The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1914-01-05
HOLLOW OF HER HAND
BY GEORGE BARR M'cUTcHEoN

you not remember? And 40 NV nIot
involved you; you were tho only ono
through whom ! could strike. Thor,
were times when / faltcrcd. could
not bear tho thought Of sacr,fcins
Hctty Castleton. nor was II easy to
thoroughly appease my conscience In
respect to you. Still. II could have
had my way n few months ago. if
coercion had been of any avail you
would now DO the husband OF your
brothers slayer. Then I came to know
that she was not what had thought
sho was. She was honest MY huh
bic burst. l cnmo out OF tho maze IN
which 1 had been living and saw
clearly that what had contemplated
was the most atrocious--'
"Atrocious?" cried Mrs. Redmond
Wrnndall between her set teeth. "Dla
oolical! Diabol!cai! My God, Sara,
what q devil you She did not com
pietc the sentence, but sank back In
her chair md stared with wide. hor-
ror-struck eyes ut her rigid daughter
in-law.
Her husband, his hand shaking a.
iit with palsy. pointed finger at Hct-
" And so you arc the ono we have
been hunting for all these months.
Miss Castleton. You are the one wa
want! You who have sat at our Ia
bic. you who huvo smiled In our
faces
stop Mr. wrardallr' commanded
Sara, noting tho ashen face OF tho
sirl. Don't let the fact escape you
that | am tho guilty person. Don't
forget that she owed her freedom. 20
not her life to mo. ] alone kept her
from giving herself up TO the law
All that has transpired since that
night in March must DO placed to nv
account. Hctty Caatle,on has been
my prisoner. She has rebclled n thous-
and times and have conqucred-not
by threats but by love- DO you ,n-
derstand? Because OF her love for inc.
and because she believed that loved
her rho submitted You are not 10
accuse her. Mr.. WrandhiI Accuse me!
] am on trial here. Hetty Caetleton Is
witness against me. II you choose
10 call upon her as such II not,
shall ask her TO speak In my defense,
II she can do So"
This IL lunacy' cried Mr.. wrandaiI.
your motives may have been. They
do not make her any tho lees muir
deress She
we must give her over TO tho po-
lice" began his wife struggling TO
her feet. She staggered. II was Booth
who stepped quickly to her side to sup
port her. Leslie was staring Mt Hcttv.
Vivian touched her fathers ar.n sho
was very pale. but vastly more COM
posed than the others.
Father, listen to me-" she raid Her
voice treInbied In spite OF her effort to
control IT, we nre condemning Miss
Castleton unheard. Let us hear every
thing before We"
Good God. viviani Do you mean
to
How can wo place any reliance on
what she may nay?' cried Mrs. Wran-
dali
'Never,hcless.' said Vivian ARMY.
IL for one shall not condemn nor un-
heard. mean To be as fair 10 her as
Sara has been. II shall not be said
that all the wrandalls arc smaller
than Sara Goochr
My child" began her father in
credulous!y. fIls daughters shot had
landed squarcly In the heart OF tho
Wrandal pride.
IF She has anything to say" said
Mrs Wrandali, waving Booth aside
and sinking stiffiy into her chair. Her
husband sat down. Their Jaws set
hard.
Thank you. Vivian" said Sara. sur
prised In spite OF herself. You are
nohler than T.
Please don't thank me, Sara" said
vivian tcily. II wae speaking for Miss
Castleton."
Sara flushed II suppose it IS use
less to ask you 10 be fair 10 Sara
Gooch. az you choose to call me-
10 YOU lcel IN your heart that wa
still owe you anything?"
Enough OF this. Vivian" spoke up
her father harshly. "If Miss Castle
ton desires 20 speak we will listen to
her. ] must advise you, Miss Castle
ton, that the extraordinary disclosures
made by my dauGhter-in-law do NOT
lessen your culpability. We do not
insist on this confession from you
You deliver IL at your own risk.
want to be fair with you. II Mr.. Car
roll is your counsel, he may advise
you now to refuse to make n s.ate-
mcnt"
Mr.. Carroll bowed slightly .n tho
general direction OF the Wrandalls "r
have already advised Miss Castleton to
state the case fully and completely to
you. Mr.. Wrandall 1t was / who orig
inaily suggested this-wcll, what you
might call private trial for her
am firmly convinced that when you
havo heard her story YOU rs 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
In criminal court for tho delectation
Of an eager but somewhat impla ca Bile
world"
Your language Is extremely I'M
pleasant, Mr.. Carroll" said Mr.. Wran-
dali coldly.
meant 70 speRh kindly sir.
do you mean. sir, that We Will lot
tho matter rest after hearing the"
That IL precisely what / mean, Mr.
Wrandall. You Will not consider her
guilty of a crime. Please bear In mind
this fact; but for Sara and Miss Cas-
tleton you would not have known tho
truth Miss Castleton could not be
convicted In jourt Of Justice Nor
will she be convicted hero this even
ing, In this little court OF ours"
Miss Castleton is not on trial." In
| tcrposed Sara calmly. Il the Of
fender. She has already been tried
and proved innocent"
Leslie, In his lmpatience. tapped
sharply on the table with his seal
ring.
please let her tcll-the story. Per-
NIT me to say, Miss Castleton. that you
Will not find the Wrandalls as harsh
and vindictive as you may have been