Evening star., 1918-08-25
ASTY ARROW

Thus, Mr.. Gryce, as hours after
ward lse and Sweetwater turned their
faces back toward New York.
II appreciate your feelings" re-
sponded the latter, who had been
strangely silent all day, speaking
only when directly addressed. II can
assure you that In my way I'm as
that / had made an attempt from the
rear to head off this distracted wom-
an, even IL i had been obliged to
scratch my hands to pieces tearing
board from the fence"
ut would have done no good. She
was determined to die rather than
give up her secret. 1 remember the
look with which her sister-in-law
warned me that she would never
survive capture. But / thought
that mere exaggeratiOn."
Then after moment of conscious
silence on the part of both, the weary
old man added with bitter emphasis.
"Her testimony might do not say
,would-haye cleared away our sus-
picions Of Director Roberts"
Sweetwater, who was acting as
chauffeur. slowed down his machine
till 1t came to standstill at the side
Of the road Then wheeling quietly
about till he faced his surprised COM
"Mr. Gryce, i hadn't the heart to tell
you this before. but the time has
come for you to know that Mr.. Rob-
erts' cause is not SO favorably af-
fected, as you seem to think. by this
doubt would have proved to be a
leading witness against him. I am
sure you will agree with me in this
when / inform YOU that in pursuing
this"
Thrusting his hand into his pocket.
he pulled out a large envelope, from
which he proceeded to draw forth
hrst the tattered square Of what had
once been a cabinet portrait, and then
Holding them both up. he waited for
the word that was sure to follow.
1t came with all the emphasis he
expected.
Roberts! Director Roberts!"
'The'same, sir; and the eyes of the
tainly one of the most solemn mo-
ments Of their lives.
They had paused for this short con-
ference at point where the road
gave them view Of slope on slope
Of varying verdure. with glimpses OF
the Hudson between, Glancing up,
with gesture of manifest shrinking
from the portrait which sweetwater
glance to run over the WONDERFUL
landscape laid out to his view, and
said with breaks and halts bespeak-
Ing his deep emotion:
IT my death here and now, follow
Frenchwoman. would avail TO wipe
out the evidence 1 have SO laboriously
collected. against this man, I should
welcome 1t with gratitude. ! shrink
from ending my career with the, shat
tering Of 90 fine an image. in the pub:
lie eye. What lies back of this, criine
what past memories or present nifs-.
cries have led to an act which would
be called dastardly in the most unin-.
structed and basest of our sexys
Would TO God I had never tried to
md QUIT But no man standing where
Roberts does today among the lead
ors OF great party can fall into
such pit Of shame without weak
sninE ,mnn,6n the faith Of The young and
honor" st,E - W
''Yet. II he is guilty" -;
1T Is our business to pursue him to
the end. only. I IKE the man. Sweet
yesterday on different matters and I
came away liking him." .l 50
This was certainly something Sweet
water had not expected to hear, and
1t threw him again into silence as he
started up the machine ana they pur-
Hard as the day had been for Mr..
Gryce, its trials were not yet over.
He han left 1t to Sweetwater to re-
port the case to the New York .au-
thorittes and had gone home to rest
from the shock of the occurrence and
to prepare for that interview with
the chief inspector which he was sat
isfied would now lead to an even
more exacting one with. the district
attorney.
He was met by a messenger from
downtown who handed him a letter.
i He opened 1t abstractedly and read
the following:
Mrs. Taylor is talking" -
He had forgotten Mrs. TAYLOR To
have her thus brought cforcibly back
to mind was a. shock heightened,
rather than diminished. by a perusai
OF the few connected words which
the careful nurse had transcribed as
falling from her deiirious patients
They were these: -
love thee,
And thee WIN loye to. eternity, :: (.
T he exact lines, no more, no less,
which Sweetwater had found written
on the back Of the Swiss clock cher.
ished by Mr.. Roberts.
: ., XVIII.
"RoMANTIc! Teo RoMANTIc."
Next morning Mr., Gryce left his
home an hour. earlier than usual, He
wished to have talk with Mrs. Tay-
lors nurse before encountering the
inspector. =.
III wou m inconyanfapt TINA for a