The citizen-Republican. (Scotland, Bon Homme County, S.D.) 1???-19??, 1919-04-17


y "How dare you!" Pauline
went on. II was at the door anG
1 heard all you said. No, l am not
ashamed of listening, I'm glad
did. Now l know what / have tc
fight against And you, Mr.
Stone, do you think me a muir
derer?''
Pauline cringed not at all. She
looked more like an avenging god
dess, as she confronted the two
men, and her blazing eyes and
frowning face challeged their re
plies.
"I do not, Miss Stuart" said
Stone, quietly, but Pauline re,
sponded, "How do / know7 If
you did, you'd say you didn't! l
have no friend, no one to stand up
for. I shall send for Carr. He
will defend me-
With a disdainful glance round
she left the room. The two mer
looked at one another.
Guilty" said Hardy.
"Neverl' said Stone, and then
the two went their different ways
Hardy's way led to police head
quarters, and his report there
which included Stones story OF
the tested glass, was heard with
interest.
He demanded Miss Stuart's i'm
mediate arrest, claiming that only
she could have persuaded her
aunt to swallow the poisoned
draught.
Inspector Brunt was not quite
willing to order arrest, but he set
machinery at work which he
hoped would bring decisive re-
suits Of some sort.
1t did.
That same evening, Pauline
went to Fleming Stone. The two
were alone. Standing before him
in all her somewhat tragic beau
ty, Pauline asked. "You don't
think me guilty, Mr.. Stone?"
He looked deep in the great.
dark eyes that seemed to chal-
lenge his very soul, and after a
moments steady glance, he re-
Piled know you r not, Miss
Stuart"
Can you prove it7"
Il hope to"
"That means nothing. Are you
sure you cant"
Fleming Stone looked troubled.
Never before in his career had he
been unable to declare his surety
of success; but with those COM
pelling eyes upon him he couldn't
deny a present doubt.
Shaking himself, as if to BE-
freed from a spell, he said, at last,
Miss Stuart, [ am not sure. I
am convinced Of your innocence.
but the only theory of guilt that /
can conceive Of is so difficult, SO
almost impossible of proof, and so
lacking in FEASIBILITY, that it
seems hopeless. If determination
and desperate effort can do it, you
shall be exonerated. But there
IRE many circumstances not in
your favor. These I shall over
come, eventually. But, to be hon
est, until l can get a clue or a
link Of some sort to join my
purely imaginative theory to some
tangible fact, / can do little. II
am working day and night in my
efforts to find this connection 7
seek, but it may take a long time
Meanwhile"
Meanwhile, / may be arrest
ed9" Pauline 8 voice was a mere
whisper; her face was drawn and
white with fear. To Stone she
did not look like a guilty woman
but like an innocent girl, fright.
ened at thought Of unjust suspi-
cion and terrorized by magma
ton Of the unknown horrors that
might come to her.
"Oh, help mel, she moaned.
aMr. Stone, can't you help meio
"P%auline!' he exclaimed, tax.
ing her hands in his Pauline
Cor he cried tensely: I vii,
save you, but until / do, keer
away from mel You unnerye me
/ cannot Think"
understand and Pauline
slowly drew her hands from his
II will keep away from YOU
Stone let her go. He closed thu
door after her. locked II ard