The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1916-05-16

AS you know, he had confided In
me absolutely, since | have been old
enough to be q real companion to
him / thought that / knew all his
business affairs-those of the last two
or three years at least-but latteriy
his manner has puzzled and distressed
me- Then, while you were In the dim
ing-room, the telephone rang twice.
Yes; the calls were for your father.
When he was summoned to the wire
he Immediately had the connection
given to him on his private line, here
in the library. After he returned to
the dining-room he did seem slightly
absent-minded, now that / think of It;
but 1t did not occur to me that there
You know, dearest, ever since the
evening when he promised to give
you to me, he has consulted me, also,
to great extent about his financial
interests, and think IL any difficulty
had arisen he would have mentioned
it."
Still, I am convinced that some.
thing was on his mind / tried to
approach him concerning 1t, but he
was eyasive. and put me off, laugh
the sort of man whose confidence
could be forced even by those dearest
10 him. ] had been so worried about
him, though. that | had a nervous
headache, and after you left, Ramon,
retired at once. An hour or two
alter, father had yisitor-that fact
rs you know, the coroner elected from
he servants, but 1t had, of course, no
bearing on his death, since the caller
vas Mr.. Rockamore | heard his
voice when opened the door of my
room, after ringing for my maid to
get some lavender salts. I could not
sleep, my headache grew worse; and
while / was struggling against 1t, |
heard Mr.. Roekamore depart, and my
fathers voice in the hall, after slam
ming of the front door, telling Wilkes
o retire, that he would need him no
more that night. heard the buffers
footsteps pass down the hall, and then
/ rose and opened my door again. /
don't know why, but / felt that /
wanted to speak to father when he
came up on his way to bed"
Anita paused, and Ramon, In spite
of himself, felt thrill of puzzled won
der at her expression, upon which a
dawning look, almost of horror, spread
and grew.
But he did not come, and after
while stole to the head of the stairs
and looked down. There was a low
light in the hall and a brighter one
from the library, the. door of which
was ajar. | supposed that father was
working late over some papers. and ]
knew that I must not disturb him. I
crept back to bed at last, with sigh,
but left my own door slightly open,
so that If should happen to be awake
when he passed, might call out to
him.
Presently, however, I dozed off.
I don't know how long l slept, but l
awakened to hear voices = angry
voices, my fathers and another, which
did not recognize. got up and by
the night-light saw that the hands of
the little clock on my dresser pointed
to nearly three o'clock. I could not
imagine who would call on father so
very late at night. and feared at first
1t might be burglar but my common
sense assured me that father would
not stop to parley with burglar.
While l stood wondering, father raised
his voice slightly, and I caught one
word which he uttered. Ramon, that
word sounded to me like 'blackmailh
Why. what is 1t? Why do you look
at me so strangely" she added hast
lily, at his uncomfortable start
II? / am not looking at you
strangely, dear; 1t is not possible that
you could have heard Alright 1t must
have simply been fancy of yours,
born of the state of your nerves You
could not really have understood"
But Ramon Hamilton looked away