The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1938-10-28
CHAPTER TX


A strange thing, long in prepare
ton, happened next day to Mrs. Sem
try. She might, she thought after
ward, have guessed what was to
come; might have foreseen it. But
she did not. .Obedient to her prom
Use to Fallxran, she went to the pris-
on to see her husband. She had
been awake most of the night, yet
she rose in the morning in an al
most peaceful mind, and when she
met Mr.. Sentry it was composedly.
They spoke commonplaces for a
while, till she said at last, her tone
curiously gentle:
s'My testimony will follow yours,
Arthur
His eyes suddenly widened, as
though under the shock of an actual
blow. "You! You're going to testi-
fy?"
81 must tell them you had no
cause to fear me-"
He cried passionately: ooh, don't,
Ellen! It's bad enough for me. Falk-
ran can't ask you to do that"
She reminded him gravely: "It
is true, you know! When you came
to me, long ago" And she said, al
most contritely: II might have been
more generous than I was; butt
was young then, not so wise as I
am now. I gave you what ! could
and I've never been sorry. Only, I
am sorry now it was not more"
He said hopelessly: 'Falkran in
sisted that I must-say those things,
Ellen. But not you! Please don't!
1-can't command; but / beg you"
And he said in a low tone: 81 was
crazy last summer, Ellen! / must
have been. But there had never
been any other-if you can believe
me-"
She started to say steadily that of
course she believed him; and she
was astonished to find that she could
not speak. Her throat was full. She
rose in sort of panic, fighting for
words. And suddenly pain seized
her every part, every fiber, bone
and blood, muscle and sinew, nerve
and brain. She was burning torch
of paint
For something in him, in his word,
in his tone, had, incredibly, walked
something long asleep in her. She
stood above him, leaning down,
racked and shaken not for herself
but for him, yearning over him,
yearning to protect him, yearning
to hold him close and hard. She
fought to speak; she muttered, car
thur"
Then the guard touched her arm
warningly. She realized that the
man had spoken, even though she
had not heard. And she felt her
cheek burn bright; and she thought,
bewildered, still unbelieving:
81 love him! Why-I love him!
Obeying the officer she went to-
ward the door; yet from the door
looked back. Arthur was on his feet,
pale, wondering.
She smiled at him richly. She
went out and away, and felt her
self torn in two parts by this sepa-
ration from him.
The thought that Arthur had been
loyal to her through twenty barren
years filed her with a clamorous
grief, hopeless despair. She might
have given SO much, and had so
much bliss in that surrender; might
have forgotten the pride she had
nursed with such blind tenacity, and
been herself the richer for forget
ting.
In court Monday morning she
found that how she could be hurt and
feel the pain. When the Assistant
District Attorney, Mr.. Weldon, be-
gan the questioning, she understood
that Bob Flood had delegated this
duty because Arthur had been his
friend, Mr.. Weldon was swart
young man with thin lips and a lean
pointed jaw that thrust forward like
challenging finger. He began so
quietly. & '
''Now Mr.. Sentry, you told the
Court on Saturday that you killed
Miss Wines?"
Spy accident, yes, SIR
"But the gun was in your hand?"
eyes"
sYou had cooked it,"
eyes" ~ 80 s
"You pulled the trigger"
''It Jared off,"
''Oh, it Jared off? I see. Is this
the gun?"
eyes" So
"Cock it,. please. Now, without
putting your finger on the trigger,
pound it on the railing of the witness
box till it jars off. 1t is not load
ed"
Mrs. Sentry would always remem-
Der Arthur, pounding the gun butt on
the rail Of the witness stand for q
long time, harder and harder, brllis-
ing his hand. perspiring. An inter-,
minable time, with Mr.. Weldon ask
ing:E HAS i gone off YETI Try
Till finally, relenting. taking the
gun from Arthur's hand, he said,
still gently: Now Mr.. Sentry, your
hand is bruised, your knuclxles
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