River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1913-06-05

Mr.. Gryce, not unmindful himself OF
this object, took it up, then laid 1t
down again. with an air of seeming
abstraction.
The fathers attention was caught.
What is that?" he cried, advanc-
ing step and bestowing more than
an ordinary glance at the object thus
brought casually. as it were, to his
; notice.
Mr.. Gryce, observing the others
emotion, motioned him to a chair. AS
his visitor sank into it, he remarked,
with all the consideration exacted by
| the situation:
ut is unknown property. Mr.. Chal-
loner. But we have some reason to
think it belonged to your daughter"
Il have seen it, or one like it, often
in her hand" Here his eyes suddenly
dilated and the hand stretched forth
to grasp it quickly drew back. Where
where was it found?" he hoarsely
demanded. 20 Cod am to be crushed
to the very earth by sorrow!"
Mr.. Gryce FASTENED to give him
such relief as was consistent with
the truth.
1T was picked up-last night-from
the lobby floor. There is seemingly
nothing to connect it with her death.
| Yet"
The pause was eloquent. Mr.. Chal-
Toner gave the detective an agonized
look and turned white to the lips.
Then gradually, as the silence contin-
ued, his head fell forward, and he NUT
tered almost unintelligibly:
Il honestly believe her the victim
of some heartless stranger. do now;
but-but | cannot mislead the police.
AT any cost l must retract a state
ment | made under false impressions
and with no desire to deceive. l said
that | knew all of the gentlemen who
admired her and aspired to her hand
But it seems that l did not know her
secret heart as thoroughly as | had
supposed. Among her effects l have
just come upon a batch Of letters
love letters l am forced to acknowl-
edge-signed by initials totally strange
to me. The letters are manly in tont.
most of them-but one"
What about the cne?"
Shows that the writer was dis
pleased. 1t may mean nothing, but |
could not let the matter go without
setting myself right with the author1-
ties. II it might be allowed to rest
here-if those letters can remain sa-
cred, it would save me the additional
pang of seeing her inmost concerns
the secret and hottest recesses of a
woman's heart, laid open to the pub
lie. For, from the tenor of most of
these letters, she-she was not averse
to the writer"
Mr.. Gryce moved a little restlessIy
in his chair and stared hard at the cut
ter SO conveniently placed under his
eye. Then his manner softened and
he remarked:
I'VE will do what we can. But you
must understand that the matter is
not a simple one. That, in fact, it
contains mysteries which demand DO
lice investigation. We do not dare
to trifle with any of the facts. The
inspector, and, if not he, the coroner,
will have to be told about these let
ters and will probably ask to see
| them"
They are the letters of a gentle
man."
with the one exception"
Eyes, that is understood" Then in
sudden heat and with an almost
sublime trust in his daughter notwith-
standing the duplicity he had just dis.
covered, he declared 'The deed
was an accident-incredible- still
an accident"
Mr.. Gryce had respect for this out
burst. Making no attempt to answer