Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1924-01-15

! realized that It came from the back
Of the hall. stin on tiptoe. I went
ont into the hall and opened q door
at the end. This led only into li,tl.
washing place. But the sound came
again. 1t was behind me now. OF
course: the room behind the dining
room. ! tried the handle: the door
was locked! And. as I touched the
handle. the tapping within became
louder. grew more rapid, more
febrile. The key was In the lock.
Evidently everybody in the house
was in the plot to keep the person
within. I turned the key: before
me. liz up by strong lights, stood q
woman. aged about forty. her mouth
quivering. her face stained with
tears. She was so breathless with
excitement that at first she could
not speak. Her appearance surprised
me. I saw now that she was more
than forty. but she had q strange.
tragic beauty, and was clad in an
evening frock Of which could recog.
nize the fashion and the price.
About her neck, too. were several
rows Of pearls. There existed q
cruel contrast between the luxury
Of her appearance and the expires.
sion Of her features. She was faded
and wrinkled. and her cheeks were
wet with tears. but could see by
the straightness and delicacy OF the
nose. the shape OF the lips, and the
length OF the eyelashes. that this
woman had once been beautiful. Per.
haps q long life Of suffering had
ruined her loneliness.
"Oh," she murmured. "thank you
for letting me out" was minded
to ask her why they had locked her
in, but knew that she would tell
me more easily IL I kept silence. 81
heard everything" she went on in q
rapid murmur. II heard them bring
you in"
Eyes. Of course" I went on. add.
ing provocatively: I'm Charlie"
She had actually jumped back.
and spread her hands before her. as
IL fearing q blow: "Don't!' she
whispered. please don't say
you're the same as they. that you're
in the plot"
mo, Of course not" replied.
1T shouldn't have let you out IL
had been. I'm only a stranger
brought in to see an old lady up.
stairs who's dying; just to give her
pleasure for a moment"
The fear had gone out Of her eyes.
She half smiled: "Oh, surely you
don't believe that" she said.
"Then what am to believer"
She looked me up and down. as IL
estimating me. as II trying to guess
at my loyalty. Then. with a shrug
Of the shoulders. as II she were des.
perate and must confide In
stranger, she said:
"I'd better. tell you everything. I
can't do any harm. and perhaps you
can help. The lady you're going TO
see is my mother"
"IIe told me that she hadn't mar
ried. and :"
Lilies. all lies. Are you surprlsed?"
well not exactly. Go on"
1.-THE man you've SEEM" the wo-
man went on. "is not my mothers
brother at all. He's her third cou.
sin, and he's bad. bad. There's only
one man worse. and that's Charlie.
his son. Oh. It makes me weep TO
think how my mother had always
loved Charlie" In a fearful tone.
she said: Charles a criminal. I
don't know how Il is. He wasn't
poor lie had every chance. but he's
always been like that. He was cx.
PEELED from school. sent down from
college for stealing. He's
Lcen in gaol twice. And what's
more after all, he's my cou.
sin"
She was quite close to me. so l
took her hand and held it fast. sug'
costing sympathy. 1t must be pain.
full for her TO tell a stranger such q
story. even Of distant relative. Go
on" said. You'd better tell me
everything"
II will. Do you know why they
want him tonight? 1t isn't just TO
please mother. They'd kill her IL
they dared. II they weren't fright.
ened OF the doctor. No! Mothers al.
ways been fond Of Charlie. and when
she made her will she left him some
thing for himself. She makes him
call her Auntie. Eut during the last
few years she has hated me-"
CONTINUED In Our Next Issue)