The Kendrick gazette. [volume] (Kendrick, Idaho) 1892-1968, 1915-03-26


"You would claim the body7" cried
Alexander Blair. :,
what else is there for us to dor
she countered.
"And bring down upon us unavoida-
bly, the publicity which we have es-
capped at so bitter a priceT cried the
elder Blair. Have we not suffered
enough from the scandal of his life
that we should be further involved in
the scandal of his death?"
Hes right, miss. 1t won't do" said
the sheriff kindly.
The tension was broken by tremen-
dous sigh. All eyes turned to Preston
Jax, who had risen and was leaning
against the wall, his chin jerking gal
vanically.
"WellY" said Kent.
What are you going to do with met"
"You? Oh you go back to Irene,"
said Kent, with his half smile. That's
your sentence If Mrs. Blair approves"
The astrologer drew a quick breath
The light Of great relief softened his
hard little eyes. A startled look wild
ened them as Marjorie Blair, her own
trouble forgotten for the moment, rose
and went over to him, the reflection of
anothers happiness shining in her face
and making it doubly lovely. A ring
glinted in her outstretched hand.
''Take this" she said softly, 'for your
Irene. May you be very, very happy
togetherv'
"Wh-wh-whut'll say? Whut'n l
do to thank you, ma'am? I-I-I'u jest
tell you this: It's me for the straight
and narrow from now on. And if ever
you or Professor Kent or any of you
want an Al. special charted, extra ce-
lestial star reading for self or friends,
you-you-you c-c-c-come"- He made
a rush for the hallway. and the door
banged period to his emotion.
81 think" said Chester Kent graveIy,
"that lesson will last"
AS Marjorie Blair stood smiling, soft
eyed, at the door whence the overcome
starmaster had disappeared. Sedgwick
started to pass With quick and unex-
pected tact, Alexander Blair drew the
sheriff and the lawyer aside, giving to
the young people their moment. She
looked up at Sedgwick with lifted eve
brows.
"Are you not going to speak to me?"
she said sorrowfully.
what is there to say, except one
thing-and that l may not say now"
mo, nor she whispered, in alright.
But say you forgive me-"
you! For what?"
"For having believed, even for an
instant. what Father Blair said. that
you were the murderer"
Sedgwick smiled bravely. THAT is
all past"
"And you'll think Of me at least
kindly?'
"I'll think of you with every beat of
my heart" he said passionately.
Across her face passed the look of
fairy usefulness that was all her own.
NO." she said ut would be better-for
both Of us-that you should forget, for
the time"
He leaned over her:
what Shall assuage the unrorgotten
pain
And teach the unforgetful to forgetr'
he quoted very low.
"And yet" she persisted, ut would
be easier. now that l am going away"
Going away! For long|
She nodded with compressed lips.
Sedgwick turned very white.
"Oh, don't look like thatv she fall
tered. II can't bear it! Can't you see
that after what has happened 1 must
go? l must have time to forget.
There is so much to forget! Surely
you can be patient-and trust"
He drew her gaze to his own, held
it for the space of heart beat and
was gone.
Summer had waned from the coast
and with 1t had passed the keenness
Of local interest in the strangest vic
tim of Lonesome Cove. Other subjects
of absorbing interest supervened dur
ing the long winter, among them the
rumor that Hedgerow house was to
be sold before summer.
'And young Blair's body along with
1t, | expect" remarked Elder bennett
INDEPENDENTLY. Seems to me, if was
millionaire like Alexander Blair,
wouldn't sell my own flesh and blood.
! dead or alive
OF Alexander Blair himself nothing
had been seen in the neighborhood
since mid,July nor of his daughter-in-
law. Hedgerow house was in charge
of Gansett Jim as caretaker. Profess
sor Kent had left about the same time
as the Blairs, but Francis Sedgwick
had stuck to the Nook. Though his
uynrlr nroSnnrod tho xrorlxor bod nlod