The Tomahawk. [volume] (White Earth, Becker County, Minn.) 1903-192?, 1917-09-06

death Of your father. They are, he as
sures me, of sufh cient Importance to
require your attention. You have
heard of Reslius Marvel?"
II have read about him." was the
reply, shrinking and muff1ed.
If you knew Mr.. Marvel as I knew
him, you would trust to his earnest
desire to be always helpful" I con-
tinued. "He seeks only to protect the
family honor"
| Stop" cried Miss Ludington sud-
denly, sharply interrupting me, throw
ing aside her veil and presenting a
colorless, defiant face. what do you
know-what does he know"
II, nothing" I stammered, fairly
abashed at the resolute challenge
he, everything, probably. From two
to four-you will see him?"
~ will see Mr.. Marvel" she said
slowly, and passed on her way.
She was adamant to every attack
made to win one intimation, the
faintest clew as to what she and her
mother are holding back" Resilius
Marvel narrated to me the next morn
ing. This girl is spanning ten years
of her life with the agony, the resolve
| of one. She is under some terrific
stress, and there is some influence
that is holding these two women I'M
der dreadful thrall."
"She would tell you nothing?" I
asked
Until the last, absolutely nothing,
except to beg that would not disturb
condition that only she and her
mother could remedy. She arose to
leave. Suddenly she fixed her eyes
upon me. I saw her studying me as
if to search me through and through.
I noted the flush of some impelling
force in her face. Mr.. Marvel she
said, you claim wish to be helpful
to us, and I believe you, but this is a
case where help from your viewpoint,
instead of assisting us, might precipi-
tate a direful catastrophe. But you
are said to be a man who can find
where others fail, who from the
shadow can evolve reality. You can
do something for US, imperative, vital.
=: If you can inform us what we cannot
! learn-the whereabouts of a certain
person-you will bring us nearer to
the light for the end"
And the persona" inquired.
Resilius Marvel handed me a worn
photograph. It was that of woman
loud of dress, bold of face, wicked Of
eye. She had a certain wild beauty,
but her smile was that Of one who
lures only to destroy. On the reverse
of the card were these words: AL
ways as now-Idalia."
| wondered what was passing in the
mind of my friend at this new element
injected into the Ludington case. He
did not see fit to enlighten me. He
called for me at the bank the next
day.
| "A witness is sometimes handy" he
observed, and as we went spinning
along the boulevard south he briefly
told of his success in locating this
new woman in the case.
'The name of the photographer was
a guiding clew," he advised me. HE
did not know Idalia,' but he knew a
friend of hers, an actress. From this
friend learned the whereabouts Of
the original of the picture. She is the
inmate of the reformatory, on SEN
tence for robbery. We are going
| there"
A woman clad in light blue cotton
uniform was called to us, after we had
reached the place in question. She
came into the room where we awaited
! I'M ouorvUhnro in
an attempt to surmise the motive OF
our visit. Promptly Marvel drew the
photograph Miss Ludington had sup
piled him from his pocket.
| Il have come to ask you ques-
tion," he said. How long have you
known the man to whom you gave
this photograph"
In an instant the prison restraint, the
forced reserve of discipline, all self
control went to the winds. The wo-
man first attempted to wrest the pic
ture from the hand that held it to-
wards her to tear it to atoms. Her
eyes glared like tigers, her face
became distorted, she raved, she
trembled from head to foot, she
poured out curses upon the man a
memory Of whom the photograph had
evoked.
Listen" she cried. MARK me, I
swear it!-the day I am freed from
here, be it when it may-I will kill
him!"
'You are too late," observed Marvel
quietly.
81 am too late?" she repeated, skep-
tically.
Eyes, he has been dead for weeks"
She laughed, this Idalia, this woman
who made men shrink whom she did
not cause to weep.
"You came to draw me out, to de-
lude me-" she scoffed. From him!
see through you. Dead? Do you
think 1 do not keep track of him
through my friends on the outside, to
be ready to know when, and where,
and how I shall strike when the hour
comes? Go back and tell Abel Wanda
zaa77n thu that fl from oz7H me.