Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1914-05-15

What are you doing In my houseT'
asked Mrs. MacKnight, with severity.
Let me go; please let me go!
have stolen nothing!'
The woman was about thirty years
old, comedy and handsomely dressed.
what are you doing here, say?"
repeated Mary You are not thief;
you are lady"
There were quick Hastings In the
eyes OF the stranger indicating that
she was looking for some method of
extricatlng herself, Finally rising from
her covering attitude she said de
family:
81 will not attempt to deceive you.
am no thief did not come here to
steal. | came to meet the man | love.
who Is mine by right, yours by law"
"My husband! You come here to
Oh heavens"
81 know not who you are but do
know that | am the only woman he
loves"
Stridng past Mrs. MacKnight defiant
ly, she left the room and hurried down
the staircase Mary, on the verge OF
collapse, fell on the bed. She heard
the front door open. then the voice OF
her husband.
II beg your pardon, madam; but |
should like to know what you have
been doing In my house."
LET me co." came the voice Of the
woman who had just gone down.
stairs
mot until have received Il salts
factory explanation as to the cause
Of your presence here"
Mary sprung from the bed The
woman must be thief after all and
had made her believe that she had
come to meet John In order to get away
with the valuabes she had taken and
escape arrest. The thought was min
gled by delightful feeling of relief
that her husband was innocent. Rush
Ing to the landing, she cried:
Don't let her go, John; she's n
thief"
John closed the front door, shutting
the intruder In. Mary ran down and
confronted the woman with her hus-
band Both were too intent on the
matter Of preventing the thief from
getting away with whatever she had
stolen to think Of saluting each other
after their long separation.
"Turn over the plumber" said John.
"You may as well give 1t up to me
as to the police"
~ have no plumber" said the woman
drawing quick breaths In her excite
ment.
VERY well, you have been caught
I'm my house, and that is trespass.
Mary, go to the phone and call for
the police"
"HoldP said the woman.
"WellP
She darted her eyes about her. One
thing alone might have saved her-n
fire. but there was no fire In the house
except In the furnace In the base
ment. In her desperation the woman
took from under her outer coat pa
per and tried to tear It., but II was
folded, and she was not successful
John snatched 1t from her and look
Ing at an Endorsement on the outside,
read, Last VIII and Testament Of
Cynthia Withers"
"Who are you and what do you want
with thisT' asked John.
The woman made no reply for few
minutes; then she said:
"Slnce | have not succeeded there Is
no harm done and you can well afford
to let mo go away quietly. ! am Ellen
Stone"
"Ellen Stonep gasped Mary.
go on" said John.
MRS. Wlthers died this morning ~
the sanitarlum. IL | could have g0l |
out with that paper | would have IN |
herted all her property, for have n
will dated long before that one, drawn |
In my favor"
But how did you know where this
will was keptT asked Mary.
"When Mrs. Wlthers lived with me
she kept all her papers In her antique
desk. knew she must have made |
second will, and there was chance |
that 10 was In the desk. Learning that |
there was no one In the house during |
the day, came here and. bringing n
tool to raise sash, got In. found the |
desk and the will. as ! hoped, and had |
you, Mrs. MacKnight, been minute |
iuLSi WOblu hhFb BDOu NY VI"
cape. / made pretense OF having come |
here to meet your husband, hoping that |
II would prevent your OBTAINING me for |
thief Had you, Mr.. MacKnight, |
been minute later | would have sue. |
ceeded In passing the second danger"
She paused few moments, then con,
tlnued.
you have nothing TO gain by prose
cutting me for this attempt TO get pos.
session Of Mrs. WIthers' will, and see
no reason why you should not suffer
me to depart"
II can forgive you" said Mary, for
endeavorIng TO deprive me OF fortune
even by criminal ruse, but II Is not 80
easy TO forgive you for pretending that
you had won him from me. Suppose
as you have said, he had not arrived
TIL you had gone. You would not only
have stolen the fortune my aunt In
tended for me. but II IL quite possible
that you might have made an irrepnr
able breach between him and me. No;
I cannot permit you TO go free"
The woman covered at this She
had committed nm offense that II press
ed would send her TO prison for many
years. John MacKnlght interposed:
Mary" he said, you must remem.
Der that where one Is cornered and
must decide quickly the consequences
OF an act are not carefully considered
| recommend mercy"
The wife who had 80 nearly been
separated from her husband M well ms
losing fortune. considered a moment.
then said.
"Do ~ you like, John"
MacKnight opened the door and said
% the woman one word
"Gor"