The Washington herald., 1912-04-07

you are ready to start
Il can walk" said Louise. an fact,
! think ] was more frightened than
hurt"
helped her TO her feet and assisted
her into the cottage, where / piled some
cushions that were lying about and made
her comfortable. The noise of Our en-
trance made no impression on the drug
stupehed man who lay on the other side
of the room, but Davis and Crandall
crossed to where he lay and examined
him closely
"He will not wake for several hours"
said Davis after feeling his pulse.
Kent and / will stay here until then.
You, Mr.. Crandall, will take Miss Far
rish home, and you. Dodds, as soon as
it's daylight, had better go look for
Rouser's body"
Il don't have to look for it." said
the constable with shudder. Il know
just where il is. It's long ways round
by the road, though
Take the blackboard" said Davis,
and when you reach the body go
through all the pockets carefully and
bring me everything you find. You'd
yet. Is there some place else you can
take iti"
Sure" said Dobbs. II can take il
over to Millervale. It's Just about as
far in the other direction. But what in
the lands sake Ill tell about it, gets
me-"
That's easy" said the inspector.
You can explain that you were driving
over there and as you came by you saw
the body lying on the road You can
explain that he must have fallen over
the cliff in the dark BY the time they
get through talking about it and having
an inquest over in Millervale we will
have haG a chance to finish any more
investigating we want to do. You can
start about dawn"
IAN right" said the constable, but
what will ] do with them warrants?" ?"
Leave them with me. After you
have disposed of Rouser's body you
can stop on your way back and we'll
take this one in with us Come on out
side, Dodds, and you, too, Crandall,
want to ask you some questions about
our friend over there You, Kent, stay
here with Miss Parrish"
The three of them went out, leaving
Louise and me alone together, circum-
stance that couldn't doubt that Davis
had planned, realizing that there was
much we would say to each other. Hard
ly were they out of the door before
Louise turned TO me, with suppliant
arms, and cried out with a sob in her
voice Harding, forgive me for hav-
ing deceived YOU"
1T is YOU" ] cried, you, who must
forgive me for having disobeyed your
wish. for having come ont here after
you had asked me not to, for having
almost put bullet through your dear
heart"
"You didn't know-you couldn't know
that was here" she sobbed. But how
can you ever pardon the lies / told you ?"
Lies" | protested. Dear girl, you
never lied to me. Whatever these dear
lips have said, | knew, / always knew
your heart was true.
Katharine asked it and had 10
promise her."
You mean about Hugh crandall."
yes" she breathed. II don't know
yet what it is that is between them. It's
something about--about my father.
Crandall knew il and Katharine found
it out. Whatever it is, they determined
to keep il secret between them. Kath-
arine made me promise that would
tell no one, not even you. She swore
me not to reveal to any one that had
even seen Hugh Crandall. had to
promise her, you understand, don't
YOU"
My answer was a kiss full on her
lips, while my arms went about her and
held her tight to me. E-
''Of course. dear girl" breathed, II
understand. | understood all the while. I"
Il was so afraid" she murmured,
afraid you would think was deceiy-
ing you, that didn't love you.'
As our lips met in a long, sweet kiss,
wave of JOY swept over me that all
but obliterated thoughts OF the dreadful
yellow letter. forgot for the moment
the drug -sodden creature lying in the
corner, not twenty feet away from us.
knew but one thing Louise loved me.
What mattered anything? In the rhap-
sody that only those who have loved
can understand, we held each other in
close embrace in delightful silence
it may have been for one minute-it
may have been for ten or twenty Time
for either of us had lost its power. We