Middletown transcript., 1915-01-30
CHAPTER discontinued.

Meanwhile Judge Ostrander was
looking about him for Mrs Yardley
The quiet figure of squat little body
blocked up certain doorway
81 an looking for Mrs. Yardley," he
ventured.
The little figure turned; he was con-
scious of two very piercing eyes being
raised to his, and heard in shaking ac-
cents, which yet were not the accents
of weakness, the surprised ejacula-
tion:
Judge Ostranderi"
Next minute they were together in
small room, with the door shut be-
hind them. The energy and. decision
of this mite Of a woman were surpris-
ing.
'I was going-to you-in the morn
ing" she painted in her excitement.
TO apologize" she respectfully fin
ished
Then" said he, 'it was your child
who visited my house today?"
She nodded. Her large head was
somewhat disproportioned to her short
and stocky body. But her glance and
manner were not unpleasing. There
was moment of silence which she
hastened to break.
Peggy is very young; it was not
her fault She is so young she doesn't
know where she went. She was found
lettering around the bridge-a dan
gerous place for a child, but we've
been very busy all day-and she was
found there and taken along by-by
the other person. l hope that you
will excuse it, sir"
What he had to say came with de
cided abruptness.
who is the woman, Mrs. Yardley
That's what have come to learn, anC
not to complain of your child"
The answer struck him very strange
ly, though he saw nothing to lead hin
to distrust her candor.
"I don't know, Judge Ostrander She
calls herself Averill, but that doesn'
make me sure of her. You wonder
that l should keep a lodger abou
whom / have any doubts, but ther,
are times when Mr.. Yardley uses hi
own judgment, and this is one of thu
times. The woman pays well ant
promptly" she added in lower tone
Her status? Is she maid, wife o
widow"
oh she says she is widow, ant
see every reason to believe her."
A slight grimness in her manner
the smallest possible edge to her voice
led the judge to remark;
"Pretty?"
mot like a girl, sir. She's oil
enough to show fade; but l don't be
iieVe that man would mind that. Sh
has look-a way, that even womel
feel. You may judge, sir. if we, oil
stagers at the business, have beel
willing to take her in and keep heI
at any price-a woman who won
show her face except to me, and VIII
will not leave her room without he
veil and then only for walks in place
where no one else wants to gosh
must have some queer sort of charr
to overcome all scruples. But she
gone too far today She shall leav
the inn tomorrow. promise yol
that, sir whatever Samuel says. Blu
sit down; sit down; you look tired
Judge. Is there anything you woul
like? Shall call Samuel?"
No. I'm not not much used to wall
ing. Besides, have had a great los
today. My man, Bella" Then wit
his former abruptness: Have you n
idea who this Mrs. AveriIl is, or VIII
she broke into my house?"
There's but one explanation, sii
I've been thinking about 1t ever sine
/ got wind of where she took m
Peggy. The woman is not responsible
She has some sort of mania. VIII
else should she go into strange gat
Just because she saw 1t open?"
You speak of her as strange
Are you quite sure that she is
stranger to Shelby? You have nc
been so very many years here, an
her constant wearing of veil indoor
and out is very suspicious"
so I'm beginning to think. An