The Green Forest tribune., 1915-12-31

had nowhere to turn, she was ignorant of any trade, and the man held her by j his lying promises. He had almost got his divorce, he said; he loved her; for her sake he would reform, if only she would trust him. She had waited for him the evening before; then there was a dreadful blank in her mind, and she had re- covered to find herself standing over the body. And she had fled wildly for shelter
 Cray patted her hands. You stay with me until the trouble blows over, {" he said. q want housekeeper. You will be quite safe here. 1 shall let it be known that you answered an ad. vertisement When all is ready l will help you to a new life. You trust mel"
 She looked at him helplessly. "1 am so ignorant" she wept Il must trust you. I have nobody else"
 You will not regret it." said Cray And he knew the girl was safe there Nobody came to call at his little apart ment.
 The murder occupied two columns of his morning paper, but the only clue was that afforded by a negro janitor, who had seen woman ascending the steps few minutes before the trag- edy- And he stated that her hair was fair. The unknown Woman's was ebony dark. Cray felt safe.
 The poniard was found, but gave no clue. And gradually the interest Waned- Nobody knew the murdered man, who had very good reasons for disgusting his identity
 As the days passed Helen Ware came to trust Cray absolutely. She cooked for him, mended his clothes, resolutely refused to take the money that he pressed upon her. q can | never forget what 1 owe you," she would say. But sometimes there would be spells of weeping. q did not mean to kill him." the girl would moan. T | do not remember anything, except sit ting at home waiting for him with bitterness of heart; then I heard him | come in and went to him-and I was | standing over him with the dagger in my hands,"
 You don't recall the dagger?" Yes. It was curio of his;. some friend from a savage country had | given it to him. 1 must have snatched it from the wall and stabbed him." AS the weeks turned into months, Cray found himself torn between two impulses. He wanted to let the girl go to some scene where she would be able to take up her life | anew. And yet-he knew that he | loved her. Her helplessness, her charm, the bond between them had created an intimacy that was inflnite- ly sweet. He had been offered new position in the West. One night he took bis courage in his hands and to Ne 4his wife and 50 with hir where all memory of the past | could be forgotten.
 He knew by her looks that she loved | him. But she would not.
 Tt is your pity for me, Ronald, not love-" she said, signing T love you, but I can never be your wife so long as this curse of blood lies on me-"
 You acted rightly" he cried hot | ly. "No jury would have convicted you. Helen, dearest, forget it and come with me-
 T cannot" she answered sadly. q must leave you, and you must for get"
 But on the next day something hap pened which drove all thoughts of parting from their heads. The wife of the murdered man was arrested charged with the crime
 It was known that she had been in the city that day. She had threat ened him; the negro janitor identified her as the woman he had seen near the apartment house. And Ronald and Helen watched the unfolding of the grim trial with dismay.
 On the evening before the last day Helen spoke to Ronald about what lay uppermost in her mind.
 q cannot let that woman be con- vlcted,' she said. T must go down to the court and offer my confess sion.'
 Ronald could not dissuade her. He knew that it was the only possible thing.
 And all day they sat in the dreary courtroom listening to the intolerably long summing up. The jury had at last retired. Ronald had persuaded Helen not to speak unless the verdict was guilty"
 It was hours before the jury re- turned. A murmur spread through the courtroom. The face of the foreman
 was deadly white. lie trembled and } looked away from the prisoners stralning eyes. There could be no : doubt what the verdict was. , Suddenly Helen sprang to her feet. : Ronald rose and kept his arm about } her. She faced the prisoner and
 stretched out her hand. ] But before word could leave her , lips the woman in the dock uttered a
 shriek and recoiled, clutching at the