El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1914-08-28

DISTANCE must not be dis
- -,,rbe5." Mrs. Hale had said to
her husband and daughter,
-. srmmoned them to breakfast
WheA s--Iine The maids were warned
- r7alxe no noise Tor IedI u q az 3, ne ne
STi-- constance, who was not Wen me
ss enc thought seemed 70 De LOr
auht , - - r,bvsical comfort Yet when
~ --Sorning meal was over ana the
tne v-ere alone together after the
IL-ezli+-ess had left the dining room the
T,ffe said decidedly: now, John, L
want to know what al II's LIZ
an ~ Es1t YOU to know" her husband
-1fo5 -,rornDtIy I shall not 80 70
to1-1 before II o'clock. wish
and Edith to come Win me iI'O '--
library for a serious IaIA- .. sa,ta5 IN
AS soon as the trio were seat 80, ~
-. 1fbrarzy the master OF the mouse
Unmarried to the shocked women nc
news OF Toms accident DlsIresseo aS
Mrs. Hale was to hear OF the catas-
trophe, this distress s1llA - 49, -
r1ificance compared with her srleL an
NAMED incredulity when she learned OF
1rbot her husband and daughter accused
her niece. Edith added her ply OF m
formation TO the effect mat halpu ndg
come hack last night to meet Tom ana
- v-i+b what she termed his won
derfuI insight" guessed al once ma
Constance had gone to meet MS COUSIN;
HAnd Won see he was right, the slI4
insisted. a CLEAN Of triumph IN heE
ewes He could not stay until your
return. father, for his mother was IL
jim spite Of your assertions TO the
contrary. I asked him II Peter had
not said that his mother needed nlIh'
and I reported to him what MIS- MOT
tons maid had told you-and ne sslo
that the girl had told you that De-
cause his mother did not want anyone
to know she was worse
edward DAYTON must have been mis-
taken in thinking that he met Ralph
walking for Ralph was in his car and
had Just been down 70 the village 70
get something from the drug store for
his mother"
Consfance f. Accused OF DeeefvinE the
Family.
THAT is all beside the question, said
Wr Hale frrftably. What is OF infin-
itely more Importance than what Ralph
did or said last night IS the fact that
circumstantial evidence shows that
Constance has deceived US"
OF course. Mrs. Hale protested that
she did not believe it," and that 1t
could not be true" but at last after
hearing all the evidence, was compelled
to acknowledge that she simply could
not understand it."
NV only hope" said her husband. as
that Constance may explain some SEEM
ingly fnexplicable things and deny the
charge against her.
them" said Edith judiciauy-''but 1 fear
she cannot"
Meanwhile. Ralph Morton had received
his mornings mail and with IL the let
ter from Tom Morton. written yester-
day afternoon, demanding that he come
into town to see him
His face paled as he read II. for he
had not slept well last night and was
nervous this morning. A sudden idea
occurred to him He would stop at his
fiancee's house on his way 70 the sta
ton he told his mother hasty good
e-congratulatiug her upon looking
so well this morning, and felt no pangs
Of conscience for having lied about her
condition last night
He had a part to act and he must
act il we'll He rehearsed IL mentally
on his brisk walk TO the Hale home.
where the maid ushered him into the
library As he wished TO have his stage
setting correct, he glanced eagerly at
the open hearth He knew that il was
Mrs Hale's custom to have a fire
lighted here each morning. even after
spring had arrived Today was unus-
ually cool for this time Of year, and the
logs were blazing merrily.
Good morning" he said to the group
gathered here; then, without further