The Miller press. [volume] (Miller, S.D.) 190?-current, 1915-01-14

from their comfortable fireside-for
what? They we're asking the question
of themselves and they were waiting
stonily for the answer
ut is very stuffy in here" Vivian
had said with a glance at the closed
doors after Sara had successfully
placed her jury in the box.
Keep still, WV" whispered Leslie,
with a fine assumption Of awe. It's a
spiritualistic meeting. You'll scare
the spooks away"
1t was al this juncture that Sara
rose from her chair and faced them,
as calmly, as complacently as IL she
were about to ask them to proceed to
the dining-room instead Of to throw a
bomb into their midst that would shat
ter their SNUG serenity for all time to
come. With a glance at Mr.. Carroll
she began, clearly, firmly and without
a PREDATORY apology for what was to
follow.
Il have asked you to come here to-
night to be my judges. l am on trial.
You are about to hear the story of my
u~nspeakable peridy. l only require of
you that you hear me to the end be-
fore passing judgment"
At her words, Hetty and Booth start
ed perceptibly; a quick glance passed
between them, as If each Was inquir-
ing whether the other had caught the
extraordinary words of self-indictment.
A puzzled frown appeared on Hetty's
brow.
"Perfidy?" interposed Mr.. W~randall.
His wife's expression changed from
one OF bored Indifference TO sharp In
quiry. Leslie paused In the act of
lighting a cigarette.
1T is the mildest term l can COM
mand," said Sara. II shall be as brief
as possible In stating the case, Mr..
Wrandall. You will be surprised to
hear that l have taken II upon myself,
as TIE wife Of Challis Wrandall and,
as | regard Il, the one most vitality
concerned IL not interested In the dis
covery and punishment of the person
who took his life-I say | have taken
it upon myself to shield, protect and
defend the unhappy young woman who
accompanied him to Buttons inn on
that night In March. She has had my
constant, my personal protection for
more than twenty months"
The Wrandalls leaned forward in
their chairs. The match burned Les
lies fingers, and he dropped 1t without
appearing to notice the pain.
What is this you are ~saying?" de-
manded Redmond Wrandall.
When | left the inn that night, after
seeing my husbands body in the little
upstairs room, | said to myself that
the one who took his life had unwit-
tingly done me a service. He was my
husband; l loved him, l adored him.
To the end of my days | could have
gone on loving MIN in spite of the
cruel return he gave for my love and
loyalty. | shall not attempt to tell
you of the countless lapses of fidelity
on his part. You would not believe me
But he always came back to me with
the pitiful love he had for me, and l
forgave him his transgressions. These
things you know. He confessed NAM
things to you. Mr.. Wrandall. He
humbled himself to me. Perhaps you
will recall that | never complained to
you of him. What rancor l had was
always directed toward you, his fam
lily, who would see no wrong In your
king but looked upon me as dirt be-
meath his feet. There were moments
when | could have slain him with my
nuyr hondo hut - haort raha1laA
There were times when he said to me
that | ought to kill him for the things
he had done. You may now understand
what l mean when | say that the girl
who went to Burton's inn with him
did me a service. | will not say that
| considered her guiltless at the time.
On the contrary, | looked upon her in
quite a different way. | had no means
of knowing then that she was as pure
as snow and that he would have de-
spoiled her OF everything that was
sweet and sacred to her. She tool his
life In order to save that which was
dearer to her than her own life, and
she was On her way to pay for her
deed with her life II necessary when
| came upon her and interviewed"
"You-you know who she is?" said
Mr.. Wrandall, in a low. i~ncredulous
voice.
IL have known almost from the be-
ginning. Presently you will hear her
story, from her own lips"
lnvoluntarily four pairs of eyes shift
ed. They looked blankly at Hetty Cas-
Teton.
Speaking swiftly, Sara depicted the
scenes n sensations experienced dur
Ing that memorable motor journey to
New York city.
Il could not believe that she was a
vicious creature, wen then. Some
thing told me that she was q tender,
gentle thing who had fallen into evil
hands and had struck because she
was unevil. l did not doubt that she
had been my husbands mistress, but
could not destroy the conviction that
somehow she had been justified In
doing the thing she had done. Ny
gravest mistake was In refusing to
hear her story in all OF It's details.
| only permitted her to acknowledge
that she had killed him, no more.
did not want to hear the thing which
| assumed to be true. Therein lies
| my deoDest fault. For months orA