Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1912-07-09
CHAPTER XII.
More Discoveries.

and joking with the men who pulled
him from under a car. Though he
died in ten minutes, I doubt If he SUI
fered half as much as if he had
bumped his head or had run a splinter
under his thumb-nail. It is when you
are MORALLY hurt and live that the
pain becomes so terrible.
In the few minutes had had with
Louise had not realized the depth of
the wound in my heart her conduct
toward me had made. Even when l
saw her dash away from me in an au-
tomobile, panied though l was that our
interview should have been cut short,
I still did not comprehend what q ter
rible blow it was that had befallen
me. 1t was the sight as l left the
ferry Of the automobile dashng by,
with Louisc--the woman l loved
seated beside Hugh Crandall, that
gave new poignancy TO my pain, that
added to the fires Of jealousy, that
made me understand to the full tho
dire import of what had happened.
Louise had lied to me.
Crandall had been in the house. She
had seen him. She had left me to
Join him. She had even deserted her
helpless sister and her dying father
to 90 with him. And all the While her
lips had protested that no one had
been in the house but the doctors and
nurses.
AS l paced the platform and paced
it back again, waiting two weary hours
for an Ardway train, as l sat for two
amending hours moro in the long ride
through New Jersey, like poisoned
knife, cutting my heart TO shreds and
cutting the shreds again, the thought
kept coming back to me over and
over: "She lied to me-
Quarter a man alive, pour molten
metal into bis eyebails feed him salt
nsh ana cut oil water, bury him any.
IN uuicklime, devise what torture you
will and double 1t, the pain and agony
can not equal that which comes 10 a
man who, believing In and trusting
and loving woman with his whole
heart, is forced TO admit 10 himself
that she has deceived him--that she
has lied 10 him. In those awful hours
came 10 know the seven bells. l
went through all OF them.
Only one ray of comfort came to
me- AS had asked myself "Why did
she lie?" I found myself believing that
she had done so, not of her own free
I,,,+ ;,,n,11LI l,y r,ntirn
powerful that she could not resist it.
That it was the Influence OF Crandall
j could no doubt. He had so prcyed
on her fears for her father and sister,
perhaps on her fear for ME, that no
had induced her TO try to persuade mo
to give UP my investigation and had
made her promise 10 accompany him
on some doubtful secret mission.
at is not my secret"
I recalled the piteous Cry my en-
treaties had WIRING from her lips, and
found the logical explanation OF 1t IN
her having been terrorized by that
villain. Crandall II could have found
him at the moment could have killed
him with my naked hands.
Yet even though l was convinced
that Louise had lied 10 NO, began 10.
feel that whatever she had done, what
ever she was now doing, was in the
belief that she was acting for the best
for her dear ones, for me.
My duty to her, my duty TO myself,
I reasoned. demanded that ! do my
utmost to solve the hideous mystery
and free her from the fear that vas
sure was responsible for her strange
actions. | swung Off the train at Ard
way and FASTENED 10 the hotel, eager
to tell Davis what had learned about
the movements Of Hugh Crandall, but
Davis vas not there. All that l could
learn was that he had hired horse
and buggy early in the morning and
had driven of in the direction taken
by Crandall the day before.
If he is following Crandall's TRAIL
said l TO myself, "he is just day toe
late"
So long as Davis was not about
decided might as we'll seq if the miss.
ing postmaster had been found. AS
walked up the street ! could not help
thinking how dumfounded Davis would
be when he returned from his fruit
less chase for Crardall and listened
to my tale OF Crandall's actions. While
he had advised against my return to
the city, he would have 10 admit that
it had not been without result
As l entered the post-offtce I found
I that Miss Cox WIS still III charge.
Approaching the letter window, bade
her good afternoon and asked If there
was any news Of the missing postmas-
ter. 1t was late in the afternoon and
the last mail for the day having been
distributed, she sat crocheting. She
motioned to ME to come around tc
the rear door.
'Iow about it?" I asked as I en-
tered the office. has anything been
heard Of Rouser"
She shook her head.
=. tho piuhtV-ninth Tins