The Ekalaka eagle. [volume] (Ekalaka, Mont.) 1909-1920, 1915-01-29

A.ee".
"You did," The girl laughed quietly.
|
ly. Its a brand new sailor and if
you've made me break it
| rode back and, recovering the hat,
handed it to her. She examined it
carefully and then looked up at me
smilingly.
NO, it isn't hurt" she announced.
and you're forgiven. Now tell me
| why you avoided me this morning."
l hesitated, not wishing to reopen
the forbidden subject. but %frankness
seemed the only reliable safeguard for
the future.
II trust you will not misunderstood
me, Miss E'rayne." l began. ''but after
our conversation last night l felt l had
no right to meet you until my present
duty
"'After our conversation last
night:'" she interrupted. "What con-
ycrsation:'
You know l answered.
"lndeed l do not she asserted. with
a shade of annoyance in her voice.
The denial disappointed me, and
did not care to c%onceal my feeling.
You must certainly remember tcle-
phoning me-" l responded coldly.
"T%elephoning you? l never tele-
phoned you in my life
l stared at the girl in amazement,
but her puzzled expression was sin
cerity itself.
"Well, somebody I began.
Then suddenly it flashed upon me
that the person at the other end of the
wire had spoken truly when she an
nounced herself as the housekeeper
and that my contidante was no other
than Madeleine Mapes.
somebody tclephoned you:'
I heard the prompting inquiry, but
before l could reply other questions
crowded my mind demanding instant
explanation. Miss Mapes had tele-
phoned me, and l had mistaken her
voice for Barbara Frayne'S. That was
perfectly clear. But Why had the wo-
man communicated with me- at all.
and what was the meaning of her mes
sage: Why should she advise me Of il
fact which she had already commune
Gated to Miss Emery's lawyer? But
had she really done so: OF course
Rarstow must be aware that his client
had not occupied her room on the night
Of the murder. She would certainly
have told him this herself, but it did
not necessarily follow that she knew
her friend the h~ousekeepcr had taken
her place. No sane lawyer would try
to suppress a vital fact of this kind
and attempt to persuade the only wit
ness by which he could prove it to
leave the state. 1t was Incredible that
he had been advised of the true state
of affairs.
But could a Woman who lied to me
on one point be trusted upon any 9TH
err: If the ll~olsekeeper had delibcrate-
~ deceived her friends lawyer
4 sudden suspicion halted my
thought. Was She Miss Emory's
friend? What had driven her to make
this extraordinary confession to Il man
sll" did not know? Was it the prompt
ing of il guilty conscience or that re
s~istleSS impulse to contidc in somebody
which convicts nine criminals out of
every ten? Why had she disobcved
HarstoW'S Instructions and returned to
the state where she might be subpoe-
naed at any moment and compelled to
testify: The scene of tho crime is said
t" have a fatal fascination for the
criminal. Was this the explanation of
her presence:
Il Shall continue prompting YOU un.
til you take the cue. Somebody telc-
phonel you:'
| glanced at Miss Frayne's bright
questioning face. and all my perplpxi.
Ties were instantly merged in the clad
thought that she WAS not involved in
the ease and that my suspicious and
fears concerning her We're wholly with.
out foundation.
YES. somebody tclephoncd me-" I
responded SmilinglE. and t%houwh-'-
"Iou thought the somebody was II"
yes
what made you think so?"
II mistook the voice.
'Only the voice.
The question was accusing, and rcal
;x;r,.r ST., i,cti1o Ia