The Huttig news., 1917-08-11

thoughts flashed into his mind, to be dismissed, shaken off doggedly.
 "I shall never believe anything that you do not tell me yourself But it is only fair to me that now at last there be frankness between us."
 There are others" Elinor said, with dry lips.
 "Your father?' "He is dead. I cannot talk of him. This much I can tell you. The parish house was burned deliberately it was planned and carefully carried out"
 And you knew?"
 "I had forbidden it.'
 You had forbidden it?''
 He went to her and caught her by the shoulders, forcing her to look up into his face.
 You? Then all this time that you have seen what you must have seen in my eyes, you have been"
 At the head of a band of thieves" EIinor said slowly.
 Ward released her, and turning took a slow survey of the room.
 "Then l suppose this is trap?" he said.
 ''lt is not trap" Her voice was dead. T opposed this-this plan from the start. That is the reason one of the men-of my friends-suspected that l."
 "Go on. What did he suspeet?"
 That but that doesn't matter. He burned the parish house and planned all this. Tonight he meant to get the money from you, and Twas desperate. I could think of 10 other way"
 Wards faith in her was slow to die. He took a step toward her, his hands out, then dropped them at his sides.
 "Then-the night the parish house burned, when I'came down in the dawn and found you sitting there"-he clenched his hands-"all the time you knew. You knewl And had thought"
 He went to the table and, opening the box, slipped the notes and money it contained into his pocket. Then he buttOned his coat about him. Elinor watched him stonily.
 "You are going back down theahill?'
 "I am going home". He did notteven look at her.
 eff you would only go some place else" she said pitifully. "To the club or to Mrs. Bryant's. Please believe me. Whatever I am, and I have told you the worst, am trying to think of you tonight, not of myself"
 'I am going back to my house:;s said the assistant rector of Saint Jude's He got as far as the door on to the ter. race, and there he turned. It was as If he dared not look at her, as if he meant to carry away with him some tenderer memory than of this white. Tipped. guilty woman before him. If I seem hard." he said unstead fly. "it is because am suffering. You are quite safe, of course. shall not go to the police." Had he cared less he would have been more merciful.
 Old Henriette watched bis figure as he went down the garden steps and into the road.
 Strange things in this house!' sim mumbled, shaking her head. Breach. CTS coming and going at all hours. and Elinor in church this morning. Strange things, Hilary Kingston, since you went away"
 She shuffled along the terrace and into the house, her thin black shawl .l ak Tx~ library Elinor lay face down on the floor. Old Henriette bent over her.
 My lamb, my pet" she soothed her, Hes fine man, but there are many others. And when one Is young and lovely"
 Since Elinor made no response but only moaned, old Henriette rose from her knees and shuffied out of the room. but cautiously, as she passed, slfe took from a table drawer old Hilary's re- volver and carried 1t out under her shawl.
 She was very wise, was wrinkled Henriette, and she knew the Kingston blood.
 Ward came down the road rapidly. There was faint moon. One part of his mind had ceased to work his high CT faculties were dormant with mis. cry, with the anesthesia that comes for time after great grief or shock. Physically he was entirely alert; his keen eyes searched each clump of shrubbery before he reached 1t. Not that he feared attack for himself; his cup of life was bitter to his taste that night, but he carried a trust in his pockets, that he would deliver. Huff was waiting at the foot of the Kingston place. crouched behind a wall. If the boy had been jealous be- | fore, he was maddened now. Ward had been with Elinor. Huff, coming up the hill had heard his short good night to Henriette in the garden, bad heard him some down the hill. There were only two explanations. Either the man was In love with her and had gone up that night of his own volition, | or yyl;por had cont for him Ono Uo .