The Madison journal. (Tallulah, Madison Parish, La.) 1888-current, 1914-07-04
CHAPTER XVII.

CHAPTER XVII.
Once More at 6urton's Inn.
Again Sara Wrandall found herself
IN that never-to-be-forgotten room at
Burton's inn. On that grim night In
March she had entered without fear
Dr. trembling because she knew what
was there. Now she Quaked with a
mighty chill of terror, for she knew
not what was there in the quiet, now
seQuestered room. Burton had told
them on their arrival after a long
drive across country that patrons of
the inn invariably asked which room
Il was that had been the scene of
the tragedy. and, on finding out, re-
fused point-blank to occupy it. In
he had been obliged to
transform it into a sort of store and
baggage room.
Sara stood in the middle Of the
murky room, for the shutters had long
been closed to the light of day, and
looked about her in awe at the hetero-
geneous mass of boxes, trunks. bum
dies and rubbish. scattered over the
floor without care or system. She had
closed the door behind her and was
quite alone. Light sneaked in through
the cracks In the shutters, but so
that 1t only served to in
crease the gloom. A dismantled bed
lead stood heaped up in the corner.
The did not have to be told what bed
was. The mattress was there too.
billed up and tied with a thick garden
bpe. She knew there we're dull. ugly
ood stains upon it. Why the thrifty
urton had persevered in keeping
bis useless article of furniture, she
build only surmise. Perhaps 1t was
ED as an inducement to the morbidly
lrious who always seek out the grue-
PINE and gloat even as they shudder.
For a long time she stood immov-
BILE just inside the door, recalling
he horrid picture Of another day. She
led to imagine the scene that had
zen enacted there with gentle. low
BILE Hetty Glynn and her whilom
usband as the principal characters.
he girl had told the whole story of
bat ugly night. Sara tried to see It
it actually had transpired. For
lonths this present enterprise had
cen in her mind: the desire to see
he place again, to 60 there with old
Impressions which she could leave be-
ind when ready to emerge in a new
Fame of mind. 1t was true that she
heant to shake of the shackles Of a
orrid dream, to purge herself Of the
hst vestige of bitterness, to cleanse
Ter mind of certain thoughts and mem
ries.
Downstairs Booth waited for her.
lie heard the story Of the tragedy from
be innkeeper, who GROSSLY maintained
hat his business had been ruined
tooth was vaguely impressed. he knew
ot why. by Burton's description OF
he missing woman. I'D say she was
bout the size of Mrs. Wrandall her.
elf, and much the same figger," he
aid, as he had said a thousand times
efore. my wife noticed 1t the min.
tie she saw Mrs. Wrandall. Same
eight and everything"
A bell rang sharply and Burton
lanced over his shoulder at the indi
|ator on the wall behind the desk. He
gave a great start and his jaw sagged
Great Scott" he gasped. A curl
GUS grayness stole over his face. "It's
its the bell in that very room. My
soul, what can"
Mrs. Wrandall is up there. isn't
she?" demanded Booth.
1T amt rung since the night he
pushed the button for Oh, gee!
You're right. She is up there. My
what a scare it gave me-" He wiped
his brow. Turning to a boy, he com
manded him to answer the bell. The
boy went slowly, and as he went he
removed his hands from his pockets
He came back an instant later, more
swiftly than he went, with the word
that "the lady up there" wanted Mr.
Booth to come upstairs.
She was waiting for him in the omen
doorway. A shaft of bright sunligh,
from a window at the end of the hal
fell upon her. Her face was colorless
haggard. He paused for an instant tc
contrast her as she stood there in the
pitiless light with the vivid creature
he had put upon canvas so recently.
She beckoned to him and turned
back into the room. He followed.
This IS the room, Brandon, where
my husband met the death he de
served" she said quietly.
Deserved? Good heavens, Sara
are you" 4.
81 want you to look about you ant
try to picture how this place looked
on the night Of the murder. You hav,
vivid imagination. None of thi.
rubbish was here. Just a bed, a tabl,
and two chairs. There was a carpe
on the floor. There were two peopl,
here, a man and a woman. The WON
an had trusted the man. She truste.
him until the hour in which he died
Then she found him out. She ha,
come to this place. believing it wa,
to be her wedding night. She foun,
no minister here. The man laughed a
her and scoffed. Then she knew. II
horror, shame. desperation she trie,