Show frK jg A TV DAR L 0 W by ANNA KATHARINE GREEN ie 1014 by dodd 11 tead meol Comp company tany SYNOPSIS A X ario arlous crowd of 0 neighbors invade nw lionie home of judge ostrander judge and recluse 01 ol at ank tr 1 M belled wonA women 1111 who has haa gu koltl tried va r through the gates of tho the high jime bacri ro tho the place atia n woman has disappear eq but the judge in guinn in III it 11 cataleptic state belli ills 1113 anguia ann uiA appears in it dying condition and rn trance to a secret door hela bela aft abe judge miss weeks it tags Sn to him what ii lioa n s occurred during baw orini fidure iTe le ife sacre aly discovers the of 0 the lie veiled woman bhe airow to lk IH the iha adow widow of 0 a nian man tried the he judica and electrocuted for mure A wars ti before fiore her daughter lii Is en awed to tim ludren ton son from whom he la Is ft ranil but ilia die murder Is if between the baw she plans to clear lier her husbands ml and aiko the Ju diren aid alono alone t ht room i deborah Deb orith scoville rends reads the tha iNi lep leper clippings telling idling ilia hie story of WK h miner ot f algernon V by kiihn 7 henville si He orvllle ovIlle 0 in dark if hollow ollow twelve arx wore tho jungi and mrs afro scoville wit 9 at en vony loly and she ehe shown aln n how low an in the liy day of the murder she mw M w ahto shadow of a n man whittling a and wearing a lorn long peaked car like rt CM r T shands until long ions afterward erward ohm aha AM anit t know that her hubband had not ot awn that cap on the fatal day dar the tha 11 lnla oni rages her and her daughter beutler monr to live with him in lit ahlff mystery my steil ocia CHAPTER VII i A bloof steel vagn aro are you going to judge Os tomorrow tomorrow ro morrow tills this Is roy my last free bluy sn SA if t there tharo la Is anything for roe me to do da atoll me mr billack and let me axell kwork at once thero is nothing you can do the latt irIg ls hopeless I 1 told you so the other night and now after a couple of dagg of thought on the subject I 1 am tn obliged to repeat my assertion your awn own convictions in the matter mitt your story of the shallow shadow and the tha may appeal to the public iud ami assure absure you somo some sympathy but sor for nil an entire reversal of its opinion t au au aul wul till need substantial and incon evidence nio me some thing to go upon and wo we will doubtfully site ehe eyed him what auit sho she observed at length with 11 a tho the name ot of the man who Maunt cred down the ravine ahead of my iny agli hhand band I 1 cannot give it to you wow but gl ut I 1 to do riot not despair of learning M K I 1 have got to renew old le leandes ances revive old gossip possibly re obliterated mem alca rl ca mr jur imlack dropping hla his hand from la vest gave her hla his first took look ot of un admiration y you oj ring true said lie 1 I havo have ewt hinitt iarien anen qualified to lead a forlorn chope but never before a woman allow low me inc to express my regret that it Is aw ax forlorn a one ano no bat scoville rose then she sat rown lown again with tho the remark a have ve a a strange notion its ita a hard behlog jato explain and you may not bot un mi ini but I 1 should like to see at M exists tho the stick my hus banda stick with which this crime wan viran iommi icorn milled tied do the ge polica retain manc things la Is there theio any possibility ma my xay anding it laid away in some at al headquarters or on oil some como shelf mr black was again astonished was this callousness or a very deep and determined purpose I 1 you shall ahall seo bee the stick it it Is still to bo found I 1 will tako take you to police it 1 you vill go heavily belld we ve doat want any you thero there yet ar black you are ara very good how weslow ho he announced jumping up ro 40 set liis 1118 hat there was one little fact of which mr loncle was Igno ignorant raut that the po had their eye on tile the veiled at claymore Cl inn for several days bonow and knew who his companion was tabe fath cinstant they stepped into head quarters rs I 1 in maln vain his plausible ex use aiTor showing his lady friend the of the tha place her interest six Subtle details of criminology was well by sergeant doolittle when lie ho saw the small email eye of at the lawyer begin to tamm troarn over the shelves ah elvea and behold his shuit drop as it sometimes did whon when he to veil his purpose in an air of anad preoccupation te be knew what the wext dext bequest rc would bo be as well as it if aba alk low sounds which left mr blacks blacka wp at intervals had been words instead of inarticulate grunts lie ile was therefore them fore prepared when tho the question did come any memorial of tho the etheridge att 10 jaa but a stick with blood on it that im afraid iro a arery ery agreeable might bight for a ladys byc sites sheb proof the lawyer whispered i in fin tho th 0 officers ear lets sea the I 1 Tha sergeant considered this a very interesting experience quite a jolly br break breakie eakin in thedell the dull monotony of the day hunting up the stick lie he laid it in the tawyer Et hands and then turned his eye cye upon tho lady Slie haU gone gona pate pale but it took her lot an instant to regain mcgain her ty and holdout hold out tier her own hard hand for or the iw miaad lad 0 o ethree blood there tho the imle rn ii Ws facchi facca ironic won ron during athlie at tho comans womans phlegm it riot not jather ati her motive hers here hidden behind her beet ayar the weapon in an attitude of 0 devouring interest thus tor for a long slow minute then she impulsively raised her head and beckoning tho the two men nearer she directed attention to a splintered portion of the handle and asked them what hat they saw there nothing just stick declared the sergeant the marks you are looking for tire are higher up and you sir mr black lie he saw nothing either but stick dut but he was little less leas abrupt in his answer do you mean those rough nesses ho be asked where the stick was whittled you remember that he had been whittling at tho the stick who tho the word shot from her lips so violently that for or a moment both men looked staggered by it then mr black with unaccustomed forbearance answered gently enough why scoville madam or so ao tho the prosecution congratulated itself upon having proved to the jurys satisfaction it did not tally with villes story or with common sense I 1 know you remember pardon mo me 1 I mean that any one who read a report of the case will remember member ru how bow I 1 handled the matter lit in my speech hut but tho the prejudice in favor of the prosecution I 1 will not say against jhb defense was too much for TOO me and common bense the defendants declarations and my eloquence all wont for nothing of course they produced thi knife was it a now new knife a whole one I 1 meara mean with all its blades sharp and in III good order yes I 1 can say bay that I 1 handled it several times timed then rhen whose blade left that and again she pointed to the same bame place on the stick where her inger finger had fallon before 1 I dont know what you mean the sergeant looked puzzled perhaps his bla eyesight was not very keon keen havo you a magnifying glass thoro there la is something embedded in this wood try and ond out what it Is the sergeant with a queer look at sir air black who returned it 11 ath interest went for a glass and when lie he had used it the stare lie he gave tile the heavily veiled woman drove mr black to roach reach out his own hand for the glass well lie ho burst forth after a prolonged scrutiny thero there la Is something there the point of a knife blade the extreme point she it might easily escape tho the observation oven even 0 of f the most critical without such aid na as la Is given by this glass no one thought of using a magnifying yno ng glass on this blurted out the sergeant the marks made by tho the VL L she mad had gone palo pale knife were plain enough tor for all to see and that was alt all which important por tant I 1 mr dlack black said nothing he be was waa feel lug ft a trifle cheap something which did not agree with his crusty nathurn not having seen mrs airs scoville for a half hour without her yell veil her iffla enco over him was on the wane and ho he began to regret that ho he had bad laid himself open to this humiliation she saw that it would be left for her to wind up the interview and get out of tho the race nace without arous kig too much much attention with a self possession which astonished both men knowing her immerse immense interest in this matter she laid down the stick and with a gentle shrug ot of her shoulders remarked in an easy tone well its curious tho the ins ina and outs of a crime I 1 mean such a discovery ton ten years after the event 1 I think you said ten years Is very interesting te to then she sighed alas alaan its too late to benefit tho the one whose life it might have saved mr air black shall we be going I 1 have spent a most entertaining quarter ot of an hour mr black glanced from froin her to tho the a ergeant before he bo joined ur her then with one of hla his sour smiles directed towards the former he said 1 I be talking about this sergeant it will do no good and may subject us to ridicule the sergeant none too well pleased nodded slightly seeing which she spoke up 1 I dont know about that I 1 should think it but proper reparation to the dead to let it be known that his own story of innocence has received this late confirmation hut but the lawyer continued to shake his head with a very sharp look at the sergeant it if he could have his way he ha would have hava this matter stop just where it was this Is my daughter judge ostrander tr reuther this Is the judge tho tha introduction took place at the outer gates whither the judge had gone to receive them reuther threw aside her yell veil and looked up into the face bent courteously towards her it had no look of oliver they were fine eyes notwithstanding piercing by nature but just now misty with a feeling that took away all her fear he IVA was going to like her she saw it in every trembling line of his countenance and at the thought a smile rose lose to her lips with a courteous gesture he invited them in but stopping to lock one gate before leading them through the other sirs mrs scoville had time to observe that since her last visit with its accompanying compa nying inroad of the populace the two openings which at this point gave access to fo the walk between the fences had been closed up with hoards boards so rude and dingy that they must have come from some old lumber pile in attic or collar cellar the judge detected her looking at them 1 I have cut oft off my nightly promenade said he with youth in the house more cheerful habits must prevail tomorrow I 1 shall have my lawn cut and it if I 1 must walk after sundown I 1 will walk there tho the two women exchanged glances perhaps their gloomy anticipations were not going to be realized dut but once within the house the judge showed embarrassment 1 I have few comforts to offer said ho he opening a door at his right and then hastily closing it again this part of the house Is as you see completely dismantled and not very clean but you shall havo have carte blanche to arrange to your liking one of these rooms for your sitting room and parlor thero there Is furniture in the attic and you may buy freely whatever else Is necessary I 1 do dont want to discourage little reuther As tor for your bedrooms lie ile stopped hemmed a little and flushed a vivid red oa as ho he pointed up the dingy flight of uncarpeted stairs towards which he led them they are above but it Is with shame I 1 admit that I 1 have not gone above this floor for many years consequently I 1 dont know how it looks up there or whether you can even find towels and things have I 1 counted too much on your good nature no not at all in tact fact you ou simply arouse all the housekeeping instincts within me the judge drew a breath of relief and led reuther towards a door at tho the end of the hall this Is the way to the dining room and kitchen ho be explained 1 I have been accustomed to having my served in my own room but after this I 1 shall join you at table here he continued leading her up to the iron door Is the entrance to my den you may knock here it if you want roe me but there la is ft a curtain beyond which no one lifts but myself you understand my dear and will excuse an old mans eccentricities 7 she smiled rejoicing only in the caressing voice and in the yearning almost fatherly manner with which he surveyed her 1 I 1 quite understand she eho said and so BO will mother reuther he now observed with a strange intermixture of gentleness and authority there la Is one thing I 1 wish to say to you at the very start I 1 may grow to love you god knows that a little affection would bo be a welcome change lit in my life but I 1 want you to know and know now that all the love in the world will not change my decision as aa to the impropriety a 0 a match between you and my son oliver that settled there Is no reason why all should not bo be clear between us all Is clear paint faint and far ott off tho words ded though sho she was standing so near he could have laid his hand on her shoulder then she ehe gave ono one sob as aa though in saying tati she heard beard the last clod fall upon what would never see resurrection again in this life and her head looked him straight in the oye eye with a decision and a sweetness which bowed hla his spirit and caused his head in turn to fall hta his breast what a father can do for a child 1 will do for you he be murmured and led her back bach to her mother A week and deborah scoville had evolved a home out ot of chaos that la Is within limits she had not entered tho the judge s roams rooms nor even offered to do SQ later there must be a change so particular a man as aa the judge would soon find himself too uncomfortable for table to endure tho ilia lack of those attentions which lie he had been used to in belas day lie ile had not even asked for clean sheets and sometimes she had found herself wondering with a strange shrinking of her heart if his bis bed was ever made or whether he had not been driven at times to ite ile down in his clothes she had some reason tor for these doubtful conclusions in her ramblings through the house she had bad come upon belas room it was in a loft over the kitchen and she had been much amazed at its condition in some respects it looked as decent as she aho could expect but in the matter of at bed and bed clothes it presented an aspect somewhat startling the clothes were there tossed in a heap on the floor but there was no bed in sight nor anything which could have served as such it had been dragged out evidences of this wore were everywhere on the narrow twisted staircase A smile halt pitiful halt half self belt scornful curved her lips ns as she remembered the rat tat tat she had ward heard on that dismal night when she clung listening to the fence I 1 q III 0 what a father can oo do I 1 will do for you and wondered now it if it had not been the bumping ol of this cot sliding from step to step dut but not no the repeated stroke of a hammer is unmistakable he fie had played the carpenter that night as well as the mover and with no visible results mystery still reigned in the house tor for all the charm and order she had brought broughel into it a mystery which deeply interested her and which she yet hoped to solve notwithstanding its remoteness from the real problem ol of her existence CHAPTER vill VIII I 1 the picture night I 1 and deborah scoville waiting anxiously for reuther to sleep that she might brood broad undisturbed aver over a now new and disturbing event which for the whole day had shaken her out of her wonted wanted poise and given as it were a new phase to her life in n this house TO na BE CONTINUED 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