Grand Forks herald. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1916-1955, 1922-03-01


lsksss Is<
trusted her; I would continue to trust
her against the world. yet deep down
in my heart fingered a question IN
answered. If she was honest. sluarc,
ac1uated by some worthy purpose, why
did she still refuse TO confide in me:
Surely ! had been sufficiently tested
and she knew who ! a II she was
the sister Of a. ciassuate whom | knew
and loved, what necessity remained
for the concealment Of her name?
What. indeed, except shame at the
part she was playing in this sordid
suspicion had been ~eradicated, for now
Il wss clearly demonstrated that 1t
could not have been her knife which
had pierced Alva's heart. Whatever
else / might believe against her, this
evidence no longer existed, for she
still VOC the dagger in her hat Pecu-
liGr AS the design was, the weapon
locked in my ,valise, which had
picked up blood stained on the floor
Of the Canvas not hers; It had been
welded in its deadly work by some
other hand. But whose? Did she
know? Did she even suspect the as
S8sS 49, "a ESSH NV"
ing to CONCEAL his identity? These
questions were unanswerabie; l could
only partially drive them back by
memory OF the girl herself; it was
impossible to recall her wildly to
mind, and yet associate her with SO
foul a crime.
] was still immersed in such
thoughts, mentally struggling for her
, honor. and my own justification. when
I finally attained the quiet of my
room. I Was sauarely UP against u
stone wall; there VAS no light per-
| ceptibIe anywhere; Neither Harris
nor Wahrop was guilty Of this crime:
they were obliterated from further
had undepbtedly done their best, but
had been ou~tgeneraled BY some one
else; and, whoever that other might
be, he had made q. clear getaway.
leaving not even q, lurking suspicion
behind him. 1t was the job of a. mas
ter.thief, an expert in crime-or else
had been accomplished through the
blind luck Of some one whose very
Identity cioaked n possibility of sus-
My GLANCE wandering about the
room aimlessly fell upon the valise in
y corner, It was just where re-
mernbered leaving it when ! went out,
yet I saw something which surely
resembled q. slash in the leather. J
crossed over. and bent down; it was
a slash. the clean cut Of D knife, run
ming from end to end, penetrating
through both leather and cloth. Who
ever had done the deed had been un-
able to operate the lock. and had
used tho blade as q last resort, slit
ting the entire bag wide. open. in
serted my hand and felt within; moth
ips seeHed missing, or greatly dis
then sprans to my feet in startled
amazement--the dagger ! had con
cealed there was gone.
Good God! what could be the mean
ing OF this? She had worn that orna.
n1ept In her hat openly. p~urposely. to
fool me into believing her innocent.
There could be no other explanation,
She had confessed being at the hotel,
seeking to locate me and the number
OF my room. What would prevent her
coming Up here u~pobSsrved, then,
whlls was ont. and gaining entrance?
And WIG else would have any reason
to thus search through my things and
crime7 -
Yet how did she know had it?
How did she even suspect was the
J first to discover the dead body ard
bear away with me the tell-tale wean-
on with which Alva had bean mur.
dered? I~had no means of knowing
how-only she alone had special rea-
son to regain possession of that knife.
And she had even dared later to
Haunt it IN my very face, to show il
to me in her possession, Just as thouch
it had never passed out or her hands;
Here was revealed a-depth OF duplic.
ity, Q criminal audacity, not to BE- er.
pressed in words; this soft spoken
Girl, this woman to whom + knaw I
had given my heart, stood revealed
now IN hsr hid oilsRsss--a r-purdera@
a thief. a scheming criminal, conlIv
coneea1ins the trail Of her crime, ana
using her very charms Of face snd
anr to conceal from me her true
nature. "'S
Perhaps she would see me again
perhaps! The lie was yet warn, 1no,
her lips. Che, had zone away isI,rI,4'
ting at the slMpleton who had beiieved
her, the dupe who had 90 easily haen
deceived BY her .sIpjles, The cha NO..
were she had disappeared sirs.Sw
vanished. left the city. assured ths,
no evidence now remained behind ~
ever connect her with this terrible AZ.
fair. She cared nothing for me
peen. q mere tool. plant in her
hand remained merely in her mem.
T q something to laugh about an.
with whom she had playeH "a ~
hearts desire. Hel
Sat with my head in my hsnd.
staring at the mutilated bax. racLss
with anger and misery. I|Ead No.
easy, q mark Of daristcp ana riA,e,,I..
a mere screen for her 10 hido beh;Srd
white her a~ccomplics,. Ii she haHrns..
escaped With the spoils. Then N, -.
action came; the thought that nsp'
APPS had 9 read the story wholly
arass,; me fa,nt hope that II might
my Nft Mid burm OF passion. r IN ~
too tneameub. no unthlnka ~ -
1 ff ate 80 GiAlty. Ghor,E ~ ~,