Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1913-02-19
William
Johnston.
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HE will not wake for several
hours said Davis after feeling his
pulse. "Kent and i will stay here I'M
til then. You, Mr.. Crandall, will take
Miss Parrish home, and you, Dodds,
as soon as it's daylight, had better go
look for Rouser's body" Sc : aasg ss71
II don't! have to look for it. said
the constable with a shudder. II know
just where it is. It's a long ways
round by the road. though"
! "Take the blackboard said Davis,
land 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 yet. Is there some place else you
can take it," a
Sure" said Dobbs, II can take it
over to Millervale. It's just about as
far in the other direction. But what
in the lands sake I'll tell about It,
gets me-
That's easy, said the inspector.
"You can explain tn at you were driv-
ing 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 had a
chance to finish any more Investigate
ing we want to do. You can start
about dawn" y! 5- Nh
"All right" said the constable, but
what will do with them warrants 2"
Leave them with me. After you
have disposed of, Rouser's body you
can stop on your way back and veil
take this one in with us. Come on
outside, Dodds, and you, too, Crandall,
want to ask you some questions
about our friend over there. You,
Kent, stay here with O. :. ", Parrish"
The three Of Relles1ut leaving
Louise and me ~ together, q cir:
.cumstance that II couldn't doubt that
Davis had planned, realizing that there
was much we would say to each other.
Hardly we're they out Of the door, be-
fore Louise turned to me, with sup.
plant arms, and cried out, with a sob
I'm her voice: Harding, forgive me for
having deceived you. e ;;.s.s
1T is you" cried, you. who must
forgive me for having disobeyed your
wish, for having come out here after
you, had asked me not to, for having
almostSpu a bullet through your dear
heart III
""'You didn't .know-you couldn't
know that I was here" she sobbed.
aBut how can you ever pardon the. lies
told you RI n
Ties protested. Dear girl. you
never lied to me. Whatever these dear
lips have said, I knew, ! always knew
your heart was true"
Katharine asked it and I had to
promise her,
'.You mean about Hugh Crandall."
it'Yes.1ss she breathed. II don't know
yet what it is that is between them.
It's something about-about my fat
ther. Crandall knew it and Katharine
found 1t out. Whatever. it is, they de-
termined to, keep it secret between
them. Katharine made me promise
that would tell no one. not even you.
She swore me not to reveal to anyone
that i had even seen Hugh Crandall.5
had to promise her, you understand.
don't you y (; \,
MY answer was a kiss full on her
|! lips, while my arms went" about her
and held her tight to me. .
"Of course, dear GIRL" breathed, Il
understand. I understood all the
WHILE" "a sss5
Il was SO afraid" she murmured.
afraid you would think I was deceiv-
ing you, that didn't love you"
AS our lips met In long, sweet kiss.
a wave of Joy swept over me that all
but obliterated thoughts Of the dread
full yellow letter. forgot for the mo-
(ment the drug-sodden creature lying
in the corner, not twenty feet away
from us. =: 4. z, " S
The spell was broken by a slight
twitching Of the man across the room.
We came to ourselves with start as
from a dream. went over to bis side
and looked at him. He was still dead
to all around him.
"You understand, Harding, dear,
don't your" said Louise, as resumed
my place beside her, why I asked you
ito drop your search? As soon as
Katharine became conscious and l 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 would re-
call you by telephone. She wanted
me to telephone to Hugh Crandall. too,
but i did not know how to reach him.
I had to promise her everything she
asked" g. Ii
"Of course you did," said. But.
dear, l loved you SO that ! could not
rest while this terrible mystery that
hung over your dear ones was un.
solved. l felt that it was my duty to
disregard your wish. ! realized that
you were being compelled by some In
fluence you could not Withstand to act
as you did. You are not angry with
me, are you, dearest?
"Of course I'm not" she said with
wan smile, patting my hand gently.