Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1923-01-06

Give n6F TINS, too, SlHnl1ed, ana
4; pointed to the crack under the door
and pushed them both in.
81 will wait for the answer" he
shouted through the keyhole.
! Withdrawing into big dormer win
dow / waited to see If her door would
open. | heard the1lo turn, follow
ed hy the sound OF Q measured tread
Dashing from my retreat, reached
! the main hail IN time to see Mrs.
Murray disappea. rtoward the star
ease. | was about Ia follow when /
perceived Duttoa standing lin the
doorway she mad just LETT, staring
down at the door with pa2ztud look.
"She didn't pick up the letters"
he cried in Armament, she Just
walked over them. What shall do
! nov? It's the strangest thing ever
I saw" a,
! Take them to the little boudoir
over ,he porch" l suggested. Mn.
, Sinclair is there and if she is not on
hs., way TO DIN him now ne certain
! " viii ne soGa." --a ,'
! DuGon canght up the letters and
MADE for the stairs. t. .p'
made ny way Down and reached
the lower step of the great STAR
ease lust As a half dozen gir,s. rush
ing rom different quarters. OF. the
hali, surrounded Mr., Armstrong eom-
ing from his own lttlc room. &c.
! He put them al back, and, raising
! I.S voice, SAID:
! at has been decided by Miss MUIR
ray that, under the circumstances, 1t
/ will be wiser for her TO postpone the
celebration of her marriage to some
! time andplaceleSsfraughtw!th mourn
iui suggestions. A telegram has
, Just been sent to the bishop 10. that
effect"
| As no finished .Gilbertine appeared
f; behind him. 1t was mixture OF al
( most inoxpli able emotions that l. saw
! her thread her way among her
! friends. in state of high feeling
! which made her blind to their out
( stretched hands. She was making for
! the stairs. Another door opened down
the hall, another person mad stopped
, upon the Gene, and Miss Murray,
as well as myself, recogri2ed by the
hush which at once fell upon every
one present that something OF still
more startling import awaited us.
"Mr. Armstrong and ladies' said
, this S. tranger. have made few
inquiries since | came he;c a short
time ago ana find that there is one
Young lady in the house who ough. 10
be able to tell me better than anyone
under what circumstances Mrs. Lans-
ing brearhed her last. allude to her
niece, who slept in the adjoining room
Is that young lady here? Her name
if remember rightly is Camerden--
Miss Dorothy Camerden." r,
felt the dart OF sudden fear
or was it hope-that Dorothy, hear
ing her name called, would leave, the
conservatory and proudly confront
the speaker in face Of this whole
suspicious throng. But no Dorothy
appeared. One the contrary, it was
Gilbertins who turned, and with an
air of authority for which 10 one was
prepared asked in tones vibrating
with feeling.
HAS this gentleman the official
right TO question who was and who
was not with my aunt when she
died." ,o "a.
Mr.. Armstrong made out to answer
This gentleman, has every right,
Miss Murray. He is the coroner OF
the town"
Then" she vehemently rejoined,
her pale cheeks breaking out into
scarlet flush, do not summon Dor
othy Camerden. She s not the wit
ness YOU want. am. / am the one
who saw our aunt die. Dorothy can
not tell you what took place in her
room and at her bedside, for Dorothy
was ot there; but | can"
Amazed. not as others were, at the
assertion itself, but ut the manner ana
publicity of the utterance, contem-
plated this surprising girl in ever
increasing wonder. She looked at
that moment as if nothing in the
shape of fear, or even contumefy'
could touch her. She faced the aston
, ishment of her best friends with ap-
soMte fearlessness. and added
II feel it my duty to speak thus pup
ltClN, BECAUSE, Wy hVSPAh6
long | have allowed false impress
sion to 90 about Stunned with ter
ror. | found it impossible to speak
during that first shock. Besides,
was in measure TO blame for the
catastrophe itself and lacked cour-
age town it. 1t was | who took the
little crystal flask into my aunt,s
room. I had been fascinated by 1t
from the first, fascinated enough to
| long t., see it closer and to hold 1t In
my hand. But was ashamed of this
fascination, ashamed, mean to have
any one know that could be moved
/ by such childish impulse; so, in
stead of taking the box itself, which
might easily be missed, I simply alb
Stracted the tiny vial. 1t was with
o, feeling of decided satisfaction Icar-
( ried this coveted object about with
me till got to my room. Then, when
the house was quiet and my room
mate asleep, I took it out and looked
at it, and feeling an irresistible desire
to share my amusement with my
cousin, |. stole to her room by means
of the connecting balcony. But I
found the room empty. Dorothy was
not there; but as the light was burn