The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1914-01-06
HOLLOW OF !, HlR HAND
By GEORGE BARR McJrcHEoN.


SYNOPSIS OF PRECEDING CHAPTERS.
Chalis Wrandoil Is found dead In rutd-
Er Hetty castiston Who had aetempanied
ni.n to the inn the night before. offers her
,In and hI Leslie T @randa f'u the dead mans
or9,her falls desperately H. LOVE t Win , hsb
horror. smith a detective. suspects Mrs.
wrandoll of having committed the murder.
w St the elae ."' ,h seah
by clever falsehood. but Mrs. Wrandall
sG ,rleG P eS give h her 's ehance Brandon
Booth, a friend of Lesiir
fuses to marry him. telling him that somo
day he VIII understand why. She confcsse.
once, posed. IS hetty Giynn. an actress. Tor
another artist. She convinees Mrs: Wrandaii
innocenc. leslie aFa!n urges a his @ suit and
Mrs. Wrandall Insists that the girl accept
the s sH sons to ni En nE Di" shSer
pooth ir,medi",''y So,lows ~ Che t-'is
him that only Mrs. wrandali has th. right
hmer 1s,s TO learn eu It, In LuceIne she meets
who tells her that It Is rumored that Booth
and Mrs Wrandali ere TO be married. Mean
suaded Mrs. wrandali to tell '' the e'' s re1r
story.that Hetty Castleton went to tho hotel
Ti'n n, MTandai believing thai they We're 70
defense OF her honor. Mira WranGali also
the giria moral Innocence she had tried 20
marry her to Leslie as "A punishment TO the
| NFtrunlis. WHO had always been unklui
| to her. Booth writes long. carefully word
ed letter 10 tho girl, saying that he Is COM
Ing TO her ut once: Meantime smith tho DC
;ective, Informs Mrs. Wrandall that the po-
lice suspect showg'r named Ashley OF
save the girl. who IL dying from an pncc.
| Mrs Wrnndul tells the whole story 10 her
by Booth. TAX, steps to protect the unjustiy
tusp-"i-d woman. Mrs. Wrandall suffers a
from abroS5 IN. Ma S@a'eion
! claring ON her death bed that she know.
the name. 1t Ia decided ,nat the murdered
! mans family should be told how he met his
Death. and all the wrandals arc summoned
| part and then calls upon tho girl to tell her
| tragic story.
| AS Hetty arose. Mrs. Wrandall senior
lowered hor oycs, and not once did she
| look UP during tho recital that fol-
lowed. Her hands wcro lying llmply
In her lap. and she breathcd heavily.
almost stertorouslY. The Younger
Wrandalls leaned forward with their
earnest face OF the young Engliah-
woman who had slain their brother.
You have heard Sara accuse her
self said the girl slowly, dispasslon-
ateiy. The shock was no greater to
you than 1t was to mo. All that she
has said Is true and yet IL would
SO much rather she had left herself
unarraigned We were agreed that !
should throw myself OH your mercy.
Mr. Carroll said that you were fair
and Just people; that you would not
condemn me under the circumstances.
But that Sara should seek to take the
blame is
Alas, my dear, am to blame" said
Sara, shaking her head. but for mo
your story would have been told
cleared YOU. and all the world would
have eXecrated my husband for tho
thing no did--my husband and your
son, Mrs. DISQUALIFICATION we botl,
loved. God believe me, l think loved
him moro than all OF you put togeth-
err
She sat down abruptly and buried
her face in her arms on the edge OF the
table.
"if could only induce you TO tor
iglve her" began Hctty. throwing out
lher hands to the Wrandnlls. only "a
be met by 4 gesture of rcpugnancc from
the grim old man.
Your story. Miss Caaticton," he said
hoarsely.
From the beginning. II You please
added tho lawyer quietly. Leave out
nothing"
Clearly, steadily and with tho W.
most sincerity in her voice and man
ncr. the girl began the story OF hci
t lite She passed hastily over the car
; licr periods. frankly exposing the un-
]. happy conditions attending her home
(; ufe her subsequent activities as a per
. former on the London stage after Col.
Q orel Castleton's detection; tho few
s months devoted to posing for Hawk
Il right the painter. and later on her en-
,gagcment as governess in the wealthy
Budlong family. She devoted som'
time and defuitcness 10 her INST en-
= counter with Challis Wrandall on bDaI,
! the wcstbound steamer. an inciden
!, that came to pass In a perfectly nat
: ural way. Her deck chair stood mex
Ito his, and he was not slow In making
himself agreeable. IT did not occur
;. to her till long afterwards that nc dc
libcrately had traded positions witt
Ian elderly gentleman who occupied thu
chair on the first day out. Before tn
end Of the voyage they were very
good friends
when VIC landed In New York. HI
assisted me In many ways. After
wards, on learning that / was not t
20 TO California. I called him up OF
the telephone to explain my predlca
ment. He urged me to stay In New
York; he guaranteed that there woul'
he no difficulty IN securing n splendi'
;.osi:icn in the East. had no mean
or knowing that he was married.
uccepted him for what j thought hin
to be--a genuine American gentleman
They arc supposed to be Particular!
considerate with women. His conduc
toward mo WAS pSS Oi'N W S'N~'''
have never known man who was s.
courteous. 30 gentle. TO me. he wa
the most fascinating man In the worlo
No woman could have resisted him.
lam sure of that"
She shot a quick. appealing glance a
Booths hard-set race. icr lip treHl
bled for second.
1T fell mndly in love with him." sh
went on resolutely. II dreamed o
him, / could hardly walt for tho tim
to come when l was tc see him IL
never came to the wretched little lodg
ing house I have told you about J.
met him outside One night he tol
mo that he loved me. loved me pas
sionately. IL said that ] would b
his wife Somehow II seemed to m