Show Fhe he House of 01 the Whispering Pines By Anna Katharine Green r II E PUTNAM'S SONS EONS Copyright 1910 by j j r and London ANNA KATHARINE EB with ith an D eye ce on District Distri t who baI n his Bur sur- I the Fox d bt examination or of was un au doubt to iDt fu enouCh no went on with rC mUll t. t Ion will ou ten tell us s you S 3 felt this change hant of brat you oa r sIster retard regard to your ol r II an tiD his feet Then leaped to Fox FoZ himself Evidently Iy 11 Jet the prisoner ht it best st to let full lull w. w r Possibly ho bo 0 ma may ta W. W the next his bis l leniencY ete when with a lower lower- t l answered ibis ut head Arthur desolated S homo lomo my m I saw aw w lien ben night With WIth o ono one o si sisa sis sis- K the thc victim ot of a d in the be house delirious from fromor fromor another and f or other cause or lample lome time to think and I all tim time That's ht Je 1 at word read or repented repeated d but butt with court room t strained to catch tho the lie ear r med the only only reI refuge o for the hemmed in In by W by circumstance uttered without the least cords rd t ir r at t effect fell with a force orce life lite to such euch as wished ve e new Dew gave this man roan acquitted 5 as if anxious to take tako age lite of ot this very exp expectation to toA toft toa ft A a the effect of what followed led ed immediately to inquire see sec sister Adoor Ade Ado t a l did yOu vou your or the last fast ti time me alive f JJ 0 or question What hat would reply rr 17 one table tabe tt It t at t the tho dinner left Idt the tha room I 1 turned to look She was RS not looking at mo me fanned tho the door and went up tin In an In hour or so 50 I had left the oget iet a drink I 1 got tho drink saw uw Adelaide 3 again ain till I Irila f fIlls coffin Ills rila 1 1111 her blunt blont denial of the tha crime crimo crime for forbe forbe forin be in ato stood tood d there arraigned rrai Cd roll fell on with a wei weight ht which showed fin l inextinguishable is the hope hoper rah rieb r lh deep down under all sur sur- I had bad been un un- ti 1 of this hope but It was Jt seemed to die n. n it t words For Por I believed ed C Courage ungo ja is needed for a lie were were sere no DO si sips ns visible in him as nil r il having drawn upon this of tho the despairing I it when he did be he could the subtle change from me mc n irI this declaration came with l less IMS s force forc according as it red ed in the light of a a. dramatic Moffat tho nat nat- tYro s 8 or as cut it at of ot a man fi fighting for his own way and with his bis own not catch h the tho eye CO of n low in her scat seat so soo o what tender chords hat hal halIn In her ber sensitive breast by 1 so dramatically it cst each other the other tho one hiSto his hism histo m to the tho dead tho the other his hisom rom rom om th crime in which that n was supposed to havo cul cul- satisfied so far put his stion with equal directness you ou have bavo men men- 8 ei K your in her coffin ras rae this JJ the tho close of her funeral just she was carried ou out t. t JJ J t that the first and ana only time timet i t wen uen her so placed was i yo you e seen een n the casket itself r o IS V. V this moment of at which you youad OU ad not been near Dear it f Had Mad you lJ tilt Uil i in In an any way 1 W Cumberland you ou ha have 0 heard hearda a made de of a riD ring worn by your yourIn In m life hf but missing from her if titer ter death f m. m 5 remember member this ring tb it iio t io o far as I can jud judge e at this iad the ed rin ring to the witness ort or or- t j judge u gee s so handed f i at t it iti and said bitterly it It t wa was her engage engage- lag Jr 8 ring ng on her finger that lUh e dinner table mot Ol say eay positively but I beo be be- o- o 1 I shou should d have havo noticed its Sk j I 7 ask he i grit time th the prisoner flushed look elook he ho darted at his counsel II dating o of a reproach in n it Yet let ered II It It was the token of W nt I didn't believe in or l have c hailed an any proof iten nt was off smiled enigmatically r Cumberland if you OU are aru not having seen this rin ring then dou tee cc it and where I tie Ue from end to end of that room This W wa was S an an n au au- l move What was coming 1 Could he be the answer or ot tho the man nil ft b believed ed not only to have hwu havet tho the Possessor of this it t t to 10 v have navo taken a most strange e method od of disposing of it rd ard 1 In the breathless hush fOllowed this first involuntary voluntary M JL 11 of f feeling Arthurs Arthur's voice but J steady in iu this reply it i 1 when the 1 d police showed it fill asked me mo if I could f iden iden- en t fn tu that II f to the tho only time you have havo up the e present moment Seas tete ft it the witness's witness ii right wu as it if he were Inen yinK tin ting hi his oath before he ut ute anti and 1 with emphasis though b ll T bow of emotion I J fc h of silence excitement aa Ia gave 0 and yay ay r relief to a aJ a Jg mh tre Foxs Fox's Za smile lips of disdain curled Md d a b It been have en impressed the thc jury jur if 1 66 f alt n lOOkin looking i his wa way but bur Jut e with with with- eager caler and Uttered Ies at the P prisoner oner who this second distinct distinct denial at fI noted LC this and his own his i own bt t I A bu with ft a vcr very ery d different crent h eli from irom that which hat had opponent for Or tho the present senti be Immediately ear er that You u havo have seen this IK tho ni night h of your and that was wa- when lt it Pt coroners coroner's office JJ r I II Does Docs this thi mean that it was not in your our possession at It any time timo durin K KIf that interim ItS If certainly docs does Mr Cumberland r. r more than one witness has testified t to the tho fact of your our having hl been seen to place your our hand sand handin sandin in in the tho casket of your our sister before the thc eyes of ot the minister and of others attending at at- tending her funeral Is this true truc f Tt It It is JJ II Was not this a most unusual thing thine K tod do 1 II Perhaps I r was not thinking about that I had bad a duty to perform and I performed it it IL A duty Will you explain to the tho iun what duty The witness witness' head rI arose then sank He lie ns os well as every cry one else seemed to be bo impressed by tho the solemnity of ot the moment Thou Though h the tho intensity of my own interest would not allow m my eyes oyes to wander Vander from his face I could ima imagine in tho the strained drained look in Ellas Ella's as she awaited his words They came in in another instant but with less steadiness than ho he had shown before I oven thought ht 1 could detect a n tremor in in his bis muscles mu as 38 well as 35 in in his Ins voice voice I had rebelled against m my sisters sister's wishes I had bad grieved and deceived her ber herup up tip to the tho very ni night ht of her foul and antI unnatural death death and and all through h drink rink Hero his eye flashed and for that fleeting moment he looked a man I I wished to take an oath nn an an oath I L would remember It was for this purpose I ordered the casket opened and thrust my fingers through the tho flower flowers flowers flow ers er I found there When my mv fingers touched my sisters sister's brow I 1 inwardly wore never to taste liquor again I r have ha kept that oath Difficult as it was in my state of ol mind and with all aU my mv troubles trouble I have havo kept it and it-and and been m Kunder tood in doing doiny so JJ ho he added in in n lower tones and with just a touch of or bi bitterness t tern sg It was such h an unexpected terl explanation tion tion and so 60 calculated to cause a decided decided de and favorable reaction in in the minds of those who had looked upon this especial act of his as an irrefutable blo ble proof of guilt that it was W but natural natO nat ural that some show of ot public feeling should follow But this thiR was checked almost immediately immedIately- and Mr Moffat's voice was wn's heard beard rising again in in his bis stran strange c but telling nJ examination When hon you thrust your hand band in to take ako this oath did you drop any anything thin into your sisters sister's casket JJ I did not M My Mv hand han was emp empty y r I held no nn ring and dropped none in I simply touched her forehead This added to the tho feeling and anel in in another mother instant the excitement might have lavo risen into hubbub had not tho the emotions of one little woman found vent in a low Jow and sobbing cry which relieved ed tho the tension and gave just the tho relief needed to hold in check tho the overstrained overstrained over over- strained feelings of the crowd I knew the ho voice and cast ono one quick glance glanco that hat wn way in time to see Ella sinking af- af out of sight under the dismayed dis dis- looks of father and mother thou hen anxious anxious to note whether the tho pris pris- oner mer had recognized her too looked hastily back hack to find him standing quiet quiet- ly y and ana ana unmoved w with tn his eyes on counsel coun sd sel seland and his lips set in tho the stern line which t was slowly changing his sion That counse counsel strangely alive S to the temper and feelings of his bis audience waited just long enough for tho the few simple and nd solemn words uttered bv by bythe the he accused man to produce their full effect then with a side sido glance lance at Mr FoX whoso whose equanimity he be had at last succeeded in disturbing and whose hose cross examination of the tho prisoner priMmer ho lie had still to fear continued his own examination ex cx- b by demanding why hv when the ring ing was discovered in Adelaide's ens- ens ket keto and ho he saw what inferences would be e drawn from the fact he lie had not made an nn immediate immediato public explanation of his his- con conduct and tho the reasons he be had had lad for putting his hand there II Im Im I'm not a mutT shot from the prisoners prisoner's lips in his old manner A Aman Aman Aman man who would take such an oath in in such a way and at such a time is not the man to o talk about it until he is forced to I would not talk about it now no noHe He Heas was as checked at this point but hut tho the glimpse thus obtained 0 ot of tho the natural natu natu- ml ral man in this indignant and sullen outburst following so 50 quickly upon th the solemn declarations of the tho moment moments bo- bo foro fore did more for him hini in the tho minds of those present than the and most discreet answer given under tinder the instigation tion of his counsel Every face showed pleasure and for lor a short space if for tor n nd nO longer all aU who list listened ned were disposed ed to fo accept his assertions and accorded the thc benefit of doubt to this wayward son of or an esteemed father Cather i iTo To me who had hoped hope nothing from Mo MolT ts flats flat's efforts the thc substantial nature na na- na I ture turo of tho the defense thus openly made marl manifest brought reanimation and ana an unexpected confidence in the future The question as 36 to who had dropped cropped the ring into the casket if Arthur had hadnot not the not the innocent children the tho grieving servants was servants was latent of course courte in eer ev e every es' es er cry ery breast but hut it had not yet et reached the point demanding expression Meanwhile the examination proceed ed Mr rr fr Cumberland you have stated that you did not personally drop this ring into the tho place where it was ultimately ulti ulti- found Can you jou tell ten us of your own knowledge who did 7 I cannot I know nothing about the ring I was as much surprised probably probably ably more surprised than an any one ono else to 10 hear of its discovery cry in that place JJ The slip slip and and it was a slip for him to introduce that th more was more was immediately immedi tel taken advantage of by his coun coun- sel sd You say more Why should it be bemore moro more of a surprise to you than to any anyone ono one else elso to learn where whore this missing engagement rin ring of your sisters sister's had been found 1 Again that look of oC displeasure directed di die towards his questioner and a certain additional hardness in his bis reply reply re reo re- re ply when he finall finally made itI itI itI it I was her brother I had a brothers brother's broth er ers er's antipathies and rightful suspicions suspicions- I could pot not ot see how bow that ring came cam to tobe tobo tobo bo be whore where it was when the only omy one interested interested in in- in in its restoration was in 1 prison To BA Continued |