Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1915-05-06
CHAPTER XIII-Continued.

Once within the room, he became his
courteous self once more. BE seat
ed" he begged. indicating a chair in
the half gloom. AS she took it. the
room sprang into sudden light. He
had pulled the string which regulated
the curtains over the glazed panes in
the ceiling. Then as quickly all was
gloom again; he had let the string es-
cape from his hand.
Half light is better" he muttered
in vague apology.
1t was a weird beginning to an in
terview whose object was as yet in
comprehensive to her One minute
binding glimpse of the room whose
details were so varied that many of
them still remained unknown to her
the next, everything swept again into
shadow through which the tall form of
the genius of the place doomed with
melancholy suggestion!
She was relieved when he spoke.
Mrs. Scoville (not Deborah now
have you any confidence in divers
word? Has there ever been anything
in his conversation as you knew it in
Detroit to make you hesitate to re-
ply9" the judge persisted, as she CON
tinUed speechless.
No; nothing. I have every con
ftdence in his assertions. I should have
yet, if it were not for this horror"
Forget it for a moment Recall his
effect upon you as a man, prospec-
fr,T I,
marry Reuther."
I trusted him. I would trust him in
many ways yet"
Would you trust him enough to be
lieye that he would tell you the truth
if you asked him point-blank whether
his hands were clean of crime?"
Yes" The word came in a wills
per; but there was no wagering in it.
She had felt the conviction dart like
an arrow through her mind that Oil
yer might slay a man in his hate
might even conceal his guilt for years
but that he could not lie about it
when brought face to face With an &C
cuser like herself.
Then l will let you read something
years ago: An eXperience-the tale
of one awful night, the horrors of
which. locked within his mind and
mine, have never been revealed to a
third person. That you should share
our secret now, is not only necessary,
but fitting. 1t becomes the widow of
John ScovilIe to know what sort of a
man she persists in regarding limo
cent. Wait for me-
With a quick step he wound his
way among the various encumberiag
pieces of furniture to his bedroom.
Here he fingered so long that, without
any conscious yolition Of her own she
found herself on her feet, but she
had not had time to reseaC herself
when she beheld him Approaching with
the bundle Of loose sheetG cIutched in
his hand
Il want you sit here and read" said
he, laying the manuscript down on a
small table near the wall under a gas
Jet which he Immediately lighted. 4
am going back TO my own desk. If you
want to speak, you may; shall not
be working" And she heard his foot
steps refreshing again in and out
among the furniture till he reached his
own chajr and sat before his own
table
This ended all sound in the room ex-
ceptiug the beating of her own heart,
which had become tumultuous
Thank Cod the manuscript was
legible. divers handwriting pos
sessed the clea>ness of print. She
had begun to read before she knew it,
and having begun, she never paused
till she reached the end.
I was fifteen. 1t was my birthday.
and hSd my own ideas of how l want
ed to spend it. My hobby was model
ling. My father had no sympathy
with this hobby. To him it was q
waste of time better spent in study
or such sports as would fit me for
study. When on the day I mention