Show u r i lie House of oj the Pines By Anna AtiTa Katharine Green Oreen 1 SONS Copyright 1910 by York and London ANNA KATHARINE k PTER X I. I lrea in the thO te Glass ome time b before f I learned tome some r ns 1 of this a 4 oc urd 8 at A level Jevc i f flight bt haQ shot hot across the thc bed J ha had moved to close close the then e 0 lre 2 from exclamation n a low ow t r r. r drew her back to mark the thet Jl of the lids luls t guttering snowy lt Afterwards S lone closed eyes eres IR lie her ber herSi h What bat a picture Si em 1 patient m made d with tb t the e hue bite bie of ofed ed life fife creeping Into her cheeks int t reflection of the tho nest oCt of oC t lor in which she b l Ia lay j Ha CUa hair was dark so were her ber dv ely penciled eyebrows S and the he shea fl which curled upward r from frome b e ek k In her surroundings surrounding of oC pink such as ases as lives Ives es l in t the theof i if of 1 l r the their seashell their duskiness fin added beauty and noth noth- n an sr ot t even evea the long dark s scar ar run run- rn r loin m eye to chin chi could rob the tho if I f its ee individuality and aDd sug it f She was was lovely bu but itC Ite it itie ie e C loveliness of line lne and tint tit just hid is lovely lo Soul and mind min till asleep but bat momen momentarily rou rOl tl thought ought to to COIS conscious b being ng t il al t- t tp conscious being then to i well n ufering lous' lous ras s a solemn moment If I the ho loved her ber ha had been present present- brother who sullen as Jac he n ri her ulen a e is i.'s Blast I have Dave felt the tie tic of close cose Kinship Io r rise sc super superior superior or even to his hs fat tat an J instant so so o critical critical lt it itI ta I lave Been ceen more solemn yet yet Bu o lla the 8 exception of the tho doctor doctor and bI bly the nurse only those inter inter- Iter ija reher her as a a witness wines in the most ing cas case on the police annals euS grouped in i silent watchfulness the he ro room m. m waiting waitis for lor the word which might cut the Gor Gordian ian none of them as yet ct ha had his his' to untangle me suddenly as all al great iconic One moment momet her lids down own her ber face face calm cairn her whole am v in its Us statue statue-liko repose repose- her ber bi big violet iolet eyes had had r Lopen Open upon the world word eJes and lips ibs were moving feebly but buty mj y 1 in their suddenly recovered eel Jt wa as then then then-l then then-anI and not at a om J nt when consciousness had regained its is s seat at that h her bOr r face ee who s stood od nearest wore wore the thet 1 t of d t an aD n an angels el 8 W What at she saw sw Jh vision sion remained to her from delious y ous world word of which she been a part art none ever Enor nor could she perhaps havet have Jot t the rapture which informed tures tn tt s and nd elevated her whole i but poorly prepared them which followed her first round on nurse nure and doctor i which lay across the bed mo TUO brighter than her eye eyet At t first tremulous instant of life But the clouds fell feU fellAnd And ind nd very human humn feelings jm rom i between those lids lida as she sheH sheI H I half petulantly do you rou look ook at m me so Oh Oh I Ir Ir Ir r I I. i l- l Wh f they little I her weakened heart hear capable fever c her features hiding the thed thea jd d a shaming her T-hite T white lips L's Ls S 'S tb the matter 1 she sho cor complained as ah 1 she tried to t raise her hands Iy ly to bide hide her face I cannot Is h I used to do do and I feel feel I I shavo havo been ill iJ came camo sooth from the doctor docor You You ha have hae e ein in m bed many days dan now you OU are arc land jand and will wi soon l be lie well This is muse He said nothing of the who y-who were were so IW pl placed e behind behindS Jiho ISas S a to ta be bo invisible to her continued b d to to gaze ze first at one a at the other c confidently at the doubtfully at the nurse As AsId Asid Asid id so 60 the flush fluh fush faded fade and to an anxious anious troubled r cot just the expression antici antici- by those who ho believed that with wih liD ting jag con consciousness io would woul come comeing ing ling ng memory of the mysterious hu h memry had taken place between ILand sister or between her sise sissi sis sis- e a si her brother prior to Ade- Ade sd d for The Tho Whispering lad Had they sh shared re my iny knowledge d littey even en so much as dreamed W patient had bad been the com com- one t one or both of the others tragic i gic escapade sc bow de how much have ha been their won wonder er character r of this thil the same kind look for I were her n next wor words s V als f finally ly settled on th tho rf But But hers hers Bring Dring mo me the tho rJ rf she Bhe cried cried Let me mc see with v n eyes what hat I r h have ve now to ex ex- from J everyone who looks at me it to know b before forc Lila Lia comes in isn't she here hero 1 Is she with with with- I wih- wih t i 4 She o was breaking down own but butU rt It U herself back bacK with wih 8 surprising i and almost smiled I was told in n. n the shrill shri tones h will wi not r rift nea alid I 1 she lne demanded ed again Hh The Ih nin J brought it i. i Her ncr pa pa- evidently remembered tho fall Q ba in I her sisters sister's room room and ly IX the smart stuart to her check beek when the hot iron ion see ee only m my forehead sho seined ined as the nuro hel held the tho mir mir- eforo lefore her Move it a little flower weri sh she sho comman commanded ed Then Theny y Ohl was u still sti for a long time dur dur- I wi c ch the nurse carried carriel off of the I t like it she quaintly to the doctor as he ho her with compassionate 5 Ith V I I shall have bave to get acqua acquaint nt ith myself all over ocr again And been n ill i I i shouldn't h u t have bae h a a b burn rn like that would i ill How ow Adelaide Just must have haveis is i is n not t well wel herself It I I Md h her have been out wh when a fell fel Don Don't Dont ft you remember out er that ent out that ni night 1 i. i she shot f She Sho was bt right Ado Ado- Ado t have er e every pleasure She earned her good times I i must be bent nt e to Bt tay ety home bore pow now la and d look g t biu am and len learn to be useful 6 expect et anything n thing different Call St I- I d and let mo mc me tell tel her how how how- haw I t tisted 1 ed I am n. n lJ ill J. J Site She cannot come tomorrow morrow dear child Rest Best rb J y now now- Tiko th se n a neel go o E to t sleep again and nd je ait know inow- yourself tomorrow o t k ow t t myself now h she abC i cd r glancing with th slowly dilating I l T medicine glass he prof- prof rl cant can't t tl take c ft it I sh she pro rD lw orret now why but bur I Imore tk horn n ug more a t not to I think l it t y makes makei me feel queer ory wa M defective She Shea m. m a to take in what the I I doctor told her But he tried tied her again Once more he spoke of oC illness ines as tb the cause of Adelaide Adelaide's a 8 absence Her ler attention wandered ander while whilo ho he spoke of it i. i How it did hurt she cried But I didn't think much about it I thought only on on- on Next moment her voice rose roso in m n a shriek thin but impetuous im and imbued with wih a note of excited feeling which m made de every person per son thero start tart Thero should be bo two she sho cried Two iT Why is there thero only one 1 This sounded like rw Tb The doc doe toi tOI tor's tors s 's f face SQ took o on a h a l lb look k t o of at concern nd and the nurse nuro stirred uneasily un I ft 1 One is is not enough Th That t is wil wh Adelaide delaide is is not M satisfied why she does loes oes not como come and love lore and nd comfort me nic as I expected her T Toll Tell 1 her it is not too late late late- lat late yet not not too l t t J t yet et not tod The doctors doctor's hand was on her hor fore hea head This not n t too late whatever she meant by it i was was indescribably I painful to tb the listeners oppressed as thc they were w re b by the knowledge c that Adelaide Adelaide Ade Ade- laide lay in in her grave grae and that all fancies all al hopes all al meditated mediated anc actions ac ac- ac nI tons between cen the these c two were now so far as this this' world goes goes- oes forever fore a at t an en end Rest est R came care in Dr Carpenters Carpenter's most soothing tones tones Rest Best my little litte Carmel forget everything and rest le Ho thought he knew the 81 significance anc nce of her revolt rc olt from the glass he hid had offered her She remembered the scene at the Cumberland dinner table that fatal night and nd shrank from anything that reminded her of it it Ordering the tho me medi- medi i. i cino cinq put in a cup he offered it to her hera a apin ain and she SIlO drank it i without ques ques- tion ton As she sho quieted under its is influence tho the disappointed listeners now tiptoe tiptoe- tiptoeing tiptoeing ing carefully from the tho room heard her murmur in final appeal Cannot Adelaide Adelaido spare one ono minute from from from-from from her company compan downstairs to wish me health and kiss me good goodnight goodnight night Vas Was it weakness or a settled Inability I to remember anything but that which filled fled her own ow mind 1 It I proved to be a settled inabit inability to tako in any new ideas or oven even to remember re re- re mem member r much beyond the completion of that dinner As the days das passed and news of her condition came to mo tue io from time lime to time I found that she sho had bad not only for forgotten oten what had passed between herself and the rest of tho the family previous rei ous ens to their departure depart for the clubhouse clubhouse club club- house bouse but all al that had haa afterwards occurred oc oc- oc cured at The Whispering Pines even een evento evento to her own presence there and tho the ride home She could not even retain in her mind for any appreciable length of time the idea of Adelaide's death Even after Dr Carpenter with infinite precautions precautions pre pre- cautions revealed to 0 o her the truth truth truth- not that Adelaide Adelaido had been murdered but that Adelaide had passed away ay a durin during during dur dur- in inthe ing the period of her he own illness iness Carmel C t gave butane cry r of af ref ref inu lu idi i b forth in Jr Old Old c complain mp that A Adelaide Adelaido elai e nc neglected her Sho She had lo lost her happiness t e s and hope nn and Adelaido Adelaido Ade laido o would old ld not spare spar hot her an nn hour She never r asked for r Arthur This This' ma may have hare grieved him but according to my faithful friend frien anti and nd attorney it i appeared t to havo have the tho contrary effect eJect nn and to bring him positive relief When it was was hono borne in Tn on him him as it was s soon on onto to be bore in on all al that her lieu mind was not what it i was was wasand and th that t tho the beautiful beautiful beau beau- besides besides' Carmel had lost last something h her physical perfection in in the tho awful calamity which of th the wh whole le family he be grew noticeably lu more rc cheerful and less suspicious in his manner r. r Was it because bela o the tho impending inquiry must go on on without her hor and pro which ba had bad halted till WI now be bo pushed with wih all al pos possible ible speed seed to a n finish fin fh ish So tho i who ho w watched him hm interpreted interpreted inter his chai changed ti rood lood with n a r result sult not favorable to him t Wih With this nr now shock of Carel inability to explain her ber own part part in il inthis this tragedy and aud thus release my my testimony nr an and anu make me pie I a man in liy my own wn e eyes es I lost the sustaining Jid power which had bad pre previously u l held me up I became apathetic no long r counting the hours houts and thankful when h n they thoy passed r Arthur Arthur Ar Ar- thur hud had not not been beon arrested i b but t he be un un un- un or or or allowed d oth others rs to se see th that t the he understood understood the the reason for the surveillance sur cianco under which he was no now strictly strict strict- ly b kept though b he showed less les patience than myself under under the tho shameful suspicion cion which this l betokened token d he did dic not i break out int into open conflict willi w the authorities nor did he lie protest his innocence inno inno- did c cence cn ne c. c or take tako an any other stand th than n the theone theone theone one be he had ass assumed med fr IrOn from m the 1 first stAl st st. All Al' Al Althis this gave me much f food od for thought but Jae I r declined to think I had made though up my mind from the moment I realized Carmels Carmel's condition that th re there was nothing for me to do till ti after the inquest Tho The public investigation which this would olye in would show th trend of popular opinion and thus enlighten me mo as to my dut duty Meanwhile I would keep to the tho old lines Des and do o the best I I. I could for 01 myself without revealing I the fa fact t of Carmels Carmel's near interest in a n matter mater s e ens was ns in i no better beter condition I to discuss now than when in in a state stat of complete unconsciousness Of that inquest which was held eld in indue indue indue i due course cours I shall not sa say sy much anI Only one new fact was as elicited by its is means an and that tha of interest solely as ns making clear elMr how there camo came to be bo ovi evidences of poison in Adelai Adelaide's es e's stomach without tho the quantity bein being great enough b f for r more marc t than an a temporary disturbance Maggie ie the second girl irl had bad something some thin thing to sa say about abo this when the tho phial which had held the thc poison was handed about bo t for inspection She had handled the shelf that phial many times on where it was kept Once Once- sho she had dropped it i and the tho cork coming out out some of the contents had escaped Frightened at the tho mishap she had filled the phial up with water and put it i. i thus diluted back on the shelf No one ha had noticed the tho difference and sho she bad had forgotten for- for gotten oten all aJ about the matter until now From her ber d description there thore must have bac been very little of the dangerous S drug left in in the ilie phial and ad the c conclusions of Dr Perrys Perry's Perys Pery's autopsy received a confirmation con conS which ended eded after a a mass of testimony tending rather t to confuse than enlighten the jury in the noncommittal non corn n verdict Death by strangulation at the hands of some somo person unknown I had expected this The evidence pointing as it did in two opposing directions di di- presented a n problem which a coroners coroner's ju jury c ld hardly be bee e expected p cd to solve soho followed ed slaved that not ont only they thoy Wn but the police authorities aswell acknowledged ed the tho 1 J wa was d one sweet h half t hour bou ot of fre freedom dan then I W was fas detained to await the tIme action acton of o the tho grand jury juri and so 80 was Arthur When 1 I 1 was was' was informed Of this latter later fact I mado a n solemn vow t to I in cC It I was was this If I it falls fals to my lot to I be indicted for for or this murderous offense I 1 will wi con continue to keep my own counsel as S I I. I have already done in in fI face of lesser leser provocation rO o and and at less dan dangerous erous risk rik But if I escape anti and a true tue bill bi should ria be DC found foun a against uns Arthur rt ur th then n will vI 1 I follow my better r. r instinct and ald reveal what I have hare hitherto kept concealed even if i the torment of o tho the betrayal drive rive me meto to i sell self elf destruction afterwards For I no longer cherished he the th gmal smallest t doubt that to C Carmel's Carmels sudden Budder rage and to that |