The daily star-mirror. (Moscow, Idaho) 1911-1939, 1917-02-08
brain almost refused to accept what

OldAA 6tA1AOSL lCluoC0 " dCCCRI WAdk
her eyes beheld:
Beloved Dick: Don't hate me for
compelling you to make this trip, but
l am frantic with jealousy Of Gloria,
and il you fail me will do something
desperate. Your adoring and once
adored LOIS"
Gloria dropped on a marble bench
while the ground seemed to be shaken
beneath her. So Freneau had planned
to make journey with Lois! 1t was
plainly at Lois demand, yet he had
consented and arranged to go. The
story Frank Mulry told her had been
a 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 nausea; it sickenad
her. She turned to Royce, no longer
demanding, but appealing: 'Tn heav-
ems name tell me the truth
Royce felt that the time was over
for deception. The truth could not
hurt Gloria worse than appearances.
4Ou oldll nave LILO OlOI1d,
or as much of it as 1 know. l tried
to keep it from you because you were
i'll and you were young and I was
afraid that the ugly reality would kill
you. 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
ter. l happened to Overhear him tell
her to meet him at midnight at the
pavilion near the monument. I had
known that he was a scoundrel, and
had always been q roue. But you had
loved him, SO I had begged him to
play fair with you. And he had prom
Used.
when I heard him make that rem
devious with-with that woman, I
went right to him and told him that
l 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 1 wanted to
protect his home as well as your heart.
IlChCou lduSuCu luy tdIucSI-
ness and ridiculed me, resented my
called me meddler and
/ told him I would pre-
vent his treachery at all costs. |
took my revolver with me. / didn't mean |
to kill him. The revolver was not |
even loaded. But intended to fright
en- him with it.
81 never dreamed, of course, that |
the binoculars l gave you to amuse |
yourself with would give you a sight |
of the whole tragedy. 1 waited and |
waited for Freneau to appear. At |
last l walked down the drive expect
Ing to meet him. / found his body ly-
ing in the snow. I knelt down and
listened to his heart. 1t was still. He
was dead beyond all rescue.
'T saw that envelope in his pocket.
didn't know what was in it, but was
afraid of what it might contain. l
imagined the police discovering him
and the newspapers publishing what
was found on his person. Before I
realized what I was doing took the
envelope. saw somebody coming along
the drive. / didn't know who it was.
don't know now, but ran away.
"When I got back to my office I got
word that your nurse had called me. I
IAN to your house. You told me you
lad seen the murder DONE You had
seen me without recognizing me. 1
old you it was a delirium like the
,ther you had had. looked through
he binoculars. When l went out on
he drive Freneau's body was gone.
vas dumfounded. I almost believed
hat I had imagined the whole thing
myself.
II went to the pavilion. There 1 saw
woman, the woman, waiting for Ere
leau. / told her that he had been