Middletown transcript., 1915-03-20

ter pursued he. IF you do not come
here You may expect to see me at
Jrdge 0strandeT's. l do not quite
like the position Into which you have
been thrown By these absurd insinua-
tions. 1t may even lead to your losing
the home which has been so fortu-
nately opened for you. II this oc-
ours you may count on my friendship,
Mrs. Scoville. 1 may have failed you
once, but will not fail you twice"
Surprised, almost touched, she held
out her hand. with cordial THANK
you," In which emotion struggled with
her desire to preserve an appearance
Of complete confidence in Judge Os-
trander, and incidentally in his son.
Then she turned to go.
The lawyer appeared to acquiesce in
the movement Of departure. But
when he saw her about to vanish
through the door some impulse of
compunction, as real as 1t was surpris-
Ing, led him to call her back and seat
her once more In the chair che had SO
lately left.
II cannot let you co." said he. 'un-
til you understand that these insinua.
tions from a self-caIled witness would
not be worth our attention If there
were not few facts to give color to
his wild claims. Oliver Ostrander
was in that ravlne connecting with
Dark Hollow, very near the time of
the onslaught on Mr.. Btheridge and
he certainly hated the man and want
ed him out Of the way. The whole
town knows that. with one exception
You know that exoeption7"
Il think So" she acceded, taking
a fresh grip upon her emotions.
THAT this was anything more than
coincidence has never been ques-
toned. He was not even summoned
as witness. With the judges high
reputation in mind do not think a
single person could have been found
In those days to suggest any possible
connection between this boy and a
crime SO obviously premeditated But
peoples minds change with time and
events, and Oliver Ostrander's name
uttered In this connection today would
not occasion the same shock to the
community as it would have done then.
You understand me, Mrs. Scoville?"
you allude to the unexpected sep
aration between himself and father,
and not to any failure on his part to
sustain the reputation Of his family7"
"Oh, he has made a good position
for himself. and earned universal con-
sideratiOn. But that doesn't weigh
against the preindices of people.
reused by such eOcentricites as have
distinguished the conduct OF these two
men"
"Alas!" she murmured, frightened
to the soul for the first time, both by
his manner and his words.
you know and know" he went on
with a grimness possibly suggested
by his subject, that no mere whim
lies back Of such a prepOsterous Sc
clusion as that Of Judge Ostrander be-
hind his double fence. Sons do not
cut loose from fathers or fathers from
sons without good cause. You can
see, then, that the pecullarities of
their mutual history form but a
poor foundation for any light refuta-
ton Of this scandal. should it reach
the public mind. Judge Ostrander
knows this. and you know that he
knows this; hence your distress. Have
not read your mind, madam?"
mo one can read my mind any
more than they can read Judge Os-
trander's," she avowed in a last des-
perate attempt to preserve her secret.
you may think you have done so.
but what assurance can you have Of
the fact?"
you are strong In their defense" i"
said he. "and you will need to be II
the matter ever comeseup. The shad-
ows from Dark Hollow reach far, and
engulf all they fall upon"