The Julesburg grit-advocate., 1913-02-20

were dark blue, with . thin stripe
running through the cloth. and they
were new. On the center table there
vas 4 straw hat Shoes stood beside
the chair At the head OF the bed An
immaculate white shirt hung over the
back OF the chair, while on the seat
we're undergarments. He rubbed his
eyes. then he sat down on the chaise
lounge and stared. with growing COM
prehension. The coverlet on the bed
was neatly turned down; = night
gown was there. clean and white.
Beside It vas another. soft and
almy
Braddock put his hands to his face
and sobbed dry. choking sobs that
we're not Of anguish. but Of bevilder-
ment.
At last he pulled himself together
and arose TO make . tour OF the room.
On the dressing table there we're col
lars and neckties and cuffs. His own
oid-fashioned silver watch lay thers
before him. with fts heavy gold chain
attached. He remembered with Q
panE that hs had given 1t TO her
long ago because II had once b.
ionged to his grandfather and he vas
sentimental about II.
He looked again At the clothes he
wore. the clothes the state had plaesd
on him when he left the psnitentiasy.
With cry Of disgust he began tear
Ing Oh the hated garments.
Half an hour later he came from
the bath. He was clean. He was
shaved. His hands were amazingly
white. Like Q boy he tried on the
fresh. new. clean smelling clothes
She remembered everything-the size
OF his collars. the size Of his shoes.
the length Of his sleeves, the meas
urements Of Tom Braddock a. she
had known him when they vero
young together.
He picked up the filmy niEhtdress
and kissed It . dozen times. He sat
down on the side OF the bed and
dropped his chin to his hands. sud
denly . prey to widely varying
thoughts. desires and emotions.
Over in a corner stood a small now
leather bound trunk He did not get
up to look at 1t or into It. He knew
without looking.
ITS like . fairy story" he mur-
INJURED over and over again. "I1l do
anything in the world for her a. long
a. l live"
Suddenly he started up. He would
go down to her. He would renew his
pledges. hts promises. As he opened
the door to pass out to the stairs he
heard her moving in the hall below.
She tried the front door. Then the
lower light went out. He heard her
mounting the stairs slowly She was
coming up to him.
When she got to a point where she
could see the streak of light from the
partially open door she came to a
stop. A slight shudder went over her
body. Her steps were slower after
that. dragging, detected. with one or
two complete pauses Braddock
understood. He had been listening
to that pitiful approach Of the
woman who was his wife He could
almost see the expression in her face.
A sudden wave of pity swept over
him. He gently closed the door and
locked 1t on the inside.
She came on and turned the knob.
HSS's. timorously.
Good night" he called out from
the most distant corner Of the room
Fully ten seconds passed before she
responded. He felt somehow that
she held her breath during that time
Good night" she cried a vibrant
note in her voice. He heard her as
she went down the hall She was
running.
Christine had been mistress OF Jeni-
son hall for three days when the ex-
pected and anxiously looked for letter
came from her mother. David had
seen the newspaper accounts Of the
murder of Colonel Grand and had
been immeasurably shocked to find
that Dick Cronk was the self-con-
fessed assassin. There was no men
tion of Braddock's name in the dis
patches. yet he could not Danish the
fear that ultimately the man would
be implicated.
Dick Cronk's story of the crime, as
presented by the newspapers. was
clear and unwavering. He said that
he had shot the man in the heat of a
quarrel over money matters. The
newspapers devoted considerable
space to the excellent reputation Of
the cripple and the unsavory record of
the noted pickpocket.
The letter from Mary Braddock was
addressed to Christine. The mothers
heart cried out in the opening pages
David, at least. could read between
the lines. There were the tenderest
protestations of love and the most
confident of prophecies. uttered with
bouyancy Of spirit that convinced
and delighted the girl.
Your father" wrote Mary Brad
uL~. nho--oA ht~ rolnA .h~.,k