| Show AGATHA WEBB A Powerful New Story By ANNA KATHARINE GREEN Author of The leavenworth Case SYXOPSIS OP PRECEDING CHAPTERS CHAP-TERS Jut after a ball at the Sutherland ir nion A put ha Webb anil her servant ar found dead and Philemon Webb Asa 111 husband who for jars has been truiv ng demented is discovered asleep < it tI jinntr tilbk A trace of blood IIn hi i < tc points to him as the murderer Mr Sutheilan and he local marshal F t i JnestiKul Agatha Webb Is lu > i to but uu as > a rich oman TIle k y t > hr montjilriwer Is found clutched clutch-ed 11 IIT hand Young Sutherland is not to w CHII and Miss Page the niece of Sutlurlinds housekeeper persists in remain re-main is nLont the Webb premises The cironir arrives Copyrighted 1SH by S S ilcCluro Co CHAPTER V The inquiries vj > hi h followed elicited one or two now fatS First that al the doors of the house weie found un Joclsvd and secondly thRt the constable 1d bun among the flrst to come in so tint h > could vouch that no disarrange J11nt had been made in the rooms with the ExcEption of Betsy lemoval to the bid bidThen his attention being drawn to the dead woman he discovered the key in her tightly closed hand Where does this key belong he I asked They showed him the drawers in the I cupboard i One is empty Said Mr Sutherland If the other is found to be in the same I condition then her money has been taken That key she holds should open bi th these drawers Then let it be made use of at once It Is important that we should Know w thpr theft has been committed here I as well as murder And drawing the key out he handed it to Mr Fenton The oopstible immediately unlocked I I th drawer and brought it and its con ti nts to the table No money here said he But papers as good as money announced an-nounced the doctor See here are deeds and more than one valuable bond J judge she was a richer woman than irv of us knew Mr Sutherland meantime was looking look-ing with an air of disappointment into I the now empty drawer Just as I feared said he She has betn ribbed of her ready money It WJ5 doubtkss in the other drawer 4 How t line she by the key then That is one of the mysteries of the affair this mudri is by no means a simple on I beem to think we shall find it lull of mysteries I > atsvs death fo < instance 0 y cs 1atsv I had forgotten that sh > lS found dead too She had heart disease I doctored her foi it The fright has Killed her The looK of her face ronflrmed that Is t me see So it does but we must ave an autopsy to prove it 1 w t ud like to explain before any further measures nret len how I came to know that Agfitha Webb had money in her hou < said All Sutherland as they stepped back into the other room Two day ago I was sitting with my family at dinner old gossip Judy came in Had Mrs Sutheilard been living she 1 fr I u juld not have presumed to intrude upon us at mealtime but as we have rio rTi to uphold our dignity now this > l m 11n rushed into our presence pant liJZ with new and told us all in one j rth how she had just come from f Mr Vebb who had a pile of money in 1 1r hue That she had just seen it I Y ith lr on eye that going upstairs as usual without KnofKing she had I sn Mrs Vtb thioujli the crack of I the sitting room door walking toward the lireplcee oupboard with a huge roll or lms in her hand That listening she heard hn say Just fifteen hundred 1i mud1 money by far to have in the h uc After w 1m h she heard first one 1 < < k l turned and then another and sat j > iid that the money hud been put into a Uh icteptaole in the clipboard sht t pt out ItS quietly as she had come in an 1 ran away to tell the neighbors Happily I was the first one she told but I have no doubt that in spite of all my injunctii she has related the news to tvirv one who would listen Was the young oman I see down j ndir at the table with you when July told this story asked the coro lur pointing toward the yard Mr Sutl trlaild pondtit No I do nut think she was Frederick was 5Lt < at the table with me and my h ustKtejx i wa pouting tho tea but Miss Page had not yt come down I think c > ie has b en putting oil great I airs of late Can it bi Ioss1c that he does not krow tint hi 1 son Vndenrk wants to marry this girl mutured the clergyman clergy-man into the eonstabue ear The constable shook his head air Sutherland was one of those debonair ndl who iorj riildnesb makes them imi > enttrable The e0roncr on leaving the house was followed by Mr Sutliciland As tile fine figures of the two men appeared appear-ed i n the doorstep I taint cheer vas bard from the two 01 three favored persons who wire allowed tf look tlin ugh the elite But ti this token of wellone neither gentlemen responded liv so much a a look all their atten ti nl Idip engrossed hy the sight of the solitarY fguif of Miss Page who n still ht her stand upon the lawn loioppc 1 1 1 tatup < > but with her yes fixed uron tcieir faes the await el thi r appi > a T When they were mltr hcr te thrust one hand from under her cloak and pointing to the gi ass at her feet said quietly See tins They hastened towards her and bent down to examine the spot she in UH Jtli V nit do you find there cried Mr SutheilarJ whose eyesight was not gootj gootjBlood Flood responded the coroner jV ehing up a blade of grass and sur evJag it closely BiOod echoed Miss Page with s surr ° stiv e a glance that Mr Suther land scared at her in amazement not understanding his own emotion I H jw were roll able to discern a stain so nearly Imperceptible asked I the coroner Imperceptible I is the only thing 1 see in the whole yard she torte and with a slight bow which was not WithOut its element of mockery she turned toward the gate A most unaccountable girl commuted com-muted the doctor But she is right about these stains Abel he called tot to-t man at the gate bring a box or barrel here and cover up this spot 1 dont want it disturbed by trampling fet till the jury I shall soon call shall have had an opportunity to look at it A > el started to olK Just as the young girl laid her hand on the gate to open it Wont > 1 help me she asked I The crowd i so great they wont let Jflf through Voilt thoy The words came from nitliniT Just slip mt as I slip in and 5 on 11 tid a place made for you Not reco nIinK the voice she hesitated hesi-tated for a moment but seeing the gate swirgjn she pushed against It just as a young man stepped thOugh the gap Necessarily they came face I to face A its you he muttered grunj her a sharD glance I do not know you she haughtily declared and slipping by him with such dexterity that she was out of the gate before he could respond But he only snapped his finger and thumb mockingly at her and smiled knowingly at Abel who had lingered to watch the end of this encounter Supple as a willow twig eh he laughed Well I have made whistles outof willows before now and lulloo where did you get that He was pointing to a rare flower that hung limp and faded from Abel button but-ton hole This O I found it in the house yonder I was lying on the floor of the inner room almost under Batsys skirts Curious sort of flower I I i womler where she got It The intruder betray at once an unaccountable I un-accountable emotion There was a strange glitter in his light green eyes that made Abel shift rather uneasily I on his feet Was that before this pretty mInx you have just let out came in here with Mr Sutherland I 0 yes before any one Vad started for the hill at a1 Why what has I this young lady got to do with a flower dropped by Batsy I She Nothing Onlyand I have neo given you bad advice Abel don t let that thing hang any longer from your buttonhole Put it into an em elope el-ope and keep it and if you dont hear from me again in regard to it write me agn out a fool and forget we were ever chums when little shavers The man called Abel smiled took out the flower and wet to coer up the I grass as Dr Talbot had requested The strangei took his place at the gate toward to-ward which the coroner and Mr Sither land were now advancing with an air which showed his great anxiety to peak with them He saw that one of i 1 the he musicians whom we saw secretly I I secret-ly entering the lastmentioned gentleman gentle-man s house after the departure of the I last servant I Ad the coroner paused before him he spoke Dr Talbot said he dropping I I his eyes which were apt to betray his thoughts too plainly you have often I promised that you would gie me a I job if any mater came up where nice detective work was wanted Dont you think the time has come to remember I me meYou Sweetwater Im afraid the I affair is too deep for an inexperienced I mans first effort I shall have to send to Boston for an expert Another time Sweetwater when the complication are less serious The young fellow with a face white as milk was turning away I But y ou 11 let me stay around here he pleaded pausing and giving the other an imploring look O yes answered the goodnaturei coroner Fenton w ill have work enough for you and half dozen others Go artd tell him I sent you Thank you returned the other his face suddenly losing its aspect of acute I disappointment Now I shall see where the flower fell he murmured I CHAPTER V Mr Sutherland returned home As he entered the broad hall he met his son Frederick There was a look on the young mans face such as he had not seen there in years Father faltered the youth may I have a few words with you The father nodded kindly though it is likely he would have much preferred Ins breakfast and the young man lee him into a little sitting room lIttered I with the faded garlands and other tokens of the preceding nights festivities I ties tiesI I have an apology to make Fred crick began or rather I hae your I forgiveness to ask For years he went on stumbling over his words though he gave no evidence of a wish to restrain them for years I have bone contrariwise to your wishes and caused my mother heart to ache and you to wish I had never been born to be a curse to you and her He had emphasized the worti mother and spoke altogether with force and deep intensity Mr Suther and stood petrified he had long ago given up this la as lost 11 wish to change I wish to be as great a pride to you as I have been a i shame and a dishonor I may not succeed at once but I am in earnest and if you will give me your hand The old mans arms were round the young mans shoulders at once Frederick he cried my Fred I crick Do not make me too much ash vm e murmured the youth cr pale and strangely discomposed With no excuse for mv past I suffer intolerable apprehension in regard to my future lest my good intentions should fall or myself control not hold out But the knowledge that you are acquainted with my resolve and regard it with an undeserved sympathy may suflice to sustain mo and I should certainly be a base poltroon 1 f I should disappoint y o or her twice I He paused drew himself from his fathers arms and glanced almost I solemn out of the window I sweat i that I will henceforth act as if i sheer she-er still alive and watching mc There was strange intensity in his manner Mr Sutherland regarded him with amazement He had seen him in ever mood natural to a reckless man but never in so serious a one never with a look of awe or purpose in his face I gave him quite a new idea of Frederick Yes the oung man went on rais lag his right hand but not removing his eyes from the distant prospect on which they were fixed I swear that I will henceforth do nothing to discredit her memory Outwardly and inwardly I will act as though her eye were still upon me and she could again suffer grief at my failures or thrill you atm at-m success A portrait of Mr Sutheiland painted when Frederick was a lad of 10 hung within a few feet of him as he spoke He did not glance at it but Mr Suther land did and with a look as if he ex > ected to behold a responsive light beam from those pathetic features She loved you very dearily was his low and earnest comment We have both loved you much more deeply than you have ever seemed to realize Fred rick ericJI I beiieve i responded the young mal turning with an expresison of calm resolve to meet his fathers eye As proof that I am no longer insensible t your affection I have made up my mind to forego foi your sake one of the dearest wishes of mv heart FaI ther He hesitated before he spoke the word but spoke it firmly at last am I right In thinking you would not like Miss Page for a daughter 4 Like my houseJceojjer niece to take he place in this house once occupied b y Marietta Sutherland Frederick I iave always thought too well of you to beiievc you tvould carry your forgetful ness of me so far as that even henI 0 < saw that you were influenced by her at i tractieyis I You did not do Justice to my selfishness selfish-ness father I did mean to marry her but I have given up living solely for myself and she could never help me to live for others Father Amabel Page must not remain in this house to cause division between you and me hI have already intimated to her the desirability of her quiting a home where she is nO longer respected the old gen tleinan declared She leaves on the I I 10 45 train Her conduct this morning at the house of r Webb who perhaps you do not know was most cruelly and foully murdered last nightwas such as to cause comment and make her an undesirable un-desirable adjunct to any gentleman family Fredeiick paled Something in the words had caused him a great shock Mr Sutherland was fond enough to believe that it was the news of this extraordinary womans death But his sons words AS soon as he could find any showed that his mind was running on Amabel whom he perhaps had found it difficult to connect even in the remotest re-motest way with crime She at this place of death How could that be Who would take a young girl thereTo there-To father experiencing perhaps more compaslon for this soontobedis illujionized lover than he thought i incumbent in-cumbent upon him to show answered shortly but without any compromise of the unhappy truth She went she was not taken Xo cne not even myseif could keep her back after she had heard that a murder had been committed in the town She even intruded into the house and when ordered or-dered out of the room of death took up hei stand in the yard in front where she remained until she had the opportunity opportu-nity of pointing out to us a stain of blood on the grass which might otherwise other-wise have escaped our attention Impossible Fredericks eye was staring he looked like a man struck I dumb bv surprise or fear Amabel do this You are mocking me sir or I may be dreaming which may the good God grant His father who had not looked for so much emotion eyed his son in surprise the which rapidly changed to alarm as young man faltered and fell back against the wall You are ill Frederick you are really il Let me call down Mrs Harcourt But no I cannot summon her She is this girls aunt Frederick made an effort and stood up Do not call anybody he entreated I expect to suffer some in casting this fascinating girl out of my heart Bu I will conquer the weakness ultimately indeed I will As for her interests in Mis Webbs death how low his voice sank and how he trembled she may have been better friends with her than we had any reason to suppose I can think ot no other motive for her conduct con-duct Admiration for Mrs Webb and horror Breakfast is served gentlemen cried a thrilling voice behind them Amabel Page stood smiling in the doorway door-way CHAPTER VU CPTER V Wait a moment I must speak to 3 you I was Amabel who was holding Frederick Fred-erick back She had caught him by the arm as he Was about leaving the room i with his father and he felt himself obliged to stop and listen I start for Springfield today she announced I have another relative i announce house When there living at the shall I have the pleasure of seeing you in my new home Never I was said regretfully and I yet with a certain brusqueness occasioned occa-sioned perhaps by overexcited feeling Hard as it is for me to say It Ama bel it is but just foi me to tell you that after our parting here today we will meet only as strangers Friendship between be-tween us would be mockery and any closer relationship has become impossible impos-sible sibJeI had cost him an immense effort to sa > I these words and he expected fondly fond-ly expected I must admit to see her color change and her head droop But itstead of this she looked at him steadily for a moment then slipped her rand down his arm till she reached his palm which she pressed With sudden warmth drawing him into the room as she did so and shutting the door behind be-hind them He was speechless fO She never had looked so handsome or so glowing Instead of showing depression depres-sion or humiliation even she confronted confront-ed him with a smile more dan crous than any display of grief could have bctn for it contained what I had hitherto hith-erto lacked positive and Irresistible admiration Her words were equally dangerous I kiss your hand as the Snamards say And she almost did so with a bend of her head which just allowed him to catch a glimpse of two startling I dimples H u I He was astonished lie thought he knew this oman well but at this mo rrent she was as incomorehensible to him as I he had never made a study of her canrices and cvci shifting exprcs sions T said he I am sensible of the honor but hardly understand how I have earned it Still that incomprehensible look of admiration face continued to Illumine her faceI did not know I could ever think so veil of you she declared I you do not take care 1 shall end by loving i you some day Ah1 he ejaculated his face contracting racting with sudden pain our love then is but a potentiality Very well Vmabel keep it so and you will be spared much misery As for me who lave not been as wise as you I FrederIck she had come so near I 10 did not have the strength to finish Her face with Its indefinable charm I was raised to his and she opped these i words one by one from her lips in ingering cadence Frederick do you love me then so very much I He was angry possibly because he felt his resOlution falling him You know I he hotly began stepping back I Then with a sudden burst of eeT I that was almost like prayer he resume re-sume < 1 Do not tempt me Amabel I I have trouble enough without lamenting lament-Ing the failure of my first steadfast urpose Ah she said stopping where she was but drawing him toward her by I very witchery of which her mobile features were capable your generous impulse has strengthened into a purpose pur-pose has it Wejl Im not worth i Frederick More and more astounded understanding I standing her less than ever but I channel by looks that would have i moved an anchorite he turned Ills head i hr pul way in I a vain attempt to escape an Influence that was so rapidly undermining under-mining his determination She saw the movement recognized the weakness it bespoke and in the triumph umph of her weak heart allowed a low laugh to escape her Her voice as I have before said was inmuslcal though effective but her laugh was deliciously sweet esaecially hen it was restrained to a mere ripple as now You will come to Springfield soon I she avowed slipping from before him so as to leave the way to the door open S I openAmabel his voice was strangely husky and the Involuntary opening and I shutting of his hands revealed the emo ton under which he was laboring Do I f ti you love me You have acVnowledgec it now and then but always a if you did not mean it Now you acknowledge that you may some tiny and this time as if you did mean it What is the truth Tell me without coquetry or dissembling for I am in dead earnest and He paused choked and turned toward the window where but a few minutes before he had taken that solemn sol-emn oath The remembrance of i seemed seem-ed to come back with the movement Flushing with a new agitation hew he-w upon her sharply Ko no he I prayed say nothing I you swore you did not love me I should not believe be-lieve it and if you swore that you dd I should only find It harder to repeat v lat must again be said that a union between us can never take place I have given my solemn promise to Well well Why do you stop Am I so hard to talk to that the words will not leave your lips I have promised my father that I will never marry you He feels fiat he has grounds of complaint against agnst you and as I owe him eveiything He stopped amazed She was looking at him intently that same low laugh still on her lips Tell the truth she whispered I know to what extent yoif consider your fathers wishes You think you ought not to marry me alter what took place last night Frederick I like you for this evidence of consideration on your part but do not struggle too iclentlessly with Jour conscience I can forgive much more in you than you think and if YOU leally love me Stop Let us understand each other oth-er He had turned mortally pale and met her eyes with something akin to alarm What do you allude to in speaking of last night I did not know there was anything said by us in our talk together I do not allude to our talk Oron the one dance we had Frederick a dance is innocent The word seemed to strike him with the force of a blow Innocent he repeated innocent becoming paler still as the full weight of her meaning broke gradually upon him himI 01 followed y ou into town she whis hatred coming closer and breathing the words Into his ear But what I saw you do there will not keep me from obeying you if you say Follow me wherever I go Amabel henceforth our lives are one Mv God I was all he said but it seemed to create a deep gulf between them In the silence that followed the evil spirit latent beneath her beauty began to make itself evident even in the smile which no longer called into view the dimples which belong to guileless mirth while upon his face after the irst paralyzing effect of her words had passed there appeared an expression of manly resistance that betrayed a virtue which as yet had never appeared I appear-ed in his selfish and altogether reckless life S J That this was more than a passing impulse he presently made evident by If ting his hand and pushing her slowly back I do not know what you saw me do said he but whatever it was it can make no difference in our relations Her whisper which had been but a breath before became scarcely audible I did not pause at the gate you en tered said she I went in after you youA gasp of irresistibleReeling escaped him gaSI he did not take his eyes from her face I was a long time before you came out she went on but before that I time the shade of a certain window was thrust aside and Hush he commanded in uncontrol able passion pressing his hand with impulsive energy against her mouth I Not another word of that or I shall forget that you are a woman or that I have ever loved you Her eyes which were all she had remaining re-maining t plead with took on a peculiar pecu-liar look of quiet satisfaction and power pow-er Seeing i he let his hand fall and for the first time began to regard her with anything but a lovers eyes I was the only person in sight at that time she continued You have ohing to fear from the world at large i eFear Fear The word made its own echo she had no need to emphasize it even by a mile But she watched him as i sunk I Into his consciousness with an intentness intent-ness i took all his strength to sustain I SUddenly her bearing and expression changed The few remains of sweetness sweet-ness in her face vanished and even the I allurement which often lasts when the sweetness is gone disappeared in tjie energy which now took possession of per whole threatening and Inflexible PersonalitY Marrv me she cried or I mill proclaim you to be the murderer of Agatha Webb She had seen the death of love in his eS CHAPTER VII Frederick Sutherland was a man of finer mental balance than he himself PerhaPs had ever icalised After the irst few moments of stupefaction following lrst lowing the astounding alternative which had been given him he broke out with the last sentence she probably expected to hear What do you hope from a marriage I with me that to attain your wishes I you thus sacrifice every womanly Instinct In-stinct stnct I She met him on his own ground What do I hope She actually glowed with the force of her secret desire 1 de-sire Can you ask a pool girl like me born in a tenement house but with I 1a t il II tastes and ambitions such as are usually usual-ly only given to those who can gratify them I want to be the rich Mr Suth erlands daughter acknowledged 01 unacknowledged the wife of one who can enter any house In Boston as an equal With a position like that I can rise to anything I feel that I have the natural power and aptitude I have felt it since I was a email child And for that he began And for that she broke in I am quite willing to overlook any dark spot on your record Confident that you will never repeat the risk of last night I am ready to share the burden of your secret se-cret through life I you treat me well I am sure I can malr it light for you With a quick flush and an increase of self assertion she had probably not anticipated an-ticipated he faced her with a desperate resolution that showed how handsome he could be if his soul once got control of his body Woman he cried they were right you are little less than a devil Did she regard it as a compliment Her smile would seem to say so A devil that understands men she answered with that slow dip of her dimples that made her smile so dangerous dan-gerous You will not hesitate long over this matter a week perhaps I shall not hesitate at all Seeing you as you are makes my course easy You will nevei share any burden with me as my w ife Still she was not abashed I is a pity she whispered I would have saved you such unnecessary unneces-sary struggle But a week Is not long to wait I am certain of you then This day week at 12 oclock Frederick He seized her by the arm and lost to everything but his rage shook her vvith a desperate hand 4 Do you mean it he cried a sudden I sud-den horror showing itself in his face notwithstanding his efforts to conceal i I mean it so much she assured 1 him that before I came home just now I paid a visit to the copse over the way A certain hollow tree where you and I have held more than one tryst conceals 1 con-ceals within Its depths a package containing con-taining over 1000 Frederick I hold your life In my hands The grasp with which he held her relaxed re-laxed a mortal despair settled upon his features and recognizing the impossibility impossi-bility of further concealing the effect of her words upon him he sank into a chair and covered his face with his hands She viewed him with an air of triumph which brought back some of her beauty When she spoke i was toy to-y sayIf I you wish to join me in Springfield Spring-field before the time I have set well and good I am willing that the time of our separation should be shortened but it must not be lengthened by so much as a day Now if you will excuse ex-cuse me I will go and pack my trunks He shuddered her voice seemed to cut through him like a knife Drawing herself up she looked down on him with a strange mixture of passion pas-sion and elation You need fear no Indiscretion on my part so long as our armistice lasts said she No one can drag the truth from me while any hope remains of your doing your duty by me in the way I have suggested And still he did not move Frederick Was it her voice that was thus murmuring mur-muring his name Can the tiger snarl one moment and coo the next Frederick I have a final word to say a last farewell Up to this hour I have endure your attentions or let us say accepted them for I always found you handsome and agreeable if not the master of my heart But now I is love that I feel love and love with me is no fancy but a passion do you heara passion which will make life a heaven or hell for the man who has Inspired it You should have thought of this when you opposed me And with a look in which was blended blend-ed something of the light and darkness dark-ness of the two alternatives she had I promised him she bent and imprinted a kiss upon his forehead Next moment mo-ment she was gone Or so he thought But when after an interval of nameless recoil he rose and attempted to stagger from the place he discovered that she had been detained tln the hall by two or three men who had just come in by the front door Is this Miss Page they were ask lug ngYes Yes I am Miss Page Amabel Page she replied with suave politeness polite-ness If you have any business ith me state it quickly for I am about to leave town That is what we wish to prevent declared a tall thin young man who seemed to take the lead Till the inquest in-quest has been held over the remains of Mrs Webb Coroner Talbot wishes you to regard yourself as a possible itness Me she cried with an admirable gesture of surprise and a wide opening of her brown eyes that made her look like an astonished child What have I got to do with if You pointed out a certain spot of uioou on tne grass anil well the coroners coro-ners orders have to be obeyed miss You cannot leave the town without running the risk of arrest Then I will stay in it she smiled I have no liking for arrests and the glint of her eye rested for a moment on Frederick Mr Sutherland she continued con-tinued as that gentleman appeared at the dining room door I shall have tp impose upon your hospitality for a few days longer These men here inform in-form me that my innocent interest in pointing out to you that spot of blood on Mrs Webbs lawn has awakened some curiosity and that I am wanted as a witness by the coroner Mr Sutherland with a quick stride lessened the distance between himself and these unwelcome intruders The coroners wishes are paramount just now said he but the look he gave spectators his son was not soon fbrogttea by the To be Continued |
