Grand Forks herald. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1916-1955, 1919-05-08
THE CURVED
By CAROLYN WELLS, Author q ..viielyl Y.n,n Etc.
room was closed, and I was aboutato
tab, al IL. when / heard talking ineide.

room was closed. and I was about to
/ paused, andsI listened. in order to
discover IL her maid was still with
her, or some one else. II It had been
Estelle,, 1 should have tapped for ad-
mittance. But it was not"
'Who was it?'
II cannot say. The voice I heard
distinctly was. that Of Miss CARING
ton herself. Her voice was high
rying sort. The things she said were
SO strange. I fingered, listening, for I
was so surprised I couldn't help IT,
First, 1 heard her say, quite plain
ly, Your face is the most beautiful
I have ever seen! I wish mine were
as beautiful I assumed, then, she
must 3be talking to Miss Stuart, for
maid. Then she said. But, tomorrow,
1 shall be forever freed from this
homely face of mine.'
Miss Frayne, this is very singular!
Are you sure you heard correctly?s'
81 am sure. Blu there is more. she
next said, 'ToIporrow o will be
slad!-slad! IT, was almost q
scream. that: And she went on, To
morrow all these jewels will be yours
lii you-ah, but will you?',and then
her voice trailed off family, and I
could, hear no more"
"YoQ heard nothing more at all?
Eyes; Il waited-oh, Isadmit I was
eaves-dropping; but 1t was so strange
i couldn't help it-there was silence.
1t may we'll be some n else was re-
plying to her. but I could not make
voice would not be audible like a
high-pitched one. /; But after a mo-
ment,l Miss Darlington resumed; she
said, I shall change my will, Not
Cars half, that must stand. But the
other half shall ley go to>a niece
who has no affection for mel Again
1 heard nothing, for the responses
ton said, in a musing tone: I. have
already willed you ten thousand dol
lars of those United States bonds.
And then, after a quite d long pause,
Miss Darlington cried out, not loud
ly, but tensely, Henri, Henri! you are
the mark I aim att That frightened
me so, I ran swiftly back to my room,
and locked the door,"
you assumed Henri to be Count
Charlier
4 had no other construction to put
upon the words" H.
"You thought the gentleman was in
Miss Carrington's room?"
II couldn't think that! And yet. It
sounded as if she were speaking to
him, not Of him."
This is a very strange story, Miss
Frayne. Have you mentioned these
things you overheard to any one4be-
fore this?"
mo. I have thought them over,
and concluded it was best to tell the
: story first to you."As a.
"And quite right 1t is, then. your
opinion that there was another per-
son in Miss C~arrington's room,% to
whom she was speaking?" 4
sit seemed so to me-. y
But you did not hear this other
persons voice."
Anita paused a moment and then
said: mot distinctly"
Did you hear it at all?"'
Il cannot. say When I. did not
hear Miss C~arrington's voice clearly.
been another person or her own voice
speaking more inaudibly." >
Might it not be that she was mere
~ talking to MISUNDERSTANDING ?"
1T could not have been that. She
spoke definitely, and. decidedly to
some one when she slid Your face is
beautiful and when. she said, : II have
deed, every thing she said was as it
i, spoken to some .hearer; not as one
who talks to herself 80 ,"" S*4
After you regained your room, did
you leave it again?'
mo, I did not y. - I ~
Him. Now, are you positive. Miss
Frayne, that all these speeches were
said just az you have repeated. them ?
1t is a. great strain on the memory to
repeat accurately a conversation as
long as the n Q have just re
heareed." i. &
THE speeches I heard are burned
into my brain. 1 could not forget
them If 1 would. l may have erred in
some. minor or unimp0rtant words
but the most of, what l heard is pre-
cisely as, I have repeated. it. Indeed
SO thoroughly was I amazed at, it1all
I wrote it down; as oon as I reached
my room. I had then no thought OF
of what was going to happen. but
Miss Darlington had made peculiar
remarks during the evening about
something happening to her,t and In
connection with that the words, ]
heard seemed SO remarkable-not Ito
them. is not an unusual habit
with me I often, make notes Of con.
versations, as it a been useful II
my services as secretary"
GAS how"
'If a caller in a social or bushes.
way had conversation with Miss Car.
rington, and I was present, / often
made a record. in case she asked nj
} later just what had been said"
II see. And how do you interpret
, the words, Henri, you are the mark
I aim at?'" !.
81. can only think that Miss Car.
ringtpn wasiin favor of considering, 8
marriage between herself. and thu
Count .mg
You made use of the word 'uncan.
n.y. Do you imagine that Miss Car.
rington had any f%oreboding of her ap.
preaching doom 2" 4 n
when i heard her say, 'Tomorrow
I will be forever freed from THU
homely face Of mine and TOMORROW
all these Jewels will be yours, =
} couldn't help thinking-after the dis
covery Of her death-that she mus,
!. have anticipatedit it," 4 =
Sid her voice sound like the des.
: pairing one OF a person about to die 2
|, ION the contrary, It. sounded full
Of. life and animation"
did she seem angry with the per.
{ son to whom she was speaking?"
"At times, rel And, again, no
Her voice showed varying emotions q.
she talked on" vs. +, u, ,,sR
Her speech was not continuous
then.?"y ~
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