The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1914-01-02
THE
HOLLOW OF HER HAND
BY GEORGE BARR M'cUTcHEoN.

il BY GEORGE BA
Chailis Wrandaii is found dead IN road
house. His widow. accidentally meeting the
ann TO the inn the night S before. ofrers her
h nom n The , Two wemsH return from rom os
brother, falls desperately in love with her
and proposes to her. but Is rejected with
wrandnli OF having committed The murder,
but offers to drop the trail tor price. Mr.,
Mrandnli the elder dissoncerts the sien,h
mad tried to give her a chance" Brandon
with the girl. who returns his love but re-
fuses to marry him, telling him that some
day he will undcrstnnd why. She confesses
what he has known for n long time-that she
once posed as Hetty Giynn, an actress, Tor
that sho went 10 the Inn with wrandaii In
Innocence. Lesie again urges his suit and
Mrs. Wrandall insists that tho girl accept
! him. Upon her refusal, the two women sep
a n. the girl gons TO EnGlond. whittier
him that only Mrs. Wrandail has the right
| 10 te. ii.i nei sesie..
her father Colonel castieton. and i'd Leslie leslie
who tells her TINT II Is rumored that Booth
while. after weeks Of ofrort IT Booth has T per
snaded Mrs Wrandail to tell the Kirln
with wrandall, believing that they were to
! be married there: and that she killed him In
aeIense OF her honor. Mrs Wrandall also
tho girls moral innocence. she had tried TO
marry her to Leslie as punishment TO tho
10 her. Booth writes long. carefully word
ed letter to the sirl, saying that he is COM
tettive. Informs Mrs. Wrandali that the po-
lice, suspect showglri named Ashley OF
having murdered Wrandall Determined 10
save the girl. who is dying. from an, .uncs,
Mrs. Wrsndaii tciie the whole story 10 her
~ md tkn
suspected woman. Mrs. Wrandnii suffers a
turns from nSrosd rho shoSs af s,s5 o
clari1g on her death bed that sho knows
tho name.
> IT is most remarkable story. Mr..
Smith" said Sara. but l do not see
that 1t leads us anywhere. We are
! quite as much In the dark as before. t
The detective studied the pattern In
| the rug at his feet, defeated look in
! his eyes.
II suppose I might have forced hor
to tell mo, Mrs. Wrandan, but IL
didn't have the heart to bully her. |
suppose you'll always have II In for
me for letting the chance slipr'
think have already told you. Mr.
Smith. that ] am not at all curious
| With the departure Of the detective,
|
tated discussion OF the revelations he
had made; 30 grave had their peril ap-
peared to be at the opening OF his mar
rative that they were still in state
of perturbation from which they were
| not to recover for n long tins Their
checks were white and their eyes were
dark with the dread that remained
even after the danger was past. Hettys
arms hung limp and nervelcss at her
sides as she lay back in the chair and
stared numbly at her friends.
| DO you really believe sho knew
that was the one?" she asked miser-
ably. DO you think sho knew my
| name?" she shuddered.
! what IL che did," demanded Booth
{ with an assumption OF Indifference he
| was not yet able to feel "Sho was
a brick to keep 1t TO herself The dan
gers past. dearest. Don't let It worry
you now"
But just think OF It! At my time
she could have told this story to the
| I thought my heart would never beat
again!"
we never knew tn now how close
we were to the abyss" said Sarn,
drawing the thin wrap closer about her
shoulders. Suddenly she laughed. But
why contemplate the disaster that
didn't occur? We arc more secure
who knew, because no one elso could
have had the same incentive to spy
upon him, Hctty. She Is dead. Your
name isn't likely to be shouted from
the housetops. for the simple reason
! that 1t is safely locked up in grave"
She hesitated for moment and then
added: "In two graves. if 1t makes
| you feel moro secure"
! The others looked at her in omen as
enlistment.
Booth was frowning. Sara glanced
ut his stern face and her eyes fell.
'If that sounded cold and unfecling,
+ am sorry. Hetty. 1t was my untor-
tunate way OF trying to convince you
that there Is nothing left for you to
fear"
She left them a moment later, bend
ing over to kiss Hetty's cheek as she
passed by her chair.
Now, you sec what I mean. Bran
don, when / insist that IT would he
a mistake for you to marry me-" said
Hetty in troubled voice. 1--WE could
never be sure Of immunity"
You refer TO that remark OF hersY'
"She is strange woman. I some
times have the feeling that she wants
10 keep me with her for ever. ! feel
that she will not let me co.
That's pure nonsense, Hetty.'' he
said. "She wants you to marry me- |
am positive" He may have thought
his tone convincing, but something
caused her to regard him rather fixed
is, rs If she were trying to solve an
elusive puzzle.
s, He took her by the arms and raised
her to her feet. Holding her quite
close. he looked down into her qucs-
tioning eyes and said very seriously:
You are suspicious, even OF me-
dearest. l want you. There is but
tn hn at
yoursclf-shift your cares over TO my
shoulders. l will stand between you
and everything that may come up to
trouble you. We love ono another
Why should we sacrifice our love for
tho sake of shadow? For Il week
dearest, Two been pleading with you;
won't you end the suspense to-day
end 1t now--and say you will be my
wife?
The appeal was so gentle. SO sincere
SO full of longing that she wavered
Her tender blue eyes, lately so full OF