Show he H House se of the Pines By Anna Katharine Green Gt-een 4 PUTNAM'S SONS Copyright ht 1910 by ANNA KATHARINE iw York CHAPTER Will Find Fin d t tIa Not What You would to hen heaven CR I were wr ft 0 In I ms m's myself lt s t Is like I should fl TI ld what hIlt grief f should I I c to me mad m some fm mild mad but gEn sensible or of grief not S lag ing MC part produces produs reason red delivered of theo woes i may hO bo King John Mirret r to disturb you iOU ou Arthur hut but of great importance and is nels nel's be made known to you QU at once be ht o hn friend I mi might a R tsay 80 as for the report to ba have barea rea reached h the even even- or through om era m hearsay I to be tho the thoN preferred but pore toll you rou 1 You ou can understand N A and ed the tho ung man ra eyed apprehensively his hiss his's hiss s 's s old friend placed paced so 50 in his re regard ud an and morosely ex ex- t. t Im I'm band hand at t with it a poor ig J. J What has hM happened d now senous serious somewhat A A I discovery disco fear at st least O t. t it will theto the tho a Your sister bister may eto to n new w action o hi died entirely from ula tATo be been at atc I other othor causes cause may have havo n tor fit fI c what do you mean menn b by that thaU Cumberland was under hi his own Mr nr and in presence of ono one who should inspired his respect but ho he made f tort rt to hide the tIle fury which which these up I 1 should like to tort 1 hod deviltry do is in your minds rt fAm Am I never ne t to havo have peace 1 eafe eI e and tragedy do n not t often oHen run her hu H came in the mild tones of could ronld be friend H A A great crime crimo t ten en place All An the members o of family arc are involve ol to to to say f e-f the man who lies now nov under of suspicion in our common can only come with tho the Jete clearing up of this crime crimo and of the guilty lt But the the ine up must antedate the punish punish- Mr Ranelagh's assertion m that annd nd Miss Cumberland when I preached her may not be bo ns RS so reckless denial rinow now believe c the tho criminal disturbed in his act It jive lv had bad a basis in fact dont don't believe belie it Nothing will me me believe c it it stormed the tho other If fag up and wildly pacing acin the draw draw- m floor H It It is all a scheme vine D the most popular man in ED E That for ted out snapping his hia fin fingers ers president is-president of the club the pet ps io the admired of nil all ll the tho dolts who are taken talen with his bis style laughter lau and hi bi hia v knack at get get- men bens ben's en a hearts He Ho wont won't laugh laughr r when he's hes up before a jury ler er and hell he'll never no again fo fool l lt t r ir bulldoze men even en if the tho they enough b to acquit him of this tough touch ou h of or tho the smirch will stick it 11 t that If it doesn't Ill I'll Ill I'll- hands went out in tho the borie hor- hor ive tive way they had done at funeral The coroner sat confused almost distracted Js is doubts his hia convictions his biR for the tho man and his recoil J I passions be would be bo anI only Iy y to pardon if be he could feel ro to of oi their real root and mo mo- Cumberland ton may have ha felt the tho silence or ho he ma may have havo real real- jo o 0 imprudence of his own fury dropped his bis hands with an im im- ft sigh and aDd blurted binned out at tit you OU haven't told me mc your disy dis dis- y f j. j It seems to mo rue it is a little o discoveries eries now his hit was brou brought bt about by the tho perie perlee per- per ie lee of Sweetwater He seems to toan toan an In instinct for things Ho He was wasl l out of tb the window at the tho rear e the tho window of that room where here your sisters sister's coat was 1 and L-and and nd ho be saw caught in the tho vines ith tb a aThy a- a Thy dont don't you OU speak out I can can- he found unless you name namo f little b bottle au an an apothecary's It was labeled Poison and it from this house lh thur r Cumberland rland reeled then beIt he be heit it himself UP and stool stood stood staring avery very obvious intent of getting pon himself before he be spoke o e coroner roner waited a slight flush Suing mug on his cheek low row do you know that phial came this house f Perry Pert looked up astonished Ho He prepared for the tho most frantic franti n I. of wrath for violence oven even or all stupid blank silence But this this Qu questioning of fact took by surprise He drop dropped d this his hia flux flux- look and replied thas been seen on the tho shelves by bythan Ithan than ono one of your servants Your it with her medicines and dru with whom you deal ret re- re t bers ers rs selling it some time ago go t to i a aber abet bet ber of your iamB family Thich member I dont don't believe tory story I dOD dont don't t believe any Rny of your YI me tHe was fast verging on violence You rou will have bave to Arthur Facts facts acts and we wo cannot go 0 a against L' L p person who bou bought bt it was pelf leif If Perhaps you can recall the stance pittance now cannot Ho Ifo did not seem to Kite ite master of himself I I dont don't tho thin things 8 I 1 do 10 at least I fiu Luse e to But what are you you com con tot tol What's in your mind min and anti andare Lare are your intentions J S Something 6 ame e us further Ive I've no doubt e TC JOll oft on Ranelagh and dout caro care caroI I feel or how Carmel Cannel l will feel ulbe comes to herself poor herself poor girl l. l oin to call it suicide 1 You t with those marks on her herere herie ere ie going to carry cury out nut our in in- Wiona to the full Ware going ld the autopsy which we wo t I n That's why I heie e. e Arthur I thought it your duo due Q our intentions in regard to this thia thise ter Jf you wish to be ho present you e 0 only y to o say so if you do not you you r m mo to remember that t she ho YOur others other's daughter as 38 well as asI ashi OW wu hi highly bly esteemed friend I n to tho core the tho young youn man cl dw own amid innumerable tokens of I kwo o near near if not dear ones just i n d nn and for a moment had hat noth noth- o liay y G Gone Gono lM was his violence gone none elf assertion on and his hit insolent cap cap- I u c toward towar hi his his visitor The td en drawn too tO tIghtly or tho the thoo l falIe I en too o heavily lly He lIe was no ft struggling with his mis mis- oy on whom m had fallen n a j sufferings and It duty uty is i. here he ho f said airl at last last- snot not I leave av Carmel h Aut autopsy will take place to to- ir Cartel Carmel today 10 W The Tho words word came with th J Doctor Dodor n Ive I've been a u brute bruto 1 aa bruto brute I 1 have misu misused ed J- J have havo avo no strength th with which to meet neet trouble What you propose to do ilo with with with-with with A Adelaide is to me I 1 didn't t love lovo her much while she was living T J broke roke her hr heart anti and shamed her irom morning morning morn morn- till ni ht of her life In ing night every c day ay I but good for r nothing as I am and i for Cor I Ive I've I nothing as IS o always alwag been if could save O her bOil body boly this la last t humiliation humiliation humilia humilia- tion flea I 1 would willingly die right hero here and now and ami bo be done dono with it Must lust this autopsy take place f JJ It must Then Then He lIe raised his arm f the he blood swept up dyeing lilt hir hecks heeks heek his brow his hiser er very neck a n i i scarlet Tell r fell ll them then to lock U up n c bottle tho the house lotse holds or r I cannot un answer for self myself I should like to drink and drink till I knew nothing cared for nothing was a Ina madman man or a beast H fA You You will will not drink The coroners coroner's coro cora ners ner's voice voice rang doop he was greatly moved NI You will not drink an ami l you oU will come to the office office-at l ico at 5 0 o'clock tomorrow We Ve may mar havo o only onh good l goodnews goodnews news to impart Wo We ma may mar find nothing noth in jog ing to complicate the situation D. D Arthur Cumberland shook hook his hen head Its HIts not what will find fint said he lu aud and stopped biting his lips lips and looking down own The Tho coroner uttered a 3 fo few words of consolation forced from rom him b by the tho painfulness of tho the situation The young man dill did not seem scorn to hear bear them The Tho only sign sign of life lifo ho gave o a was to rush away awny tho the moment tho the coroner had taken his leave and rr regain ain his scat seat within sight and anil ana hearin hearing of his still unconscious sister As ho be did so 50 these words came camo to his ears through h thedoor the tho door which separated them Flowers I I smell flowers Lila you yon always loved flowers Jowers but I never or saw your hands so PO full fun of them Arthur uttered a sharp tr cry then bowin bowing his bis face upon his arms he broke broko into sobs which shook tho the table where ho be sat Twenty four hours later in the coroners coroner's coroners coroner's cor cor- oner's office sat an art anxious group discussing discussing dis dis- cussing the great cat caso o and tho the l' l possible The Tho ble blo revelations re awaiting them district attorney Mr Clinton the tho chief of police and ono one no or two to others among them Sweetwater made up tho group and carried on time the conversation Dr Perry only was absent Ho lie had undertaken undertaken undertaken un un- un- un to make m tho the autopsy and had bad been beeD absent for this purpose a several hours Five 0 o'clock clock had struck It ruck and t they be were wore momentarily looking for his reappearance re ro appearance but when the tIme door opened as it did at this time it was to admit young Cumberland whoso whose white face nce I and shaking limbs betrayed his suspense sus sus' anxiety pense Pease and nervous He lIe was welcomed coldly but not impolitely im mm politely and sat eat down in in very cry much the same place he be had occupied during his last lost visit but in a very cry different and much more quiet state of mind To his aspect was ono one of despair but ho made mado no remark upon I it it- it only kept all his bis senses alert forthe for the tho coming moment of so 80 much importance tance tanco to them all But even en ho failed faded to guess bo how important until the door op opened ned again and the tho coroner appeared looking not eo so much depressed as stunned Picking out Arthur from the tho group he ho advanced ane d towards him with some commonplace remark but desisted suddenly and turned upon the others instead I have bave finished the tho autopsy said be I I kne knew just what poison oison poison the tho phial bad had held beld and lost no time in my test tests A A. minute portion of this drug which is dangerous only in lar largo large 6 quantities quan quan- titles was found in the stomach of ot the deceased but not Dot o CDo enough h to cause caus serious trouble and sho she died as w we t had already decided from tho the effect of the tho murderous clutch upon her ber throat t. t But Dut he went on sternly as us youn young Cumberland moved mo nn and showed signs of of breaking in with ono one of his violent invectives against the supposed assassin t I I made another discovery er of still greater purport When wo we lifted the body out of its resting place something something some some- thing betide bebide withered flowers slid from her ber breast and fell leU at our feet The ring gentlemen the gentlemen tho rin ring which Ran Ran- Ranelagh lagh says was 18 missing Irom Hom her band when he be came carao upon her ber and which certainly was not on her ber finger when she was laid in the c casket rolled casket rolled to the floor when lid we wo mo e moved her Hero Here lore it itis itis itis is there foor is ono one person hero bero at least lest who can identify it i. i But I do 00 o not ask ak that person to speak That we may maywell well spare spare him bim He lie laid the tho riD ring on OD the table not too near Arthur not within reach of his hand band but close dose enough h for him bim to see ace it Then he sat down and hi hid his face in his biB hands Tho The last few days das had told on him Ho lie looked older b by ten years than ho he had at the beginning be beginning ginning of the month The which followed these words and this action was memorable to everybody there acton concerned Some had seen and all al bad had heard beard of young Cumberland Cumberland's s a desperate interruption of the funeral and the way his hand band had bad which tho the children chill chil invaded the tho flowers chi dren hail had cast in upon her breas breast As the tho picture real or fancied rose roso before be he- left fore their eyes cye one man roso rose and hiSs his hil place at the table then another and mind presently another Even Charles Clifton drew back Tho The district attorney attorney at at- Clfon and so 50 0 remained where he be was did torney tor young Cumberland The Tho latter hatter later had readied reached out omit Olt his hand but ho he had not touched the ring and ho sat thus frozen What went on in his heart no man there could guess an and ho be did dil not enlighten them When at last he looked up tin it was with wih a dazed air nir and an almost almott humble bumble mien Providence Pro has hu mo me ro this time he be muttered I don dont don't t understand tand these You will wi havo have to deal with wih them thorn as ue i you oU think est JUs His TUe eyes still glued to the jewel owel dilated and ami sti filled with wih fierce light as he said this thin fled Damn the ring ring and nud U damn the tho man mon who gave it to her However it came caine into her casket hes he's at ut the bottom of the tho business H just ns DS he be was at t the bottom of oC her death If I you ou think anything else you ou will wi think a lie He Turning away hc he made mado for tho the door There was in in his hi manner desperation approaching to bravado ado hr but no man manmade manmade made the least t effort efort to detain him Not till tn he ho was well wl out of ot tho the room rom did ll anyone move mo C then the tho district at at- torne raised his finger finder and Arthur Cumberland did not back to his homo borne bore alone To bo ho continued |