The Washburn times. [volume] (Washburn, Wis.) 1896-1976, 1913-01-30
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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 that 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 over the cliff in the dark BY
| the time they get through talking
about it 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 your way back and We'll
! 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 / 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 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 bullet through your dear
| heart"
"You didn't know-you couldn't
! know that l was here she sobbed.
''But how can you ever pardon the lies
| told you?"
Lies | 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 to
promise her.
"You mean about Hugh Crandall."
YES" she breathed. 81 don't know
yet what it is that is between them.
| It's something about-about my ia
/ Their. Crandall knew it and Katharine
found it out. Whatever it is, they de-
termined to keep it secret between
| them. Katharine made me promise
thatI would tell no one, not even you.
She swore me not to reveal to anyone
that had even seen Hugh Crandall. |
had to promise her, you understand,
don't your"
| 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" l breathed, Il
/ understand. | understood all the
while
81 was so afraid" she murmured,
afraid you would think | was deceiv-
| ing you, that l didn't love you"
| AS our lips met in long, sweet kiss.
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 a slight
| twitching of the man across the room.
We came to ourselves with start as
| from a dream. | 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 | resumed
my place beside her, why asked you
| to drop your search? AS soon as
! Katharine became conscious and told
her that you were on the trail Of the
! yellow letter, she became greatly ex-
cited. She insisted that | should make
YOU withdraw at once. She was deter
mined to know all about what you had
done. and l told her of your being here
in Ardway. She, weak and i'll as she
was. made me swear that / would re-
call you by telephone. She wanted
me to telephone to Hugh Crandall, too,
but did not know how to reach him.
| had to promise her everything she
asked"
"Of course you did," l said. But,
dear. | loved you SO that ! could not
rest while this terrible mystery that
hung over your dear ones was IN
solved. | felt that it was my duty to
disregard your wish. [ realized that
YOU were being compelled by some In
! 'fluence you could not withstand to act
/ as you did. You are not angry with
me, are you, dearest?'
| 'Of course I'm not" she said with
wan smile, patting my hand gently.
But tell me-" | asked, what OF
Hugh Crandall? What is his connec-
ton with this dreadful mystery?"
Il don't know" she answered
/ thoughtfully.
81 have thought all along that he
| had something to do with it, and you
saw just now that he admitted know
! ing this man here whom the inspector
| insists is at the root of everything"
katharine trusts him, yet ] know
my father for some reason forbade
/ him the house
I'm sure he is guilty" I cried.
! "Katharine's eyes have been blinded
/ by love TO his real character
| Il think you must be mistaken, /"
| said Louise. "He knows about the ex-
istence of a paper that gave some
man a strange hold on my father.
Katharine knew of it, too He may
have told her. She insisted on my ac-
companying him out here to try to
help recover it,"
/ Didn't he tell you about it on the
way out?"
NO ! asked him what it was. He