The Pickens sentinel. (Pickens, S.C.) 1911-2016, 1914-06-18
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! The Wrandalls had been routed
from their comfortable freside- e-for
what? They were asking the question
of themselves and they were waiting
stonily for the answer.
eft is very stuny in here" Vivian
had said with glance at the closed
doors after Sara had successfully
placed her jury in the box.
Keep still, WV" whispered Leslie,
with a fine assumption Of awe. tits a
spiritualistic meeting. You'll scare
the spooks away"
It was at this juncture that Sara
! rose from her chair and faced them,
as calmly, as complacently as If she
were about to ask them to proceed to
1.-The dining.room instead Of to throw a
bomb into their midst that would shat
ter their SNUG serenity for all time to
come. With a glance at Mr.. Carroll
she began, clearly, firmly and without
a predatory apology for what was to
| follow.
'I have asked you to come here to-
night to be my judges. am on trial.
You are about to hear the story Of my
unspeakable perhdy. / only require of
you that you hear me to the end be-
fore passing judgment"
at her words, Hetty and Booth start
ed perceptibly; quick glance passed
between them, as If each was inquir-
ing whether the other had caught the
extraordinary words Of self-indictment.
A puzzled frown appeared On Hetty's
brow
"Perfdy?" interposed MI. Wrandall.
His wife's expression changed from
one Of bored Indifference to sharp In
ouiry. Leslie paused in the act Of
Lighting q cigarette.
"It is the mildest term I can COM
mand," said Sara. 'I shall be as brief
as possible in stating the case, Mr.
Wrandall You will be surprised to
hear that have taken 1t upon myself,
as the wife of Challis Wrandall and,
as I regard 1t, the one most vitally
concerned If not interestedsin the dis
covery and punishment Of the person
who took his Efe-I say have taken
it upon myself to shield, protect and
defend the unhappy young woman who
accompanied him to Burton's inn on
that night in March. She has had my
constant, my personal protection for
more than twenty months"
The Wrandalls leaned forward in
their chairs. The match burned Les
lies fingers, and he dropped it without
appearing to notice the pain.
.What is this you are saying" de-
manded Redmond Wrandall.
when LEFT the inn that night, after
seeing my husbands body in the little
upstairs room, / said to myself that
the one who took his life had unwit-
tingly done me service. He was my
| husband; I loved him, adored him.
To the end Of my days could have
gone on loving MIN in spite OF the
cruel return he gave for my love and
loyalty. I shall not attempt to tell
YOU Of the countless lapses Of fidelity
on his part. You would not believe me.
But he always came back to me with
the pitiful love he had for me, and l
forgaye him his transGessions. These
things you know. He confessed many
things to you, Mr.. Wrandall. He
humbled himself to me. Perhaps you
will recall that never complained to
| you of him. What rancor had was
always directed toward you, his fam
ily,. who would see no wrong in your
| king but looked upon me as dirt be-
meath his feet. There were moments
| when I could have slain him with my
own hands, but my heart rebelled.
| There were times when he said to me
that ought to kill him for the things
he had done. You may now understand
what l mean when say that the girl
who went to Burton's inn with him
| did me a service will not say that
1 considered her guiltless at the time.
On the contrary, looked upon her in
quite different way. I had no means
Of knowing then that she was as pure
as snow and that he would have de-
spoiled her Of everything that was
sweet and sacred to her. She took his
life in order to save that which was
dearer to her than her own life, and
she was on her way to pay for her
deed with her life If necessary when
I came upon her and interyened."
"You-you know who she is?" said
Mr. Wrandall, in a low, incredulous
voice.
81 have known almost from the be-
ginning. Presently you will hear her
story, from her own lips"
Involuntarily four pairs Of eyes shift
ed. They looked blankly at Hetty Cas-
Teton.
Speaking swiftly, Sara depicted the
scenes and sensations experienced dur
ing that memorable motor journey to
New York city.
"I could not believe that she was a
vicious creature, even then. Some
thing told me that she was tender,
gentle thing who had fallen into evil
hands and had struck because she
was unevil I did not doubt that she
had been my husbands mistress, but
could not destroy the conviction that
somehow she had been justified in
doing the thing she had done. My
prayest mistake was In refusing to
hear her story In all Of its details.
only permitted her to acknowledge
that she had killed him, no more. I
did not want to hear the thing which
assumed to be true. Therein lies
my deepest fault For months and
months I misjudged her in my heart,
yet secretly loved her. Now under
stand why loved her. It was because
| brews, and when jeremiah said: