The state herald., 1916-01-21

IN the snort time which had passed ne
could not have fed from the point
where heard him last into the ravine
below Ostrander lane. But, If not he,
who was 1t? Or II 1t was he. and
some other hand threw his stick
across my path. whose was this hand
and why have we never heard any.
thing about 1t? 1t Is a question which
sometimes floats through my mind,
but ! did not give 1t thought then.
was within sight Of home and OIL
ver's possible presence; and all other
dread was as nothing In comparison
to what | felt at the prospect Of meet
Ing my boys eye. My boys eye! my
greatest dread then. and my greatest
as to my doom.
The house. which had left empty.
l found empty; Oliver had not yet re-
turned. The absolute stiffness of the
rooms seemed appalling. Instructive
ly looked at the clock. It had
stopped. Not at the minute-l do not
say 1t was at the minute-but near.
very near the time when from an
innocent man l became a guilty one.
Appalled, at the discovery. fled to
the front. Opening the door. looked
out Not a creature In sight, and not
sound to be hear. Tho road was
as lonely and seemingly as forsaken
as the house. Had time stopped here,
too? Were the world ard its inter.
ests at a pause In horror Of my deed?
For a moment believed II: then more
natural sensations inte-vened, and. re.
joicing at this lack of disturbance
where disturbance meant discovery.
stepped inside again. rewound the
clock. and sat down in my own room.
My own room! Was 1t mine any
longer7 Its walls looked strange: the
petty objects OF my daily handling.
unfamiliar. The change In myself in.
fected everything saw. I might have
been in another mans house for all
connection these things seemed TO
have with me or my life. Like one
set apart on an unapproachable shore.
stretched hands In vain toward all
that | had known and all that had
been OF value to me.
But as the minutes passed began
to lose this feeling. Hope. which |
thought quite dead. slowly revived
Nothing had happened. and perhaps
nothing would.
Men had been killed before. and the
slayer passed unrecognized Why
might II not be SO In my case? n the
woman continued to remain silent: II
for any reason she had not witnessed
the blow or the striker. who else was
there to connect me with an assault
committed a quarter OF a mile away
No one knew OF the QUARREL and II
they did. who could be so daring as
TO associate one OF my name with an
action 80 brutal? A Judge slay his
friend! II would take evidence OF a
very marked character to make even
my political enemies believe that.
As the twilight deepened rose from
my seat and III the gas. I must not
be found skulking In the dark. Then
began to count the ticks measuring
on the hour. II thirty minutes more
passed without rush from without |
might hope. II twenty1-If ten then
II was fyel then Il was
All! The gate had changed to. They
were coming. ! could hear steps
voices-a loud ring at the bell. I
moved slowly toward the front. |
feared the betrayal which my ashy
face md trembling hands might make.
Agitation after tho news was TO be
expected. but not beforel So | left
the hall dark when | opened the door.
And thus decided my future
For In the faces OF the small crowd
which blocked the doorway detected
nothing but commiscratlon: and when
a voice spoke and heard divers nc.
cents surcharged with nothing more
grievous than pity. | realized tha, my
secret was as yet unshared. and. see.
ing that no man suspected me. fore
bore 10 declare my guilt to anyone
This sudden restoration from sound
less depths into the pure air OF respect
/ hhu NfNHlhlH' Nuuluhfu utt ana ur
yond the words Killed. Struck down
4 by the bridget" | heard little. til
slowly, duly. like the call OF boil
issuing from hmothering mist. I
caught the sound OF name. II struck
my ear and gradually Il dawncd upon
my consciousness that another man
had been arrested for my crime and
that tho safety. the reverence and the
COMMUNICATION that were 30 dear TO
mo had been bought at a price no man
OF honor might pay
! but was no longer n man Of honor
was a wretched criminal awaylns
above q gulf OF infnmy In which had
seen others swallowed but had never
dreamed OF being engulfcd myself I
never thought Of letting myself go
not at this criaiH-not while my heart
was warm with ltA rcaurgenco into the
old life,
And 30 ! lot pass this opportunity
for confession Afterwards II was too
lpte-or seemed too late TO my dcmor
allied Judgment