Tensas gazette. [volume] (St. Joseph, La.) 1886-current, 1914-08-14

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"And SO You Are the One We Have
Been Hunting for All These Months"
ty. And so you are the one we have
been hunting for all these months,
Miss Castleton! You are the one we
want! You who have sat at our table,
you who have smiled in our faces"
Stop. Mr.. Wrandall!" commanded
Sara. noting the ashen face Of the girl.
Don't let the fact escape you that |
am the guilty person. Don't forget
that she owed her freedom, II not her
life to me. alone kept her from
giving herself up to the law. All that
has transpired since that night in
March must be placed to my account.
Hetty Castleton has been my prisoner.
She has rebelled a thousand times and
l have conQuered-not by threats but
by love! Do you understand? Be-
cause of her love for me. and because
she believed that loved her. she sub
mitted. You are not to accuse her,
Mr.. Wrandall. Accuse me! l am on
trial here. Hetty Castleton is a wit.
ness against me, II you choose to call
upon her as such. II Got, l shall ask
her to speak in my defense. If she can
do So"
This is lunacy!" cried Mr.. Wran-
dali, coming to his feet. Il don't care
what your motives may have been
They do not make her any less a muir.
deress. She"
I'VE must give her over to the DO
lice" began his wife, struggling to
her feet. She staggered. 1t was
Booth who stepped quickly to her side
to support her. Leslie was staring at
Hetty.
Vivian touched her fathers arm.
She was very pale but vastly more
composed than the others.
Father, listen to me-" she said. Her
voice trembled in spite Of ner effort
to control it. I'VE are condemning
Miss Castleton unheard. Let US hear
everything before we"
Good God, Vivian! Do you mean
to"
How can we place any reliance on
what she may say?" cried Mrs. Wran.
dali.
Nevertheless" said Vivian firmly
Il for one shall not condemn her un-
heard. l mean to be as fair to her as
Sara has been. 1t shall not be said
that all the Wrandalls are smaller
than Sara Gooch!"
my child" began her father in.
credulously. His jaw dropped sud-
denly. His daughters shot had landed
squarely in the heart of the Wrandall
pride.
IF she has anything to say"-said
Mrs. Wrandall. waving Booth aside
and sinking stifily into her chair. Her
husband sat down. Their jaws set
hard.
Thank you, VIVIAN" said Sara. sur
prised in spite of herself. You are
nobler than l."
please don't thank me. Sara" said
Vivian icily. Il was speaking for Miss
Castleton."
Sara flushed. Il suppose 1t is USE
less to ask you to be fair to Sara
Gooch. as you choose to call me-"
do you feel in your heart that we
still owe you anything?"
Enough of this, Vivian" spoke up
her father harshly. IF Miss Castle
ton desires to speak we will listen to
her. ! must advise you, Miss Castle
ton, that the extraordinary disclosures
made by my daughterin-law do not
lessen your culpability. We do not in
sist on this confession from you. You
deliver 1t at your own risk. l want
to be fair with you. II Mr.. Carroll
Is your counsel, he may advise you
now to refuse to make a statement"
Mr.. Carroll bowed slightly in the
general direction of the Wrandalls. Il
have already advised Miss Castleton
to state the case fully and completely
to you, Mr.. Wrandall. 1t was | who
originally suggested this-well, what
you might call private trial for her.
| am firmly convinced that when you
have heard her story. you. as her
judges, will acquit her of the charge
of murder. Moreover. you will be con-
tent to let your own verdict end the
matter. sparing yourselves the shame
and ignominy OF having her story told