The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1913-12-31

without much preamble hc Informal
her that he knew everything. More.
over, AIR. Booth was i'm possess,on ~
All the iacts ana was even thei ON Tho
point or starting for Europe to s.a
her. or course. his letter sihuu failed tn
reach heI IN time. There was ,,utto n
tiasic scene In The ssciusiun ar ,hnt
remote little ONCE, during which AIR
catroil wipcd his eyes and blew his
nose more than once after winch no
look II upon himself 10 despatch
messenger 10 sara with thu woru that
ne anu Miss Castieton would present
themselves WITHIN half an hour after
ms note had been Delivered
telegram already had como from,
smith IN the far-away Montana town.
transmitting news that disturbed hun
more than he cared 10 aunt rho
show -siti was lying at the point OF
death. and hc WAS having Il very hard
Tune OF IL trying TO Keep the resoiuta
authorities from swooping DOWN upon
her Tor the aniemort.m statement thev
desired. 1t would appear that no ar
rived just In time To put courage into
the girl He would geo TO IL that any
statement she made would bo tho
truth! But Mr.. Carroll was not 40
sure OF Smiths ability to avert dis
aster. He knew something of the ter
rors of the third degree. The police
would light hard for yindicat!on.
The meeting between Sara and Hat
~ was affecting. Almost i'm
mediateiy the former began to show
the most singular signs OF imN ,ye-
ment. She laughed and cried anu n.y.
ously announced TO the proteats az
nurse That she was feeling quite well
again! And. IN truth. she got up from
the couch on which che fecllned and
insisted on being dressed for dinner
In another room the amazed nurse was
ffanucaliy appealing TO Dir. Carroll TO
let her send for the doctor. only 10 ba
confounded by his urbane announce
mcnt that Mrs. Wrandaii was as right
as string" and. please God, she
wouldn', need the services of doctor or
nurse again for years TO come. Then
he asked the nurse II she had ever
heard OF 4 disease called "nostaigia-"t
She said she had heard of home
sickness
wei. that's what allied Mrs. wran-
dali" ne said. Miss Castlcton Is tho
cure"
Booth came the next morning.
Even she lay passive in his arms,
Hetty denied him. Her arms wero
around his neck as she miserauly
whispered that she could not. would
not be his wife, Notwithstanding her
love for him and his readiness To ac-
cept her she was. She was obdu-
rate. lovingly, tcnderiy obduratc. He
would have despair ed but for Sara,
TO whom he afterwards appealed.
Wat" WAS all that Sara had said
but he took heart. He was beginning
to look upon her as a sorceiess. a
his heart had been touched by her
transparent misery. To-day he saw
her in another light altogether; as thu
determined. resourceful. calculating
woman who. having failed 70 attain
certain end, was now intensely, keeniy
Interested In the development of an
other Of a totally different nature. He
could not feel sorry for her to-day.
Hetty deliberately had placed her
self in their hands. withdrawing from
the conference shortly before Vivian's
arrival to give herself over TO gloomy
conjectures as to tho future, not only
for herself. but for the man she loved
and the woman she worshiped with
something or the fidelity OF beaten
dog.
Carroll had in his hand the second
telegram from Smith, Just received.
This relieves the situation some
what" he observed, with deep sigh.
She's dead. and she didn't give In,
thanks TO Smith. Rather clever of him
to get signed statement, however,
witnessed by the prosecuting attorney
and the cnici OF police. 1T puts an
end TO everything so far as she Is con-
cerned"
Read again, Mr.. Carroll. what she
had to say about me-" said sara,
slight tremor OF emotion in her voice.
He read from the lengthy telegram:
"'She wants me TO thank Mrs. Wran-
dali for all she has done TO make her
last few months happy ones, such as
they were. She appreciates her kind
ness all the more because she realizes
that her benefactress must have known
everything. Almost the last words she
spoke were In the nature of sort OF
prayer that God would forgive her for
what she had done to Mrs. Wrandall'"
Poor girl. She could not have
known that 1t was justice, not senti-
ment that moved me to provide for
her" said Sara.
well, she is of our minds. at any
rate" said the matter of-fact lawyer
NOW are you both willing to give seri-T
Gus consideration to the plan / pro-
pose? Take time to think 1t over.
No harm will come to Miss Castleton,
days sensation, but. after all, it is the
best thing for everybody. You pro-
pose living abroad, Booth, SO what arc
the odds If
II shan't live abroad unless Hetty
reconsiders her decision to not marry
me-" said the young man dismaliy.
"!Gad, Sara, you must convince her
that love her better than"
Il think she knows all that, Bran
DON AS l said before, wait! And now,
Mr.. Carroll, / have this to say TO your
suggestion: / for one am reientlessIy
opposed to the plan you advocate.
There u no occasion for this matter TO
go to tho public. a trial, you say,
would be a mere formally. i am not
so sure OF thai. Why put poor Hetty's
head in the lions mouth at this late
stage, after / have protected her so
carefully all these months? Why
take tho risk? We know she is In
nocent. Isn't 1t enough that we acquit
her I'm our hearts? No, cannot con y
sent, and 1 hold both OF you to your
promises"
There is nothing more can say,
nv dear Sara" said Carroll shaltino-s