New Britain herald., 1917-01-10
What Mrs. Cosgrovc Told Madgc.

tcring to herself incoherent sentences her of Mrs Allis plot to steal the pictures in the cottage parlor. 1 had & queer sense of being enmeshed still deeper in the mystery of tho pictures, and the men who painted them Mrs. Cosgrove's brother, Robert Savarin. I did not venture to speak to her at all, simply sat silent until she had ceased murmuring to herself. When she spoke it was in her usual manner. clearly, incisively II am glad Mir. Graham decided to have you tell me this this morning instead of waiting until the whole thing was over. l ap- preciate his ambition to thwart the scheme all by himself, but, after all, the matter concerns us most deeply, and we really ought to know about it. When Mir. Graham and Mir. Cosgrove come back we will lay our plans for tonight. In the meantime-"
 She stopped for long minute, pen dering. Then as With sudden resolu- ton she turned to mo again:
 'The confidence you have given me deserves another,' she said at last. CT never thought to speak of this to any living soul, 1t is like tearing my heart out, but you have saved his pie lures and -
 Perhaps you do not need to tell me-" I said gently. If it is anything about your brother, Robert Savarin, I am sure I have seen him. and that I know all or nearly all that you would tell me-"
 was frightened at first at the effect of my words. She stared at me wildly for a moment, then sank back in her chair, moaning: "Oh, oh, oh, and I thought we had hidden him so secure ly! What shall l do" I cant keep him there any longer"
 Questions and Answers.
 "Oh yes you can,'' l returned sooth- ,ngly. Your secreet is still safe. It was only by accident that my husband stumbled against the vine curtain you had arranged over the secret path to your brothers little house, and when we had come back to the entrance again after finding that the path did not lead to your house, but to the en- closure surrounding the little cottage of vour brother, my husband carefully arranged the curtain again just as he had found it. No one would ever suspect that there was path there.
 She looked at me fiXedly for a mo- ment, as if she would read my most hidden thought. Then Wlth an ellort she spoke again.
 "I suppose the time you saw hlm was the day he escaped and Fred trailed him up the stream. Fred said he told you that he was trying to over;ake an old neighbor of ours, and that your husband said he had just passed by. Fred did not think you had noticed him particularly
 "l an; afraid we did not tell Fred tue vhcle truth" 1 replied gently. You sec your brother discovered me trying awkwardly to cast by myself. and very kindly showed me my mis- takes and helped me to catch my first fish"
 "Ob." She reflected a 1ons moment and then asked quietly
 Mrs, rGaham, what do you think of my brothers mental condition from the brief encounter you had with him. oh. I know you cannot judge accur- ately in so short time, and 1t Is not just to ask it of you, but think Of 1t! I have had no one to ask all these years, and although it seemed to me l that he was getting better. I have not dared to trust my own judgment. 1T have never had any experience with the mentally disturbed, re- 1 turned slowly, "but your brother dld 1 not appear to me like an insane per l son at all. Indeed. his conversation 1 while fishing seemed remarkably ra- l tional There was something apout his eyes that spoke of long strain of some kind to me, and he was eVl- ] tcntiy in much fear of something or ] h,,t him in that
 ,ranner I should never have dreamed i that he was out of his mind. A little
 uuccr, perhaps but not really un- l ba lanC ed.
 ! She caught my hand i'll hers and 1 pressed it warmly. ] saw the tears 1 rlistening in her eyes, but the lines o1 her face had relaxed.
 ] "You do not know what hope you 1 have given me. Mrs. Graham, she
 said. "When I tell you the story of
 these ,ears YOU will know how much
 a word Of hope means to me, ! There was a long moment before 1 she spoke again.
 l 'dadly in Love- 1 My brother was the kindest. gen ] tlest. most generous, most irrespon- l sihlc of men," she said sadly. If vour husband is an artist he probably ! knows the story of his artistic career. 1 She stopped, looked at me inquiring- ] ly and nodded assent.
 1 He has told me the whole story,
 I said.
 1 "lf cnly his wife had been a true | won,an.' the artists sister went on l But she was u devil incarnate, that l woman, if ever there was one. l l never saw her. she never would come l out here with him. but I heard from a l few faithful friends of Roberts what i she was. and then when he first came l here he was wholly mad, raving most l of the time of the demands she made | upon him. and the way she had tossed 1 him aside like a worn-out glove. She 1 was ver,. Ncunt when Robert met her