Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1916-10-09
I }Mary Roberts Rinehart 81
\ Thrilling Mystery of
Z The Curve Of the Catenary"
Thrilling Mystery of

! looked up it would have been easier,
but she never moved
"If / ask you to marry me, l want
you to know that it isn't to carry out
that miserable bluff I made this morn
| ing. It's because sooner or later, I'd
have asked you anyhow
1t wasn't much of a speech, I'll ad-
init, but l meant it. l meant a lot
more that I couldn't find words for.
1t was new game for me. felt
so blooming worthless. l knew the
value of what 1 was offering her bet
I'd have been dear at a quarter.
Marry me-" l said, trying to be
funny for fear I'd make an ass of
myself, "and I'll get you a good job"
She had stopped crying by that
time, and she even tried to smile.
But it was hard going
I'm sorry, Oliver, 1 can't"
Do you thing the "Olive< encour-
aged me? Not to a noticeable degree.
1t was as tender and final as an in
scription on a tombstone. And it hurt.
Don't think because I'm trying to be
calm about it that it didn't hurt. 1t
! did damnably
Then I'll not worry you about it,"
She pulled at a ribbon around her
neck, and held out to me something
that hung to 1T. Jove, it was a soli-
taire ring and beauty.
Well, that's the answer, of course"
l said heavily.
| We both fell to looking out over the
town, and suddenly l saw the light
flash up in the mill. She saw it, too.
The night Shift" she said. Work
ing on the new order
And all at once 1 knew that it had
hurt, me to leave the mill. I'd thought
1t was bore and n nuisance but that
was because we were idle. Now things
had started up; double shifts; the yard
gang hustling, the hammering and
banging and heat that mean big bust
ness; the chaos that was order; the
You know what l mean. And the
little girl and l, who'd watched every
step of landing that contract, we were
out of it for good.
She felt it, too, for she reached out
hand and slipped it into mine.
Don't worry about me-" she said.
III manage. But you liked it, Do
you remember how excited we were
when the first nibble of that order
came in? Don't be too proud, Oliver.
Go back there. Go back and work.
ous can, if you only wills
went away.
:, got to the club before II. The
nights were all on. A big electric
sign-bo announced Lottie Mnrrav
at one of the theaters. Almost ex-
actly twenty-four hours before she
nad Kissed me over the footlights. and
IA been rather elevated about it. A
lot or the fellows were crazy about
Lottie "'ou'
Twenty-four hours! And in that
tlme I'd seen murder lost a per-
fectly good family and been turned
down by a girl.
Can you beat it?
I've seen the time when it would
nave taken about three drinks to get
me quiet enough for bed. But I didn't
want anything to drink that night, 7
wanted 10 go off in a corner and die
peneVe me. l thought maybe the
Mater would have sent a note sba,s
good sort, the Mater, and fond Of
me Wheh I'm away somewhere or
not TOO much under foot. There was
d ietler' put 1t was not from mother
day. 'eoh 'iiaI
Dear Sir" it said, 'in regard TO
camera which we understood vo,,
to-day to say you had lost A ce 49, yUu
with the lens missing was offered 70
US TINS AFTERNOON. We took the mat
ter under advisement pending con-
munlcation with you. Would saw tba+
TINS carried a lens of the approxin1
ate size OF the one you describe, and
Is somewhat damaged
said camera is now in o,,r
and we will take pleasure in boISiy,,
IL Tor your identification. We caS
replace the missing lens, having ev-
work" ooll OF
didn't know it, but I was ranid
nary. VI 'ie cate
- slept without moving that night
ultll daylight. I didn't expect to
was wretched enough. But was shot
an TO pieces and that's a fact. Nv
room at the club looked out to,,a,,5
the mill and beyond that to the rive
ana the hill with the white bonsa
beIore l turned in l took a last looI.
ouC OF the window and said good-bv 10
She was engaged to Martin T
might have known il but ~ I'LL l
very observant and somehow I'd never
IN. mo usht or Martin and any woman
DIS mad tried to take him tea-fiehtino
once or twice and failed. II shows
now much fellow knows about othe,,
fellows. u' o'iler
But at daylight I wakened up and
the thing hit me like blow. watnb
ed the top of the white house wban
the sun came up a good bit later. and
wondered II she was awake, and If che
was sorry for me. She'd looked sorry
all right. oiiS'
mad notion to throw the whole
thlng up and go to Bermuda It,S
no place to forget in. It's too small
~. put m not much of a sailor and 7
thought the trip down would keen M
100 pusy to worry. If she was in
trouble, and I knew she was, Martin
was in the secret and about twenty
times more capable than was to help
her out. There, in the dawn, had to
acknowledge that the only reason I'd
wanted to work things out was on
her account And she didn't need me.
Then l got to wondering If Martin
did know. I'd only stumbled on the
thing, you see. If he knew, and the
trouble was serious, why had he gone
to the country club that previous af-
ternoon2 Ii I had been in his place,
and she'd gone home sick, and all the
rest of 1t, you can just believe L
but I wasn't in his place, worse luck.
1 had cup of coffee and the papers
sent up. There was a good bit about
the robbery and two or three men
were being held Nothing about the
murders except that there were no
developments, and symposium from
two or three alienists on the effect of
darkness on crime. Under the head
ing, Return of Prosperity" there was
an article on the mill opening up and
running double turn, and a socialist
had written a red-hot letter to the
editor about women wearing a mil