Fulton County tribune. (Wauseon, Ohio) 1883-1925, 1920-06-11

a.
Astor." She hesitated and her face |
crimsoned-"I know that she has even
visited you in your rooms late at |
night. Oh, please, please, 1 beg OF |
you, if there is spark of manhood
in you, do not take advantage Of a
silly girls weakness. Please help me
protect my little sisters name; prom
ise-you will, won't you?"
| "Why should II" 1 replied careless
ly, repressing my desire to leap at
once to Barbara's defense and explain
how pure and honorable her conduct
had been and how lofty the motive
that had governed her actions.
Tempted though 1 was to defend her,
I realized that this might be an op-
portunity to learn something of Claire
Bradfords associates, and I deter
mined to make the most of it. How
else could she know of all my meet
ings with Barbara unless she was in
league with the persons who had been
having me shadowed? How the
knowledge that Barbara had been in
my apartment could have come to her
was a mystery beyond me. I would
have sworn that that was secret sa-
cred to our two selves.
=. Listen to me-" she commanded,
speaking in low tones, Barbara is
my baby sister, innocent of the ways
of the world. I must save her from
herself, and her heedlessness. Never,
never, if can help it, shall she suffer
the agony and shame and disgrace
that I have known. Years ago I, just
as she is now, became infatuated with
man far below me in the social
scale. He, too, was a criminal"
J 1 shifted Indignantly at the she
, too," but she paid no attention.
, II ran away from school and mar
; ried him and learned too late that he
had wife and child already. All my
life, ever since, that terrible thing has
, followed me. It's like a specter ever
rising to confront me. Even if have
to kill you, am going to save my lit
tie sister from following in my steps"
"Where is CASTOR Maurice now?" l
, asked "Have you seen him recently?'
, She gasped and shuddered, looking
at me incredulously.
''You,' she breathed excitedly, "who
, are you? How do you know his
f name?"
l ''Never mind how I know it." 1 re.
= piled. "What I want to know is
. where is he now? When, did you see
him last?'
mot for years-not since long be
fore my fathers death-not since the
marriage was annulled."
"Nor heard from him." I persisted
mo, nor heard from him." she hesi
tated, 'unless-"
'Unless what?" I insisted, as she
stopped abruptly.
/ 81 can't tell you," she said firmly
81 don't know. They must have com,
from him, from someone that knew
the letters"
"What letters? Tell me abou
them"
ST can't tell what I don't know.
haven't the least idea where Castor
Maurice is. I had hoped he was dea
\ in the war. Yet he can't be. / hav
y had anonymous letters threatenin
me. They must have come from hir
or from someone whom he told of ou
marriage? How else could they know?
Her distress was so real and he
manner so convincing that I decide
that she must be telling the truth.
- "Well," said I, ''if you cannot te
me where to find CASTOR Mauric
is there is one thing that you can tie
10 me-"
N what is that?"
"Why did you visit my apartmer
,a late last night? Why did you put tbs
~ revolver in my dresser?'
or Revolver" she queried in puzzle
- tone, what revolver?"
- ''The revolver with which Miss l.
tan was killed"
She eyed me in shocked surprise.
- 'Why do You say this to me?
'S' never saw the revolver"
a. a. "You cannot deny that you were
20 my apartment last night"
n' 'sBut the revolver" she prcteste
7f ''What do you mean by that? I kno
'e' nothing of any revolver"
re Last night, few minutes aft
er- Miss Lutan was murdered" I sa
ng sternly. "some man or woman enter,
ng my rooms and placed revolver wi
III. one chamber discharged in the dress
as in my bedroom. 1t was evident
re. placed there for the purpose of thro7
ing suspicion on me, of making 4
out the murderer. The detectiv
found it there and arrested me.
'ru you did not enter my apartment
th- hide the revolver, why then were Y,
tn there?"
iui Il knew nothing about the murder
~ she answered irrelevantly, until tt
l'e morning-until read about it in t
'le papers,"
'oii "What about Wick?" 1 hurled
-. her. Didn't Wick tell your"
ia wick" she repeated in a puzzl
~ ~ way. "Oh. Mr.. Wick, the superinter
~ ,u' ent. No, have not seen him for ST
,no eral days."
nd did you do nothing yesterday
his direction?"
f,l "How absurd! Of course not"
,if. "Why, then, did you GO into I
md rooms?"
on She looked at me with a frighten
yirl face, and her manner became me
ion confused.
lch Il really believe you are trying
en- implicate me in your crime she eli
and ulated Its absurd for you to
to question me this way"
the Lady" interrupted the keep
9Th, you'll have to be going now. Tim
my up"
Promise me-" she begged hast
ned in an undertone, as she depart
uld whatever you think about me, yol
ON keep my sister out of ii"
the "I'n promise nothing, unless you c.
ac fess everything" l repeated, det
mined, if l could, to drag her sec
err" from her, even though /, as well
to She was eager to shield Barbar
not name.