Belington progressive. [volume] (Belington, W. Va.) 1912-1927, 1913-08-28
CHAPTER XVI.
sweetwater Returns.

| hoPO tAdI ycoCeIudy luITublOu udS
not prejudiced you against me-"
Il have no prejudices," was her
simple but firm reply. Il am only
hurried and very anxious. The doc
tor is with Mr. Brotherson just now;
but he has several other equally sick
patients to visit and / dare not keep
him here too long"
Then you will welcome my abrupt
ness. Miss Scott, here Is a letter
from Mr.. Challoner. 1t will explain
my position. AS you will see, his only
desire Is to establish the fact that his
daughter did not commit suicide You
have seen Miss Challoner, / believe
Do you think she was the woman to
plunge dagger in her heart in
place as public as hotel reception
room?"
No, Mr.. Sweetwater. l saw her
once and 1t made me want to be
quiet and kind and beautiful like her
| never shall think she did anything
| so horrible. Nor will Mr.. Brotherson
ever believe 1t. He could not and live
You see, am talking to you as If you
knew him-the kind of man he is and
just how he feels towards Miss Chal.
loner. He is" Her voice trailed
off and look. uncommon and almost
| elevated, illumined her face. II will
| not tell you what he is; you will
know, II you ever see him"
Sweetwater watched her for mo-
ment, and then remarked: I'm going
to take one thing for granted that
you are as anxious as we are to clear
Miss Challoner's memory"
20 yes, o yes"
More than that, that you are ready
and eager to help us. Your very looks
show that"
You are right; l would do anything
to help you. But what can a girl
like me do? Nothing; nothing.
know too little. Mr. Challoner must
see that when you tell him I'm only
the daughter of a foreman"
and a friend of Mr.. Brotherson,"
supplemented Sweetwater.
YES" she smiled, che would want
me to say so. But that's his good
ness. don't deserve the honor"
dante" Sweetwater continued "He
has talked to you about Miss Chal-
loner?"
He had to. There was nobody else
to whom he could talk; and then,
had seen her and could understand"
Where did you see herr"
in New York. I was there once
70 u,hn - l.
think she had asked Mr.. Brotherson
to send his little friend to her hotel
If ever we came to New York"
That was some time ago?"
I'VE were there In June"
"And you have correspondent ever
since with Miss Challoner?"
"She has been good enough to write,
and have ventured at times to an
swer her."
Smiling little, but in very ear
nest fashion, he pointed to the letter
she still held and quietly said:
Remember that I'm not speaking
for myself, Miss Scott, when l seem
little too persistent and inquiring.
You have corresponded with Miss
Challoner; you have been told the
fact of her secret engagement to Mr..
Brotherson and you have been wit
ness to his conduct and manner for
the whole time he has been separated
from her. Do you, when you think of
it carefully, recall anything in the
whole story of this romance which
would throw light upon the cruel trag-
edy which has SO unexpectedly ended
it? Anything, Miss Scott? Straws
show which way the stream flows"
She was vehement, instantly vehe-
ment, in her disclaimer.
II can answer at once" said she,
because have thought of nothing
else for all these weeks Here all
was well. Mr.. Brotherson was hope
full and happy and believed in her hap
piness and willingness to wait for his
success. And this success was COM
ing so fast! Oh, how can we ever tell
himl How can we ever. answer his
questions even, or keep him satisfied
and calm until he is strong enough to
hear the truth. I've had to acknowl-
edge already that have had no letter
from her for weeks. She never wrote
to him directly, you know, and she
never sent him messages, but he knew
that letter to me was also a letter
to him and 1 can see that he is
troubled by this long silence, though
hs says l was quite right not to let
her know of his illness and that
must continue to keep her in igno-
rance OF it till he is quite we'll again
and can write to her himself. 1t is
hard to hear him talk like this and not
look sad or frightened"
Sweetwater remembered Miss Chal-
loner's last letter, and wished he had
it here to give her. In default of this.
he said