The commonwealth. (Scotland Neck, N.C.) 1896-1929, 1917-05-29

train almost refused to accept what
her eyes beheld:
"Beloyed Dick: Don't hate me for
compelling you to make this trip, but
am frantic with jealousy of Gloria,
ond if YOU fail me I will do something
dosnerate. Your adoring and once
odored LOIS"
Gloria dropped on a marble bench
,,bile the ground seemed to be shaken
honeath her. So Freneau had planned
n make Journey with Lois! It was
nIainly at Lois demand, yet he had
consented and arranged to go. The
Glory Frank Mulry told her had been
. lie too. Freneau had had an affair
With Lois with the wife Of Gloria's
own brother!
This treachery in her own house
hold was like a nausea; it sickened
her. She turned to Royce, no longer
demanding, but appealing: "In heav-
ems name tell me the TRUTH
Rovce felt that the time was over
for deception. The truth could not
hurt Gloria worse than appearances.
"you shall have the truth, Gloria,
or as much of it as / know. I tried
70 keep it from you because you were
II and you were young and l was
afraid that the ugly reality would kill
VOL While you were still very i'll
with pneumonia l stumbled on the
fact that Freneau was carrying on
an affair with-with the woman, the
wretched woman who wrote that let
fer. | happened to Overhear him tell
her to meet him at midnight at the
nayiliCn near the monument. I had
known that he was a scOundrel, and
had always been roue. But you had
loved him, so I had begged him to
NAV fair with you. And he had prom
ised.
when / heard him make that rem
devious with-with that woman, I
went right to him and told him that
knew Of his vile scheme. l demand
ed that he break off the affair. Be
SIDES, the woman's husband was one
of my dearest friends and | wanted to
protect his home as we'll as your heart.
"Freneau laughed at my earnest
ness and ridiculed me, resented my
interference, called me meddler and a
busybody I told him / would pre-
vent his treachery at all costs. I
took my revolver with me. didn't mean
to kill him. The revolver was not
even loaded But I intended to fright
en- him with it.
Il never dreamed, of course, that
the binoculars l gave you to amuse
yourself with would give you sight
of the whole tragedy. I waited and
waited for Freneau to appear. At
last I walked down the drive expect
ing to meet him. I found his body ly-
ing in the snow. 7 knelt down and
listened to his heart It was still. He
was dead beyond all rescue.
Il saw that envelope in his pocket
l didn't know what was in it, but was
afraid of what it might contain.
imagined the police discovering hin
and the newspapers publishing wha1
was found on his person. Before
realized what I was doing took thu
envelope. saw somebody coming alonz
the drive. I didn't know who it was
don't know now, but 1 ran away.
"When I got back to my office I 90
word that your nurse had called me.
ran to your house. You told me yo1
had seen the murder done. You hat
seen me without recognizing me.
told you it was a delirium like tn,
other you had had I looked through
the binoculars. When I went out OF
the drive Freneaus body was gone.
was dumfounded. I almost believe,
that had imagined the whole thin
myself
Il went to the pavilion. There I say
woman, the woman, waiting for Ere
neau. l told her that he had bee