her face. | must have done more l
must have covered the whole lounge
with pillows and cushions, for pres
emily my mind cleared again, and |
recollected that it was something about
the poison. I was to put the vial in
how how'd ~ <-o~ IN kI->-~ - r.o~>