The Grenada sentinel. [volume] (Grenada, Miss.) 1868-1955, 1915-03-26

vi d SUBJECT NulCu idQ hSAd Wv AZ
community in a state Of curiosity for
years. She was going to enter the
room which had been barred from pub
lie sight by pool Bela's dying body.
The great room before her pre-
scented a bare floor, whereas on her
first visit ii had been very ~decently.
if not carefully. covered by a huge car
pet rug. The judges chair. which had
once looked immovable, had been
dragged forward into such a position
that he could keep his own eye on the
bedroom door. Manifestly she was not
to be allowed to pursue her duties I'M
watched. Certainly she had TO take
more than one look at the everyday
implements she carried to retain that
balance of Judgment which should pre-
vent her from becoming the dupe OF
her own expectations.
Il do not expect you to clean up here
as thoroughly as you have your W
rooms upstairs" he remarked, as she
passed him. And, Mrs. Scoville," he
called out as she slipped through the
doorway, leave the door open and
keep away as much as possible from
the side OF the room where l have
nailed up the curtain. / had rather
not have that touched"
Not touch the curtain! Why, hat
was the one thing in the she
wanted to touch; for In 1t she not only
saw the carpet which had been taken
up from the floor, but a possible
screen behind which anything might
| lurk-even his ~redoubtable secret
There is no window" she observed.
looking back at the Judge.
No." was his short reply.
Slowly she set down her pail. One
thing was settled. 1t was Bela's cot
she saw before her-a cot without any
sheets. These had been left behind
in the dead negro's room. and the
judge had been sleeping Just as she
had feared, wrapped in a rug and with
uncovered pillow. This pillow was his
own; it had not been brought down
with the bed. She hastily slipped a
cover on il, and without calling any
further attention to her act, began
to make up the bed.
1OAotlouS lldt tlC popCio HC lndnC
a feint of reading were but a cover for
his watchfulness, she moved about in
a matter-of-fact way and did not spare
him the clouds Of dust which presently
rose before her broom. But the judge
was impervious to discomfort. He
coughed and shook his head, but die
not bulge an inch. Before she had
begun to put things in order the clock
struck the half-hour.
"Oh!" she protested, with a plead
t ing glance his way, I'm not half
! done"
There's another day to follow" he
remarked, rising and taking a key
from his pocket.
. The act expressed hie wishes; and
0 he was proceeding to carry out her
S things when a quick, sliding noise
from the wall she was passing drew
her attention and caused her to spring
forward In an involuntary effort to
4 catch a picture which had slipped its
n cord and was falling to the floor.
6 A shout from the Judge of Stand
d aside. let me comet" reached her toe
Y late. She had grasped and lifted the
picture and seen
e But first let me explain. This pic
IT ture wac not like the others hangin,
n about. 1t was a yelled one. From
4, some motive of precaution or charac
n t|eristic desire for concealment on tn,
d part OF the Judge, it had been closet,
d wrapped about in heavy brown pape
before being hung, and In the encoun
ter which ensued between the fallinI
Il. picture and the spear Of an imag
Of standing on the table underneath, thi
paper had received a slit throug'
10 which Deborah had been given
a glimpse of the canvas beneath.
ID The shock Of what she saw woul
a have unnerved a less courageou
a. woman.
1t was a highly finished portrait c
1e Oliver in his youth, with a broad ban
I'd of black painted directly across tn
eyes.
i'd In recalling this startling momer
ed Deborah wondered as much at her ow
ct aplomb as at that Of Judge Ostra1
Nv der. Not only had she succeeded 1
VI NC1Ah6 ah hCNCthitAOh Vi WIZ
as had thus been discovered to her, b,
N. had carried her powers of self-repre
er sion so far as TO offer, and with goo
to grace, too, to assist him in rehangir
he the picture. This perfection of &C
na ing had its full reward. With ecu
composure he excused her from Il
ce task, and, adding some expression
ge regret at his ~well-known carelessne,
en- in not looking better after his effect
id bowed her from the room with only
slight increase of his usual courteol
Dr. reserve.
But later, when thought came al
III, with it certain recollections, what 81
nificance the incident acquired In b
ny mind, and what a long line of terro
ge it brought in its train!
1t was no casual act, this defacii
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