Northern Weekly Gazette. — 1916-01-01 (Stockton-on-Tees, Cleveland, England)

SHATTERED WELLS.  The gates elieked sharply; eorneone came running out; someone tugged at his sleeve. He stared dully into Norah Trenton's eyes. Her face was convulsed and terror-etrieken.  "I was in the garden—saw you struggle . . . where it that inan—" The question died away into a ery of horror as her eyes fell mid-stream. "Doctor Cavend ' _ ish Oh, what are you doing? ___ _ • _  Look! tft me call for help!" Merl he seemed to wake up. He thrust a hand over her mouth. "Call IV,. help at your peril!" The river was citi!et once more; no ripples disturbed its eutface—no ugly blemish marred its evening calm. Cavendish covered his eyes, then looked up, raw the accusing face of his once docile, insignificant machine. He cowered now as before a judge._ . _  . "You let that man &own on purpose, Dr. CaVVII Li. 911."  hi an. incongruous way he wondered how it was she se,med to y..avess all the spirit—all Uri power —which one wad minute r.go he had lost wgather with his lf-control.  . I let bim drown on purpose.•' "You . . .a murderer!" The pain. in her voice was indescribable. Conventions had f3d. They were standing soul to soul on the dark r.ver bank; the house—his farce of a home-40°11111-1g faint and shadowy behind them. "Please let me go," she said, in a strange sick voice. He held her hand all the faster.  "No you don't go. I must know first what you are going to do. You are the only witnass. remember. 1 think I must have been mad." Again he passed his hand over his eyes. "Kindly step into the study with we. I had better tell you the trAtle You hesitate? I am not going to murder you. That act," slowly, "was not premeditated. I have a word of honour for my contemporaries. Will you trust that wend if 1 tall you that I mean you no harm, and that I will speak the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth?" Through a nightmare of confusion and broken ideals, she nodded assent. They passed through ttve garden and into the study. She dared not look back at the river. She marvelled at herself. Perhaps it would be better to run away and never see Stephen Cavendish again  He •drew a. chair for her. Bereft of reaeoning power, limb power, will power, she sank into it. He was standing before a cupboard. He came back with two wine glasses. "Drink this. You look white, Miss Trenton," he said. She obeyed, and he drained hie own glass. " Why do you look 3,t me so, you poor i;range thiiig whom until this evening I looked upon in about the same way as this piece of furniture Why don't you denounce me? You know I'm a blackguard now !" She remained silent, and thought of that dreadful floating thing in the river a few minutes ago . . . and then no more that lifeless form— nothing but the quiet surface of the river.  " ll[y duty would bc—" she started. "I know." was his interruption. But let me tell 11 you everything first." He told her, then stood waiting for judgment. It was rather a singular position. "It's awful—awful!" came her shaken, reply. "That. Man's face! I can't forget it. How could you, Doctor Cavendish?" "Your denouiteing me won't bring him back to life. Mie4, Trenton "—his voice rose harshly— "spare me. for my wife's sake. It's no use hiding matters. You know what a hell she makes of my . . . :old yet occasionally the iR land. If she were not the cause I should never have been so mad as to do for that fellow. Don't you ttri,nk the teverlastisig toaryciousness ofi.nv crime will be punishment enough?" Her white lips mo7ed, but she never spoke. " Miss Trenton . . . Norah Trenton. I implore you to keep this to yourself. God! Don't you think it is hard for me to grovel so to you . . .•' Her eyeit flashed oddly. His tone implied "a crawling thing like you." "Don't you thin!: it is hard, inconceivable that the passion or on,- mail minute should plunge a Man, back into a pertout ab_vss ox crime and horror?"