The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1916-04-03

relevant.
The District Attorney smiled in tri-
umph. He turned to Ruth, who look
ed startled at the interruption, and
said, gently:
You were saying. Miss Pollock, that
Mr. Langdon threatened your brother.
Was there fghty'
mo. Mary ran between them and
said that James had right to kiss her,
that-that-the were engaged
What did Mr.. Langdon say them
He didn't say anything. lie just
turned around and walked away, and
Mary began to cry"
Was the engagement Of your broth
er and Miss Page made pnblic?"
yes. At a dance
did your brother and his fiancee
seem happy on that oceasion?'
mo. lin fact, / know they were
not"
Did they tell you so:'
NO, but overheard. Twas hiding
| in the conservatory" -
With a smothered gasp of surprise
Aary's head came Up suddenly and for
| the first time the eyes of the two girls
met; but now it y-as Marys that We're
| accusatory and Ruth's that We're tr0ub-
led and it was in answer to that re-
proach, rather than the startled look
on the prosecutors face, that made
Ruth add shyly: 1T was all just in
fun. | had promised dance TO Mr..
Brandon, but ha7 told him that if he
could find me before the music was
! half over | would give him two more,
for had discovered nook behind the
| palms which | was sure 20 one else
| could find"
She stammered over the gif'llSh con
fession, tide of crimson dyeing her
pale cheeks.
while was hidden there, Mary and
Mr.. Langdon, who had been dancing
together, came into the conservatory.
I-I-didn't move because felt
should look so silly. hiding like a kid
behind the palms, and | thought they
| ""'HN sum ~ " Nhs' Dut iuCS
didn't"
Did Miss Page say anything about
her engagement
They were talking about it as they
came in. and the first thing | heard
was, 4 have given my word, Philip,
and must 20 through with it-eyen if
1t kills me- She was half crying. Then
Mr.. Langdon said quietly, Mary, you
don't love him, do you?' And Mary
said, You know | don't, Philip. There
| is only one man in the world that |
love. Then lie took her in his arms
and she broke down aud sobbed but
when he tried TO make her say she
| would break her engagement she
| wouldn't. and she wouldn't tell him
why she had promised to marry James.
She only said that she could never be
free unless James gave her back her
promise"
do you mean to say" interrupted
the judge. that Mr. Langdon knew
nothing OF the episode Of the forged
| eheck?"
no Mary told me she couldn't bear
10 tell him about her father Besides,
James had made her promise to keep
that part of their engagement secret
from everyone
at seems Incredible" said His Hon
or. settling back. and the prosecutor
asked, rs II suddenly seeing new
viewpoint.
Did your brother know of Miss
Pages love for Mr.. Langdon?'
Il don't know whether he knew then
or not. but he knew later because Mr..
I.angdon told him. While | was still
back Of the palms James came to hunt
FOR Mary. and she didn't want him to
see she had been crying, so she went
out and Mr. Langdon stood waiting for
James He told my brother that Mary
was very unhappy in her engagement
but felt that she was in honor bound
to go through with it, and he urged
James to set her free,
What did your brother say?"
well, he was-very angry she an
swered, deprecatingly. "I-I-know he
thought II was just interference, and
he said 1 suppose you want her set
free so YOU can marry her. And Mr..
Langdon said, 1 want her set free be-
cause she doesn't love you and is
breaking her heart over her promise
to marry you. What is that to youT
asked James. DO you think she is in
love with youT And Mr.. Langdon
said angriy, Il know she is hnt that
has nothing to do with the matter.
Can't you he decent for once and set
Il girl free when she doesn't want to
marry YOU? That madc James even
more furious, and be fairly shouted
Mary will learn to love me fast enough
once we're married. and shall never
set her free. She has promised and
I'm going to see that she keeps that
promise. Besides, do you think In
going to let everybody say she Tilted
me, after we've announced our engage
ment this way? should say not. "
Did Mr.. I.angdon reply?"
NO He just turned round with a
shrug and walked away and | came
} out and Joined my brother
Did he ask If You had overheardT
Yes"
"Did voi toll hin, of the conVersa tiou