Atlanta Georgian., 1914-02-22
That Affair Next Door

nothing concerning the affair save
that which | had seen with my own
eyes. no one having mentioned the
murder in my presence, and | having
religiously avoided the very sight o.
a paper for fear that | should see
some account of the horrible AFFAIR,
and SO lose what small remnants OF
courage ! still possessed.
This apathy concerning a matter
so important to myself, or rather this
almost frenzied determination to cut
myself loose from my dreadful past,
may seem strange and unnatural; but
IL Will seem stranger yet when | say
that for all these efforts was
haunted night and day by one small
fact connected with this past, which
made forgetfulness impossible. ! had
taken the rings from the hands of the
dead woman as | had taken away her
clothes, and the possession of these
vHluahles, probably because they rep
resented so much money, weighed on
my conscience and made me feel like
thief. The purse which | found in
a pocket of the skirt had put on was
a trouble to me. but the rings were a
source of constant terror and disturb
ance ! hid them finally i'm bali of
yarn | was using, but even then | eX-
perienced but little peace, for they
were not mine and | lacked the cour-
age to avow II or seek out the person
to whom they now rightfully be-
longed.
When, therefore. in the intervals of
fever which attacked me in Miss
Althorpe's house. | overheard enough
of a conversation between her and
Miss Butterworth to learn that the
murdered woman had been q Mrs.
Van Burnsm, and that her husband
or relatives had an office somewhere
4. 4 4. q al...
stinct of restitution that ! took the
first opportunity offered to leave my
bed and hunt up those people.
THAT ! would injure them in any
way by secretly restoring these
jewels. | never dreamed. Indeed,
did not exercise my mind at all on the
subtech but only followed the In
stincts OF my delirium; and while to
all appearance | showed all the cum
ming of an insane person, in the pur-
suit of my purpose. | fan Go remember
now how | found my way to Duane
street or by what suggestion of my
diseased brain / was Induced 10 slip
these rings upon the book attached
to Mr. Van Burnam's desk. Probably
the mere utterance of this well-known
name into the ears of the passersby
was enough to obtain for me such di-
rections as | needed, but, however
prehension, and the complications
which followed serious.
"Of the emotion caused In me by
the unaccountable discovery of my
connection with this crime / need not
speak The loye which at one time
felt for John Randolph had turned to
gall and bitterness. but enough sense
of duty remained in my bruised and
broken heart to keep me from de-
nouncing him to the police. till by a
sudden stroke of fate or Providence
| saw him in the carriage with Miss
Althorpe and realized that he was not
only the man with whom she was
upon the point of allying herself, but
that it was to preserve his place in
her regard and to attain the lofty
position promised by this union, he
had attempted to murder me. and had
murdered another woman only less
unfortunate and miserable than my
self
CHAPTER XXX.
TNHEY tell me that MIR. Gryce
has never been quite the same
man since the clearing up of
! this mystery; that his confidence in