Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1913-05-03
CHAPTER Xxx Continued.

CHAPTER Ak COntlnueu.
ITO hide EN-. thought the less
there was on the body to identify 1t,
the better chance I'd have of getting
away. I was so scared that guess
was half crazy, anyway. And now, I
hear, she never has been identified. Is
that right?"
Sheriff Schlager half rose from his
chair. "Ain't you told EN-. Professor
Kent?"
Kent shook his head.
Nor you, Mr.. Blair?"
NO"
'Then don't see why we can't keep
1t amongst ourselves said the sheriff.
"Gansett Jim's tight as a clam. No
body'll ever get anything out of him.
And, Lord knows, the less that's known
|of 1t the better I'm suited. amt
none too proud Of my part in IT,
There is no reason why 1t should
ever be known outside of this ROOM"
said Kent, and, at the words, Alexan-
der Blair exhaled pent-up breath OF
relief. But 1t Is due to one person
here that she should know everything.
The question Is how to make it clear
in the best and-and kindest way"
III it will make 1t easier for any one
here to speak," said Marjorie Blair,
II can say that understand certain
phases Of my husbands past life,
thoroughly. There is no need to
spare me on that ground"
"But this pertains to phase that
you do not understand at ALL"
eyes, think So" she persisted
gently. "This dead woman had some
hold over my husband. To maintain
it she came to live near Hedgerow
House, and while she was blackmail-
ing Wilfrid, she got into communica'
ton with Mr.. Jax."
Perhaps they were in collision,
suggested Lawyer Balm.
ooh, no not" broke in Alexander
Blair impatiently. you're wide OF the
truth"
II understand" persisted the young
woman, that the woman persuaded or
compelled Wilfrid to write the letter
to Mr.. Jax, which she signed Astraea.
And that, when she went to keep the
rendezvous, she took my jewels. which,
| I suppose, she forced poor Wilfrid to
steal for her. Am I not right, Prof.
essor Kent?"
| "No. Far from it."
"Why not?" cried sedgwick eagerly.
"She certainly had the Jewels on when
she met me. And the handouts must
have been in the bundle. heard them
clink."
| Exactly; the handouts" said Kent
dryly what use, to your mind, would
a woman OF that sort have for man
acles, in those circumstances?
eyes," put In Adam Balm; they nj
in about as nice rs a pink silk hat at
a funeral"
II know what use she had for EN-"
muttered Preston Jax, caressing MS
wrist. "It's simply a case Of crazy
woman; isn't it, Professor kent?
mo. Not If you mean that your as
sailant was crazy woman, said Kent
patiently.
"Thcn who, in heavens name, Is or
was Astraea?" cried Sedgwick.
"Astraea Is, take 1t, a lady long
since dead. A very strange and IN
teresting lady who adopted that name
for her own peculiar pursuits along
our friend Jax's lines Of interest.
.They call themselves all s,rts OF
things" observed the astrologer phil
osophically. IT had follower once
that used to sign herself Carrie Nation,
! and she wasn't the real Carrie at all.
No name Is sacred ito EN- when they
go dippy over the stars
"Then the woman Of Lonesome Cove
borrowed that name from some old
|record? asked Sedgwick.
Follow me through page OF I'M
written local history" said Chester
Kent Strengthening up.
"The beginning of this story goes
back some seventy-1ve years, when
there lived, not far from Hogg's Haven
| in a house which has since been de-
stroyed, an older sister of Captain
Hogg, who married into the Grosvenor
family. She was, from tho evidence
of the Grosvenor family historian, who,
| by the way, has withheld all this from
/ his pages, q woman of the most extra
ordinary charm and magnetism. Not
! + ,autiful, in the strict sense Of the
word, she had a gift beyond beauty,
and she led men in chains. Her hus-
| band appears to have been weakling
who counted for nothing in her life
after the birth of her children. Seek
ling distraction, she flung herself into
mysticism and became the priestess OF
cult of star-worshipers, which IN.
lcluded many of the more cultivated
people Of this region. Among them
was a young German mystic and phil
osopher, who had fed to this country
| t, escape punishment for political Of
lenses. Hermann Won Miltz was his
name"
"That's why she called me Her.
man," broke in Preston. in an awed
half whisper. :.
Don't jump to wild conclusions"
said Kent smilmgly. Some Of their
correspondence is still extant. She
signed herself Astraea. in hand-writ-
ling similar to the signature OF that
note of yours, Jax. There seems to
have been no guilt between them, as
the law judges guilt. The bond was
mystic one. But 1t was none the
less fatal. 1t eliminated in tragedy
| Of which the details are lost. Perhaps
| it was an elopment that they planned;
perhaps double suicide, with the idea
that their souls would be united IN
death. There are hints Of that IN
| the old letters in the historians pos
session and in the library at Hedge
~,x,, r1oy,oo T,I,ic mnch Ii known.