Grand Forks herald. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1916-1955, 1919-05-21
ia brave in tn. face OF /. present o.

Ia brave In the face OF a present 9,
cottage burned. she was \ reA'
heroine, and saved \ tiny baby Al
risk Of her own lite. Hut always i
] vague fear or an Intangible dread
throws her into u Wild, irresponsible
state, and she loses her head utterly
do think Polly committed this deed
I think that she had stood Aunt Lucy
IA long az abe possibly ccNld, AN1
you've no idea what the poor child
had Il put up with, ! think thai
when Lady Lucy threatened to send
lsaNlfne away, homeless and pennt'
LESS this panic Of fear ~cvercArne hei
and she gave that poison, on an int
| pulse"
"But," interrupted stone, "tha,
would imply her having the poison n
readiness. She couldn't procure 1t Al
a moments notice."
That's So" agreed Havtland
thoughtfully; "but, even so. It's my
pcned. How Pauline got the stuff
I've no idea, but there's no other e
PLANTATION that dts the facts, Aunt
Lucy's aversion to drugs or medicines
could have been overcome by few
people. but Pauline could have
wheedled her into taking it by some
Misrepresentation Of its healing quail
ties Or something like that"
ut must have been under some
it," said Stone. "For Tn convinced
she took it dissolved in a glass OF
water. and therefore. was conscious
Of the act. though not of the nature
Of the dose. But couldn't Miss Stuart
have given 1t innocently by mistake,
as a headache powder. Or"
Miss Darlington never had head
aches" returned Anita, land, any
way, Pauline couldn't make such a
mistake. 1t isn't as If Miss Caring
ton had a medicine cabinet like other
people, where drugs might get mixed
up. No, Mr.. Stone, there was no
mistake"
You think Miss Stuart admins
tered the poison purposely, to kill her
aunt?"
1T would have been a brazen soul
indeed, that could have spoken false
~ under the piercing gleam in Flem-
ing stones yes then.
II am forced to think that" re-
piled Anita, quietly. 'And you know
I was present when Miss Darlington
denounced Pauline and told her to
leave this house the next day. And
1 oAoO AAh6Sou
she said. later. that half her fortune
should no go to a niece who treated
her as Pauline did
would she have used those words
in speaking to Miss Stuart?" asked
Stone, pointedly.
Surely she would. Why not?"
Never mind all that, 'Nita," said
Haviland. "Polly's gone-run away
and it's up to us to do all we can
to help her. If her fight means she's
guilty, never mind, We must stand up
eliminates her. If she did poison
Aunt Lucy, we don't want her con-
victed of it. She'll go straight to
Loria, and he'll look out for her all
right. But If we find anybody's going
to head her off at Naples. or anyhere.
we must warn her and help her to
thwart their plans"
Accessory after the fact" began
Stone.
"sure!" said Haviland. You bet
well be accessories after the fact, to
help Polly out! Why. Mr.. Stone, il
she did this thing. the best possible
plan for her was to vamoose, just as
she did 10. Carr Loria a hide her
in Egypt, so nobody can find her, and
after a WHILE" Id
"Mr. Haviland." and Stones eyes
cleaned, II am surprised at your at
titude. How can you so easily take
Miss Stuart's guilt for granted?"
N other way out. Now. look here,
Mr.. Stone, neither Miss Frayne nor
] did this thing. We weren't tied to
could walk off and leave her II we
chose. But Miss Stuart couldn't.
Her life was a perfectly good hell on
earth. I know all about it. a lot
more, even, than Miss Frayne does.
I don't quite say I don't blame Polly,
but I do say l quite understand It.
She is an impulsive creature. She'll
stand an awful lot and then fly all to
pieces at some little thing that sets
her nerves on edge. She's clever as
the Devil, and II she procured that
aconite. long ago, say. it vas in an
ticipation of some time when she
well. when she just reached the
limit. And it happened to come that
night. That's ALL"
Wrong, Mr.. Haviland, all wrong!"
and stones face was positively tri-
umphant. "I've found an additional
hint, in what you've just said, and
I'm convinced I'm on the right
track! One more question, Miss
Frayne, about that conversation you
so luckily overheard"
AOCAAly SdlU fAulLd, ncr great
blue eye showing alarm in their
startled gaze.
Surely! Most fortunate, to my
mind. Indeed, it may well be that
that carefully exact memorandum of
yours may be the means of clearing
Miss Stuart of all suspicion. Now,
tell me this. You heard only Miss
Carrington's voice, as if speaking to
somebody. Did 1t sound as II she
spoke always to the same person, or
to more than one at the different
times"
well it did sound as If she spoke
to different persons, but it couldn't
have been SO. Surely, IL there had
been more than one I must have
heard some other words than her
own"
Never mind your own surmises.
You say. it seemed as if she addressed
more than. one person. Why?"
Because she used a different in
tonation. At times angry. at times
sion, as I now look back in memory.
I haven't thought about this point
loving. But this is only an impress
BEFORE"
Nor need you think OF It again.
You have told me all 1 want 20
know, and I assure you it will be Of
no use for you to null this over or
give 1t another thought.
But I don't want you to think Mr..