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

that very particular" SAID MIS-. "iaA
d.u In such a self-contained way that
the three men looked at her IN Won
der Then she came abruptly 10 hei
feet ct is very late, gentlemen.
am ready to 90 upstairs. Mr.. SheriH.
J must warn you, madam, that MT
DraLo 10 reasonably certain that 1t Is
vour husband" said the coroner uh-
comfortably. You may not De pre-
nared for the shock that
"J shall not faint, DR.. Sheer. IL IL
is nv husband l shall ask you to leave
me alone in the room with MIN LOT
little while" The final word tralieu
ont into a long, tremulous wall, snow
ing how near she was to the breaking
point in her wonderful effort al sen
control. The men looked away mast
i,v They heard her draw two or
three deep. auavering breaths; tney
could almost feel the tension that she
was exercising over herself.
The doctor turned after moment
and smoke very gently, but with pro-
fessional firmness. You must not
think of venturing out in this wretched
night, madam. 1t would be the "ols'
kind of folly. Surely you VIII De
guided by me-by your own common
sense. Mrs. Burton will be win
you"
THANK you, DR.. Sheet" she inter
| nosed calmly. IF what we all fear
should turn out to be the truth
could not stay here. could not
breathe. could not live. II. on the
other hand, Mr. Drake is mistaken. l
! shall stay. But If 1t is my husband !
, cannot remain under the same ROOF
with him. even though he be dead. l
do not expect you to understand my
feelings. 1t would be asking too
. much of men-too much.
"I think / understand" murmured
!. Drake.
"Come" said the sheriff. arousing
himself with an effort.
y She moved swiftly after him. Drake
e and the coroner, following close be,
II hind with Mrs. Burton. could not take
y their ewes from the slender, graceful
y figure. She was a revelation to them
u Feeling as they did that she was about
% to be confronted by the most appalling
10 crisis imaginable, they could not bu
marvel at her composure. brakes
Is mind dwelt on the stories Of the guillo
Sc tine and the heroines who went up u
~ il in those bloody days without 81
re- much as a culver of dread. Somehow
ro to him. this woman was heroine.
lr. They passed into the hall an
mounted the stairs. At the far en-
lg. of the corridor a man was seated Il
D. front of a closed door. He arose a
the party approached. The sheri
10 signed for him to open the door b
guarded. AS he did so, q chilly bias
of air blew upon the faces OF those l
ne, the hall. The curtains in the windo
ob- of the room were tapping and viii
ping in the wind. Mrs. Miranda
ms caught her breath. For the brfefe'
a instant It seemed as though she We
re on the point Of faltering. She droppe
her farther behind the sheriff, her iml
vas suddenly stiff. her hand going out
hat the wall as If for support. The ne
We moment she was moving forward re
7ho olutely into the icy, dimly hgnu
asst room.
spt- A single electric light cleaned
Ire, the corner beside the bureau. Ne
nts the window stood the bed. She we
eve swiftly toward 1t, her eyes fasten
silly upon the ridge that ran through t
ose center of it: still. white ridge II
nan seemed without beginning or end.
age. With nervous fingers the attends
'out lifted the sheet at the head OF
and bed and turned 1t back. As he let
the fall across the chest Of the dead m
rom he drew back and turned his Il
lave away.
Mrs. She bent forward and then strais
Bur ened her figure to its full height, wi
out for an instant removing her q
Yes, from the face of the man who
bout before her: a dark-haired man gray
slim death, who must have been beaut'
big to look upon in the flush Of life.
For long time she stood tn