The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1914-01-05
NOPSIS OF PRECEDING CHAPTERS

/
Wrandali OF having committed tho murder.
but offers to drop the trail Tor & price. sir.
by q clever falsehood. but Mrs. wrandali
sgrees to pay the man his price because he
Booth. a friend Of I.tsiis . "A"e'' D'A"'0"
! with the Girl, who returns his love but re-
day he VIII understand why. She conresses
what he has known for long time-that she
another artist. She eonvncss Mrs. Wrandail
| that che went to the Inn with wrandail In
Mira WrandalI insists tina, tho girl accept
him. Upon her refusal. the two women sep
1r a tine si1l F9"E s to psland sS whittier
him that only Mrs. wrandail has the right
her father Colonel castieton. and Leslie LESLIE
and Mrs. wrandni! arc to be married Mean
while. after weeks OF effort Booth has per
story-that Hetty Cas,lc:on went 70 III. hotel
[ with Wrandall. believing that they were 10
defense OF her honor. Nr. Wrandaii also
confesses that. before she became certain OF
marry her TO Leslie punishment TO tho
/ Wrandalls. who had always been unkind
cd letter TO the girl. saying that he is com.
ing TO her AT once: Meantime Smith. the de
! Ice suspect a showgirl named Ashley OF
having murdered Wrandall. Determined to
Mrs. Wrandal tells the whole story TO hor
counsel Mr.. Carroll. and the two assisted
suspected woman Mrs. wraHdai n' s untgs''g
nervous breakdown. and Miss castleton re-
clnrins on her dcnth- bed that ths knows
who Killed Wrandall. but refusing 10 divulre
mans family should be told how he met his
oeath ana all tho wrandalis arc summoned
| ~ his widow TO her house
! When left tho inn that night az
| ter seeing my husbands body In the
! ittlo upstairs room. I said TO myself
That the ono who took his life had UNI
Willingly done me n service. He was
! my husband; loved him, adored
MIN. TO tho end OF my days 1 could
nave gone on loving him in spite OF
! tho cruel return he gave for my love
and loyalty. 1 shall not attempt to
| tell you OF tho countless lapscs OF n
! deiity on his part You would not be.
lieve me. But he always came bnck
( TO me with the pitiful love he had for
me- and forgave him his transgrcs-
ssons. These things you know. He
confessed many things 10 you, Mr.
| Wrandall. lilo humbled himself TO me
Perhaps you VIII recall that never
complained TO you OF him. What ran
cor j had was always directed toward
yon. his family. who would SEQ no
wrong In your king, but looked upon
me as dirt beneath his feet There
were moments when could have slain
him with my own hands. but my heart
| rebclled. There were times when he
! said TO me that ! ought to KIN him
Tor the things he had done You NAV
no" understand what 1 mean when
say ma, the girl who went to Burtons
Inn with him did me a service | viii
not say that considered her guilt
Icss ct the time On the contrary
looked upon her in quite different
way. | had no means OF knowing then
.hat she was as pure ms snow and that
he would have despoiled her OF every
! Thing that was sweet and sacred IN
/ her. She took his life in order TO
save that which was dearcr TO her than
! her own life and she was on her wav
to pay for her deed with her life II
necessary when / came upon her and
| interviewed"
"You--you know who she tsp said
Mr. Wrandan, in a low, incredulous
| voice.
/ Il lave known almost from the be-
ginning. Presently you Will hear her
story. from her own lips"
! lnvoluntarily four pairs OF eyes
shifted. They looked blankly at Het-
ty Castleton.
Speaking swiftly. Sara depicted the
scenes and sensations experienced
during that memorable motor journey
! to New York City.
II could not believe that she was
| a vicious creature. even then. some
! thing told me that she was a tender
gentle thing who had fallen into evil
! hands and had struck because she was
unevil. | did not doubt that she had
! been my husbands mistress, but
could not destroy tho conviction that
I somehow she had been justified in do
/ ing the thing she had done. Ny gray
est mistake was in refusing to hear
her story In all Of its details. | only
permitted her to acknowledge that she
bod II Had hi
want to hear the thing which | as
sumcd TO BIO true. Therein lies my
deepest fault For months and months
1 misjudged her In my heart, yet Sc
| cretly loved her. Now l understand
| why I loved her. II was because she
was innocent of the only crime could
| lay at her feet. Now I come to the
crime of which I stand self-accused
I must have been mad all these
| months. | have no other defense to
| offer. You may take 1t as you see
| 1t for yourselves. do not ask for
| pardon. After deliberately had set
about to shield this unhappy girl--to
cheat the law, If you please--to cheat
you. perhaps,--I conceived tho horrible
thought to avenge myself for all the
| indignities ] had sustained at the
| hands of you Wrandalls, and at the
same time to even my account with
the ono woman whom could put my
finger upon as having robbed me Of
! my husbands love You see put II
| mildly have hated all of you. Mrs
Wrandall, oven as you have hated me
! TO -day-now-I do not feel as did In
other days toward you. ! do not love
you; still do not hate you. / do
not forgive you. and yet think ]
have come TO SEQ things from your
point OF view. 1 can only repeat that
] do not hate you as ] once did"
| She paused. The Wrantlalla Wara
| too deeply submerged in horror to
speak. They merely stared at her as
il stupcfcd; as breathless, as notion
| less az stones.
There came 4 day when I observed
that Leslie was attracted blythe guest
| in my house. On that day the plan
took root in my brain. L"
| Good God" fell from Leslio's lips.
| ''You--you had that in mlnd?"
| 1T became n fixed, inhcxiblo pur-
| pose, Leslie. Not that / hated you as
I hated the rest, for you tried to be