The herald-advance. (Milbank, S.D.) 1890-1922, 1913-06-06
m MHdl7zG0yM H.Raznes
Johnston

He will not wake for several
hours" said Davis after feeling his
pulse. Kent ard l will stay here un-
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"
i don't have to look for it, said
the constable with a shudder. Il know
just where 1t is. It's a long ways
round by the road, though"
Take the blackboard" said Davis,
ar when you reach the body go
through all the pockets carefully and
bring ms everything you find. You'd
better not take the body back to Ard
way yet. Is there some place else you
can take it,"
Sure" said Dobbs, Il 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 hat 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 V e the cliff in the dark. BY
the time they get through talking
about 1t and having an inquest over
IN Millervale we will have had a
chance to finish any more investigat-
ing we want to do. You can start
about dawn"
All right" said the constable. but
what will | do with them ~warrants?"
Leave them with me. After you
have disposed of Rouser's body you
can stop on our way back and Wen
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 Miss Parrish
The three OF them went out, leaving
Louise and me alone together, a cir
cumstance that l 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 a sob
In her voice: Harding, forgive me for
having deceived YOU"
1T Is you," l 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
almost put a bullet through your dear
heart"
you didn't know-you couldn't
know that I was here" she sobbed.
sSD..A lo-, no0 1,,or u ~
l told you?"
Lies" l protested. Dear Girl, you
never lied to me. Whatever these dear
lips have said. l knew, l always knew
your heart was true"
Katharine asked It and l had %
promise her,"
You mean about Hugh Crandall.'
YES" she breathed. Il don't know
yet what it is that is between them.
It's something about-about my ia
ther. Crandall knew it and Katharine
found it out. Whatever 1t is, they de-
termined to keep it secret between
them. Katharine made me promise
that l would tell no one, not even you.
She swore me not to reveal to anyone
that I had even seen Hugh Crandall.
had to promise her, you understand,
don't you?"
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. understood all the
while"
Il was SO afraid" she murmured,
afraid you would think l was deceiv-
ing you, that l didn't love YOU"
AS our lips met in a 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.
The spell was broken by q slight
We came to ourselves with a start as
from a dream. l went over to his side
and looked at him. He was still dead
to all around him.
"You understand, Harding, dear.
don't you?" said Louise. as l resumed
my place beside her, why l asked you
to 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 l 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 Crandall, too,
but l did not know how to reach him.
had to promise her everything she
asked"
"Of course you did," / said. " But,
dear. ! loved you so that l could not
rest while this terrible mystery that
hung v your dear ones was un-
solved. ! felt that It was my duty to
disregard your wish. ! realized that
you were being compelled by some in
luenco you could not Withstand to act
- ~Ass AiA Won ~rt ornpu 0,@xh |