Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1913-01-30
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hours, said Davis after feeling his
pulse Kent and I viii stay here IN
til then. You, Mr. Crandau, will take
Miss Parrish home, and you, Dodds,
as soon as it's daylight, had better go
look for Rouser's body
4 don't have to look for it, said
the constable with a shudder I know
just where it is, It's a 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
better not take the body back to Ard
way vet. Is there some place else you
can take ito"
Sure" said Dobbs, 4 can take it
over to Milleryale It's just about as
far in the other direction But what
in the lands sake I'll tell about ii,
gets ne"
That's easy" said the inspector.
You can explain that you were Griv-
ing over there and as you came by
you saw the body lying on the road.
CAl AN ia pam lIldt nc Li4USl nave
fallen over the cliff in the dark By
the time they get through talking
about it and having an inquest over
in AilleTYale we will have had &
chance to finish any more inyestigat-
ing We want to do. You can start
about dawn
All right, said the constable, but
Il 90
Leave them with me- After you
have disposed of Rouser's body you
can stop on your way back and wen
take this one in with US Come on
outside, D0dds, and you, toe, CrandalI.
| want to ask you soma questions
about cur friend over there. You.
Kent, stay here with Miss Parrish"
The three of them went out. leaving
Louise and me alone together. cir
cumstance that I couldn't doubt that
Davis had planned, realizing that there
was much we would say to each other.
Hardly were they out Of the door be
fore Louise turned to me, with sup
plant arms, and cried out, with sob
in her voice: Harding, forgive me for
having deceived YOU"
It is you" I cried, you, who must
forgive me for having disCbeyed your
wish. for having come out 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 I was here" she sobbed.
Put how can you ever pardon the lies
l told you?"
Lies l 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 I had to
promise her"
You mean about Hugh CrandaH"
Yes" she breathed. I don't know
vet what if is that is between them.
It's something about-abOut my IA
rhcr CraEdall knew it and Katharine
found il out Whatever it is, they de
jeTmiued to keep il secret between
them. katharine made me promise
hat I would tell no one, not even you.
She sWors me not to reveal 10 anyone
that had even seen Hugh CrandaI. /
had TO promise her, you understand,
don't YOU"
My answer was a kiss full on heT
lips. while my arms went about her
and held her tight to me.
of course. dear girl breathed, =
understand. l understood all the
while"
i was so afraid" she murmured,
afraid you would think l was deceiy-
ing you. that l didn't love you"
As our lips met in a long, sweet kiss,
Z wave OF joy swept over me that all
but obliterated thoughts OF the dread
ful yellow letter. l forgot for the mo-
ment the drug-sodden creature lying
in the corner. not twenty feet away
from us.
The spell was broken by a slight
twitching of the man across the room.
We came to ourselves with a start as
from a dream. 7 went over to his side
and looked 1t him. He was still dead
20 al around him.
You understand, Harding, dear,
don't you?" said Louise, as l resumed
my place beside her, why I asked you
10 drop your search? As soon as
Katharine became conscious and / told
her that you were on the trail of the
yellow letter, she became greatly eX-
cited She insisted that | should make
you withdraw at once. She was deter
mined TO know all about what you had
done, and / told her of your being here
in Ardway She. weak and Ill as she
was. made me swear that l would re-
call you by telephone. She wanted
me to telephone to Hugh CrandalI, too,
but did not know how TO reach him.
I had TO promise her everything she
asked"
of course you did," said. " But,
dear, I loved you SO that | could not
rest while this terrible mystery that
hung over your dear ones was IN
solved. ! felt that it was my duty to
disregard your wish. ! realized that
YOU were beins compelled by some in
huence you could not withstand to act
as You did. You are not angry with
me. are you, dearest2"
of course I'm not" she said with
wan smile. patting my hand gently,