The Washington times., 1916-02-20
THE STRANGE CASE OF MARY PAGE
BY FREDERICK LEWIS Author Of What Happened

quest was a, Boomerang. for when
place bsfore tSss court shd. liSStHns the
soft hair from her forehead. showed
the great llvld mark OF a hideous
SCAT. tne murmnring OF complexion
4 mute echo on tse bench sns ITSELF. and
the prosecutor, discounted, swung
curtly away and dropped into his
seat as Langdon called the next VII
John Alexander MacPhersonr,
u was the same giant Scotchman
who had testified the day before. AMI
he dwaTfed both Judge and Jury as ne
ing the breath Of the forest about
him, his eyes filled with serenity OF
those WHO have long looked out
across Gods great open spaces
seif-consc iousness in his altitude and
the pleasant burr OF his Scotch was
like the tang OF burning. leaves on an
autumn day when he answered Lang
"Mr. Macfherson. you have told Of
seeing Miss Page running thrQuEh
the wood and OF my fnding her. VIII
you tell Us now, please. whetnsT you
der what circumstances" 5.
II saw Mr.. Langdon again on that
nicht win the hour. had nae more
than reachlt homo and were tellin my
guide wife Of the evenin when there
COON knock at the door. 1 opened
II. and there stude Mr.. Langdon. He
was all In a feery farry-not TO say
commotion. and his face were white.
Beyant him GUIDE see twa or three
other men--ali excited like"
did you recognize them7"
AYE, there were men from the town
Il had seen them often, and taken a
Voc drappie vie them at the hotel come
saturday night But II were Mr.. Lang
don who spoke. Have you seen Miss
Page he cried. catching Mt my sleeve.
we are looking for her. Div you
asked: and he said, Yes sat doom
to rest a bit and / must have lost con-
sciousness. When came to, she was
gone Al that one OF the lads called
DOT. Hey. MACPHERSON. YOU know the
give us "a bit of help In the search. ;
There was nae need for him TO askit
II, for l ran out lust as ! were. bare
headed. and pointit out three paths for
them TO follow-biddlng them beat
through thr ptderbrush and look for
roft. and would show the little feet oil
her at every step"
did you go with any OF the three
men7''
"Havers. no. man, came back for
my cap and coat. and l got to the door
Juts In time toa save Mr.. Langdon
from n bad fall, for he would hao gacn
over in a heap n hadno caught him.
My guide wife and / took him IN tho
house, and when he was revived bit
I was for lcayin' him. hut he wouldna
stay. He said. 4 must find Mary my.
sel'--it was lost her the second time.
So we went DOT together"
"How long was Il before you got n
trace OF herr" I.angdon's voice was
toneiess. but his eyes were alight with
fire as he pictured 70 himself that
strange night hunt for the slender girl
he loved. Tho occasional shouts Of
teh other searchers; the flas OF n Ian
tern; the heavy shadows and wildly
white snow; the cold that stung his
face and hands and the aching weari-
ness that numbed his muscles. IL had
been like n nightmare to him, dream
that set his head TO throbbing.. and In
which the only real thing was the stall
wart bulk OF MACPHERSON encouraging
him forward-and then--the little shoe!
He reused himself with n start. realiz-
ing that the Scotchman was answering
his question.
ut might hae been fifteen minutes :
-rnayhnp more, when we COON to her
little footprints In the snow. Then
he paused a moment ana his voice sof'
tened, 1--WE found her wee slipper In a
snow bank. A bit further we found
tother one-and the snow began tae b,
say Il was fair than half an hour he
fore we COON upon the lassie herself
lying In a faint like"
WAS she consciuusT'
Mae. AMI we could ma bring her to-
so we wrappit hcr IN oor coats and
took hor back to .hc Sude wife"
"Will YOU tell us please In what con
dition Miss PAGE was when l-wher
you--arrived at your house with herr
MACPHERSON frowned at the memory
and n dAaDar note creDt into his toner
az he said slowly;
"She was nae conscious. and hcI
clothes were tairn 10 pieces and hanein
in ribands. Such clothes IA she hat
WI the ice and the stones. and ther.
was a terrible wound on her forehead
and an ~ faured queer bruise on on'
shoulder"
when you returned7'
mae. there was mnvbc half dozef
men frae the town. who had heard o
| the lassie and had COON to help thu
search: They set y, o shout W ,h.n
fire his revolver to tell the others Mis-
Page was WI us"
Ibid they show any emotion at tn,
sight OF Mlss l'age's condition." sske..
l.angdon. and a little shndder shool
emit knew of the TRAGEDY to which tina
| "emntion' had led. Macf hcrsoni
| voice. 100. was grim ns he said:
'I wouldna call II emotion, hut Their
| was a guide bit of IniIrinut~n' arains
| those who had driven 81 sweet n lassl
distract and sent her % mabe hel
death n the snow. The murnnIrin
grew louder when they saw thc hur
! and there were cries IA know who ha'
! doGc II. When MIR. l.angdon told then
the murTnurs grew louder and 1nell!
! one of the lads cried out IN n loud voice
"This town has ma room for wifebeat
ers nrd drunken brute5-he ought Z
be hung"
! \ stir of excitement swept thro.el
! thu courtroom, fer MACPHERSON. with
| rising infertion Of the voice. ha,
brought before them n vision Of III
| snowy night and the little house from
whOse doorway the lamplight tsreanOe'
| out. mellowinE the snow To gold, an
! touching with its fingers az light tn
| grim fnces OF that group of men stirre'
TO tho decp anger Of the mob at tn
thought OF Dan Pages brutality.
did the other men make an
| threats"
aye. Another one Of them erie
1 DOT. KILN Is too good fer Dun Page
/ He should be horscwhlpped Gus a
town At that. my wife COON nm I
| me and says, For the lessie's sGk'
| don't lot them be takln' tho law int
| their DON hands or therell be murde
| done this NIGHT So cried 'Dinna TAX
the matter too personal. lads-we'v
law and 2 gaol IL the town. somebcd
get the sheriff
II couldn't Tell at the time, hcCaus
N... 4. $40 n al NWah