The state herald., 1916-01-14

any nearer light than We had been
many times before; but for soms>eea
son found It harder to pardon HIN
For the first time in our long ac
quaintance, let Algernon Etheridge
leave me, without any attempt at con
ciliation.
II only l had halted there! II. al
sight of my empty study. | had not
conceived the mad notion Of waylayine
him at the bridge for the hand-shake
l missed, l might have been happy
man now. and Oliver-But why dwell
upon these might-have-beens! What
happened was this:
Disturbed in mind, md finding my
self alone In the house. Oliver having
evidently gone out while We two were
disputing, decided to follow out the
impulse have mentioned. Leaving
by the rear, l went down the lane to
the path which serves as a short cut
to the bridge.
That did this unseen by anybody
| Is not so strange when you consider
the hour, and how the only person
then living In the lane was, in all
probability. in her kitchen. II would
have been better for me. little as
might have recognized 1t at the time.
had she been where she could have
witnessed both my going and coming
and faced me with the fact
John Scoville, In his statement. says
that after giving up his search for his
little girl he wandered up the ravine
before taking the path back which led
him through Dark Hollow. This was
false, as well as the story he told Of
leaving his stick by the chestnut tree
in the gully at foot OF Ostrander lane
For was on the spot, and | know
the route by which he reached Dark
Hollow and also through whose agency
the stick came to be there.
Read and learn with what tricks the
devil beguiles us men.
was descending this path, heavily
shadowed. as you know, by sklrting
OF closely growing trees and bushes,
when Just where It dips into the Hol
low, heard the sound Of a hasty foot
come crashing up through the under.
brush from the ravine and cross the
path ahead OF me. A turn in the path
prevented me from seeing the man
himself, but as you will perceive and
as | perceived later when circum'
stances recalled II to my mind, had
no need to see him to know who II
was or with what intent he took this
method of escape from the ravine Into
the fields leading to the highway. SEQ
ville's stick spoke for him. the stick
which presently tripped over and
mechanically picked up. without .
thought OF the desperate use to which
was destined to put It.
Etherldge was coming. could hear
his whistle on Factory road There
was no mistaking II. 1t was unusually
shrlll one and had always been
cause OF Irritation to me, but at this
moment 1t was more: II reused every
antagonistlc impulse within me. He
whistling like a gailiard. after part.
Ing which had dissatisfied me to such
an extent that had come all this dis.
tance to ask his pardon and see his
old smile again. Afterward. long aft.
erward. was able to give another
Interpretation to his show OF apparent
satisfaction. but then I saw moth.
ing but the contrast II offered to my
own tender regrets. and my blood be-
gan to boil and my temper rise to such
point that recrimination took the
place Of apology when in another mo-
ment We came together In tho open
space between the end Of the bridge
and Dark Hollow.
CTo BE coNTINuEDJ