Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1918-12-21
CHAPTER XXI.
The Love Shark Rurns

The silence and the delay in.
creased their weight upon the little
group. Silas Blackburn, huddled
in his chair. was grayer, more bag.
gard than he had been at first. He
appeared attentive to an expected
summons. He seemed fighting the
idea OF going back.
The proximity OF Graham to
Katherine quoted the turmoil OF
Bobby's thoughts. If he could only
have ioreseen this return he would
have listened to the whispered en-
coura cement of the forest.
Robinson reappeared. Anxiety
had replaced the anger in the round
face which, one felt, should always
have been no more than good
natured
Jenkins will have to help" he
said.
Silas Blackburn arose unsteadily.
Pm coming with you. You're
not going to leave me here. l won't
stay here alone"
''He should come by all means"
Paroles said, ''in case anything
sould happen"
The old man put his hands to his
ears.
you keep quiet. I'm not going
back, | tell you"
Bobby didn't want to hear any
more. He went to the kitchen and
called Jenkins. He let the butler go
to the hall ahead of him in order
that he might not have to witness
this new greeting. But Jenkins cry
came back to him, and when he
reached the hall he saw that the
mans terror had not diminished.
They went through the court and
around the house to the stable
where they found spades and show
els. Their grim purpose holding
them silent, they crossed the clear
ing and entered the pathway that
had been freshly blazed that day for
the passage of the men in black.
The snow was quite deep. 1t still
drifted down. 1t filled the woods
with wan, unnatural radiance,
Without really Illuminating the
sooty masses of the trees it made
the night white.
Silas Blackburn stumbled in the
van with Paroles and Robinson.
The doctor and Rawlins followed.
Graham was with Katherine behind
them. Bobby walked fast, fighting
an instinct to linger, to avoid what
ever they might find beneath the
white blanket of the little, intimate
burial ground.
Groom turned and spoke to Ora
ham. Katherine waited for Bobby,
and the white night closed swiftly
about them, whispering until the
shutting of the others became in
audible.
Was she glad of this solitude ?Had
she sought it, Her extraordinary
request in that earlier solitude came
to him. and he spoke of it while he
tried to control his emotions, while
he sought to mold the next few
minutes reasonably and justly.
"Why did you tell me to make no
attempt to find the guilty person.
Because" she answered, you
were too sure it was yourself. Why.
Bobby, did you think | was the
the woman in black? That has
hurt me-"
Il didn't mean to hurt you," he
said, but there is something | must
tell you now that may hurt you a
little"
And he explained how Graham had
awakened him at the head OF the
stairs.
You're right" he said. 81 was
sure then it was myself, in spite OF
Howells' movement. 1t followed so
neatly on the handkerchief and the
footmarks. But now he has come
back, and it changes everything. So
| can tell you
He couldn't be sure whether it
was the cold, white loneliness
through which they paced, or what
he had just said that made her
tremble.
Perhaps shouldn't have told
you that"
II am glad" she answered. "You
must never close your confidence
to me again. Why have you done it
these last few months? l want to
know"
Calculation died.
Then you shall know"
Through the white night his
hands reached for her, found her,
drew her close. The moment was
too masterful for him to mold. He
became, instead, plastic in its white
and stealthy grasp.
81 couldn't stay" he said, land