New Britain herald., 1922-08-03
Why Harry Underwood Sat in Judg,
 ment On Madge and Dicky

ment On Nadge and Dicky.
 have faced few more painful things in my life than that of relat ing to Harry Underwood the story h, had wished concerning Grace Draper'i instigation Of the plot to kidnap Jun for. II was a much longer task, also than I had anticipated for he inter, rupted me with countless question: about apparently trinins details con, eerning the girls soiourn in our home
 Never mind the high spots Of tho thing," he said shortly after had be, gun the story with voice that could not keep quite steady, T got all those out of the newspa pers-went 10 the Public Library and dug em out as soon as I got back from-wher- ever l was"
 He finished the sentence with a characteristic impish grin, and then went on;
 But it's the way that devil worked you people that gets me, Of course, it was 10 be expected you'd fan for her--I can imagine the repentan., humhled-to-the-d dope she handed to you. and you, with your divine for giveness-"
 He broke of abruptly with an ex- plosive oath. Then he was silent for a few seconds, while, in spite of his apparent sincerity a vague suspicion crept into my mind.
 His manner, his vocabulary, showed sbhorrenoe toward Grace Draper. Ut the Handkerchief which he had dropped at my feet in the Easthamp- ton shop, using the pretence that if was mine as an excuse 10 speak to me, had been her property beyond a doubt
 A Corroding Doubt.
 I could not forget that he and the girl of whom he was speaking had been companions in South America after the er-to-be-forgotten time when Grace Draper, frenzied by her failure to win my husband from me, had tried to kill Dioky and then her self. had guessed that it was q eor- radeship of eXpediency between two social outlaws, and that nothing worthy the name of affection had en- tered into it, but companions they were, had continued so through Grace Drapers entrance into the ranks of her countrys secret enemies. How could I be sure-or my father either that the coInradeship did not still exist?
 He was altogether too familiar, l told myself, with the attitude Grace Draper had assumed when she began her campaign to get a foothold in oS- home. Even her phraseology was. on his lips-the expression your divine kindness. seemed to leap out at me from my remembrance of the letter Grace Draper had written me.
 My common sense told me that was making mountain out of hole hill, that if my fathers wide e2per fence and ripened judgment had ac- cepted Harry Tn1erwood's sincerity, and requested this journey with him, it was folly for me to have qualnls concerning it.
 The Dicky-Rird's to Blame" But my faith in human nature, my natural compassion had been so shattered by Grace Draper's diabolical ! cunning in pretending rerorse only to | gain d LOOlHolQ Il! lily lO4It lOl ltIc commission Of the most dastardly | crime in the World-the Kidnapping of | a little child-that could not entire ly banish a corroding doubt Of the | man by my side. which neither my | reason nor my instinct warranted.
 I had no opportunity for any ex- tended mental debate on the subject, for MT. Underwood was speaking again, and I fogged my faculties into attention.
 "Yes, it was to be expected you'd l fall for her, he repeated. as if he had | been debating the subject with him self. But what the devil the Dicky- bird was about to let her breathe the | air within radius of a hundred miles of you I don't see He ought to know | better than anybody else in the she is capable of, and yet he opened the cage door and let her in. Or did you do that little trick without consulting him? 2"
 No, I said faintly, T talked it over with him before she came to us
 He shot a quick, sl1rewd glance at me.
 Do you mean to tell me that he iidn't put up any kick?"
 Why should he ?" I asked spirited y. The girl seemed thoroughly re-