The Bridgeport times and evening farmer., 1921-02-04
XIII. SYNOPSIS.

when he is convinced ne has soIv- ed the mystery be assemblies all the members of the household and the faniiy lawyer in the
 room ~Of Fannie Meade, LOrne's
 stepson andSa. cripple, and he then makes the person in an ad-
 joining sroOIo, whom he suspects,
 bclievo Raon;e is to he poisoned. 1f "Of ali the high -Gaanded--'' he be hgan. "Oh. see it through, dad" FRannie cbuckled. 'If be has gone to hentertainment for ou1, edification we H might at least listen politely. Eh, tGene?"
 q don't know about it's being so entertaining" Gene responded nerv- N ously. "I rather fancy we are in E..for a mighty serious quarter of an sshour. I've learned that Sergeant Odell knows what he's, about Thereafter Gn awkward silence reigned until the door opened again and the detective rcappeared accom- Apanied by the family, lawyer 6 Minute followed dragging minute t4end even Rannie's twisted face lost 9ts ssstiricaI grin when at last soft, padded footsteps sounded up the fs1back stairs and Peters again came Ss3nto view bearing a cup from the SsteaDa of which an appetizing aroma EroSe.
 q OdeI1 stepped forward, took the Hseray from his hands and whispered Heomething which the others could not Ehear, but which the butler seemed Eto accept without question or sur rprise; for he bowed and turned away Yes if to cross the hall.
 | Then several things happened al- HInost sfpUltaneously. Ode1l re-en- Etered the room, handed the tray to lsune of his men who stepped forward fsto receive it, and turning quickly, 4locked the door and pocketed the skey. The two men, as if by previous r1nstructions. stationed themselves one kon either side of the door, and CGeii ~ly thn t,~ax a nd fhadvanced to the center Of the room. z Randall Chalmers" he thurdered, i'T want you to drink this cup ot | broth to the last drop!" ''No! Don't touch .itt Don't, for the Es1ove of God" The cry came in a pharsh, rasping voice which might Shave been that of either man or Swoman, and an unseen hand 'rattled sfhe doorknob with frenzied strength.
 Drink it:" Odeu commanded in Jexorably; and as the words left his E1ips there came resounding crash Sbehind him, the stout door burst in tgward upcp it's quivering hinges, and Sthrcugh the aperture wild figure t1eaped for the detectives throat; but ithe two guards seized 1t and dragged Fit back as the cup crashed to the floor.
 The figure was the frail, delicate :.forTn of the mouse-like Miss Meade Tout the face was that of a fend, and y the hideous outburst of laughter ; which shrilled and echoed through the room told all too plainly of the tcrazed brain unleashed at last.
 ''Efie!" Unmindful of his broken ribs Richard Lorne had started up : on the couch, and his horror -strick- Zen eyes stared at his sister-in-law.
 My God, Fife, what is the matter
 with your"
 At the sound of his voice the wom- 1 ans wild laughter ceased abruptly, and her body relaxed; but she return
 ed his stare maleyolently, and e.- sy,-Er, al curled her lip.
 T fooled you a1l-a1l!" she cried; and freeing one arm by lightning s1ike gesture, she beat her thin breast. l'.IIow I have laughed at you here, tin these long years while you have spatronized me, thrust me into cor liners! Me, the old maid, the one who sstood aside, meek and doclie ana "a a s;to .hatl I wanted to be near you 4 swhere I could watch you all and think iof what I had planned"
 '.The second generation. samuel gTitheredge ,interjected solemnly.
 VI hated her always; that yellow. ' lhaired vixen who stole my toys an6 kf1nery when I was child, whose
 sdoil-face claimed the affection whicE
 should have been mine. and whe > swho finally robbed me of my lover!
 5The woman had been mutter1ng, bu
 tnow her voice rose to rasplns
 tscream "F'or I loved him. do yol
 s1hear? I loved Halsey Chalmers
 tand- she took him from me!' :.
 { Fife Meade broke into sort
 icrooning laugh. more horrible thal
 sher wild shrieks had been; and wheI Eshe Spoke again her veIce had sunl
 fto mutter once more
 "I attended her at her marriage t
 jthe man who should have been mlne
 kJ was present at the coming Of ne E < children; mine too, though my arm
 s-were empty! And all the time
 khated and waited! Waited! Then tn
 Nj let fall from my arms. and
 kbecame a cripple, @ curse! ccui Ehave killed myself from grief, b1t N sIiv~d because ] had douoia Dufpos
 Snow She, who could endure noth kdnr but beauty around her. turned ,- Bloathipe froTs, this Iaatr:aeS thing (
 finer flesh; but loved the little one
 tmucf, as hated nes ;i ana e.s s.l 1ae bTonsf Ur VI hinto the world; and ! meant to SC X tthat he had everything, leverythln n .which she had hoped to give tn fresti" b;s chair: but Odeli forced him gen A ly back. and Fife Meade gurgieo sifs he called her an endearing nan L "I!e died, the man she had take n .ssx.,>,., me and she married again, bl
 T didn,t care; it meant just SC Inuc s,noro fer Fannie, to make vp TOT IT
 sdebt owed him. .to. ana 'hsse ,sso4oir Mr A stre money pile up,s watching the oti children near tic age when tn, co,,Id demand theirs; and at last u hour struck z.oa o,
 ,orl-edi Christine J hated most, N ET look her first I listened to Ra # ria when he told me about the de Y 1;ttle things, smaller than the e Id COG which he kept in the be
 and which some day would do ka,;Sdine! dipped the pretty need " sf-, among. them one mornlns' al fTren watched her as she drew it |# .rd o,,t of her embroidery, wait
 tnntf1 it entered her flesh; for she W sclumsy, my beautiful sister, clumsy as she was stupid was Sfathor's own clever daughter, chou X they called him crazy l was era & Ntoo. but nobody ever knew it; r
 H9sody even guessed; for l watch .X kmyse1f always, always!