The Washington times., 1914-01-17
CHAPTER xLn-(cOntinued.)

n n AKTHE leaned on the counter
NH and spoke with an air Of great
H importance. 'T took them
back to the presbytere just
now" she said, and there were clothes
drying in the sum. rabies clothes
and the sick mans also"
''Tiensi' NJ BonnOt looked at the
marchand de win.
''ParbIeu!" The narchand de win
looked at NJ. Bonnet.
Very well, then" said Marthe. M
FAbbe must have found the English
man in the sea. heinz She put out
her hand and took another cake,
picked up her loaf again. nodded. said
Bon jorr. messfeLrs." walked out OF
the shop Dunchihg. and disappeared
down the ,cobbled street licking her
s1gers with quiet satisfaction. She
could have told them the sick mans
name and many otlier things. but she
mad had enough cakes for one day.
She would 20 far. that child
And the two men fell to discussing 3
! this new aspect of the question.
The able was besjeSed with visitors
that day who came up the garden
path on tiptoe and made anxious in
quirfes as to the sick nan's condition.
II would have shown lack Of respect
to ask point blank whether or not
Marthe's story was true, and the
clothes had disappeared from the line
where they had been drying. True.
the line was still there. Bot that
meant nothing. T. was always there.
And as the abbe told them nothing.
they went away again as myst.fied as
they came
At IL O'Clock. after the abbe had
finished his evening meal and the
doctor had settled the patient for the
niSht-very satisfied with his con-
dition-and had taken his departure.
Thesese crept into the sick room
again.
The able looked up from his book
and raised his eyebrows. Therese
ought to have gone to bed She made
sign with her hand. as II to say. ct
is well, 1 am just going" and came
across to him; She had something IN
her hand and the much discussed
clothes under her arm.
She put her mouth TO the abbe's ear.
Il haye Just ironed his coat and
trousers" she said. IT will put them IN
the drawers over there, and then ana
going straight up to bed These are
the things he had in his pockets. and.
look, there is a letter for you" She
handed him watch and a chain, a
handk kerchief, washed and ironed; q
cigarette case, some gold and silver, and
a letter addressed to NJ. Guerchard.
!. The able took them silently and
; nodded.
, Therese softly opened a drawer and
laid Everard's clothes IN it. Then she
went nOlseleSSiy 10 Ine Deu. lOoAeo dl
Everard for a moment shook her head
and went back to the door. Good
night, NJ. PAbbes' she said There Is
nothing more tc be done"
Goodnight, Therese," said the able;
God bless you
The door closed quietly and the able
was left TO his long vigil. He carried
the watch, the cigarette case, the hand
kerchief. and the money over to the
mantelpiece. leaving the letter living on
i 1t, nw,gvr Ifrrk,F ~ NHla V-pN nm
was the candle, placed so that it should
not shine on the patients face
The window was open and the aooe
went and stood there. A bird made
the patients heavy brething continued
undiSturbed. He had ceased talking to
himself, and lay quiet, as though ex-
hausted. For a long time the able
looked out over the moonlit garden and
watched a cat with large green e;es
creep out of a dark bush and leap up
the wall and disappear.
Then he went back to his chair by the
candle and picked up the book and
letter and sat down.
envelope. Why not NJ. PAbbe Guer-
chard? And, anyhow, why had the
English lad written 20 him before
throwing himself in the sea?
The letter bore the marks Of the sea.
and crinkled loudly as the 9hoe took IL
out OF the unsealed envelope. He look
I'd up quickly to see If 1t had disturbed
the patient. Everard moved slightly,
but that was all.
So the priest very carefully unfoided
il and spread II out. The paper was
undated and bore no address, and in
places the ink had run. 1t was writ
ten in French. The abbe reid Il close
to the candle and read i.
NJ. Guerchard-I have trrNd not to
write this. But I have sot to Some
thing drives me to do It. I cannot 60
without confessing to yUu that I was
the cause of your daughters death. We
loved each other passionately. We met
every afternoon on the sands. I made
her lie to you about t. The night be-
fore she was found IN the sea I climbed
into her bedroom. was cerried away.
It was my fault. God knows I have
regretted it. No, there is not God.