, 1913-01-30

Ill ~ aAh
past us. To me they were only shad
ows. The real world was a girl IL
black and myself, and the girl wore Q
betrothal ring which was not mine.
Mrs. Butler came down to dinner
that night She was more Cheerful
than | had yet seen her. and she had
changed her mournful garments t.
something a trihe less depressing
With her masses of fair hair dressed
high and her face slightly animated. :
realized what / had not done before
that she was the wreck Of a very beau
tiful m
She used a cane when she walked
and after dinner In the library she wa,
content to sit impressive. detached
propped with cushions. while Margery
read to the hoys In their night nursery
and Edith embroidered.
Fred had been fussing over a play
for some time. and he had eone to reat
L to some manager or other. Edith al
ready was spending the royalties.
1--WE could go a little ways out o.
town" she was saying. "and we could
have an automobile. Margery says
theirs will be sold. and certainly It will
be a bargain"
Near me Mrs. Butler had languidly
taken up the paper. Suddenly she
dropped 1t, and when l stopped and
picked It up / noticed she was trem.
bling.
as It true ?" she demanded. "Ts Rob
ert Clarkson deadT'
"Yes," / assented. "He has been dead
since Sunday morning-a suicide"
"Tm glad. glad" she said. Then she
grew weak and semi-hysterical, laugh
ing and crying in the same breath
When she had been helped upstairs
for IN her weakened state 1t had beer
more of a shock than we realized
Margery came down, and we tried tt
forget the scene we had just gon,
through.
1t was strange to contrast the way
in which the two women o their
similar bereavements. Margery repre-
scented the best type of normal Ameri.
can w~omanhood. Ellen Butler the neu'
rasthenic; she demanded everything by
her very helplessness and timidity
She was a constant drain on Edith's
ready sympathy. That night while ]
closed the house-Fred had not come
in-I advised her to let Mrs. Butler &C
back to her sanatorium.
AT 1890 | was still downstairs. Fred
was out. and | waited for him, being
curious to know the verdict OF the
play. The bell rang a few minutes be
fore / and ! went to the door. Some
body in the vestibule was tapping the
floor impatiently with his foot. When
l opened the door l was surprised te
find that the late visitor was Wardrop
His eyes were sunk deep In his head,
his Redeemed lids and twitching mouth
told of little sleep, of nerves ready to
snap.
I'm glad it's you" he said, by way
of greeting. 81 was afraid you'd nave
gone to bed"
"It's the top of the evening yet" ]
replied perfunctorily as ] led the way
into the library. Once inside, Wardrol
closed the door and looked around hin
like an animal at bay.
81 came here he said nervously
looking at the windows. because I had
an idea you'd keep your head. Mine'i
gone: I'm either crazy Oh I'm on my
way there. Knox. there are people fol
lowing me wherever l go; they eat
where | eat; If | doze in my chair they
come into my dreamsr' He stopped
there, then he laughed a little wildly
'"That last isn't sane, but it's true
There's n man across the street now
eating an apple under a lamp post"
Suppose you are under surveillance
] said. Its annoying to have a de
tective following you around, but it,
hardly serious. The police say now
that Mr.. Fleming killed himself. THAI
was your own contention"
Suppose say he didn't kill him
self?" slowly. Suppose / say he wal
murdered? Suppose-good God-sup
pose ! killed him myselfT
/ drew back in stupefaction, but h.
hurried on.
"For the last two days I've beef
wondering-if l did It'll He hadn't an!
weapon. l had one-his. / hated hin
that day. l had tried to save him ant
couldn't. My God. Knox, I might hav
gone Off my head and done it-and no
remember II. There have been case
IKE that"
His condition was pitiable. I locke,
around for some whisky, but the bes
! could do vas a little port on the side
board. When l came back he was sit
ting with bent head, his forehead OF
his palms.
I've thought 1t all out" he sal,
painfully. MY mother had spells O
emotional insanity. Perhaps / wen
there. without knowing 1t, and kille,
him. l car 9 him, In the night
when L daren't sleep, topping over o,
to that table. with a bullet wound II
his head. and I am in the room. and
have his revolver in my pocketP'