| Show 9 A copyright 1905 by daily story pub co I 1 went down to maple lodge that summer for a reason no sane person would have recognized I 1 could not bear the place after helen died and when ethelda became its mistress two years later a vague resentment and disgust still kept me away not that I 1 blamed ethelda she had not known helen as I 1 had known her or as jack had known her but as tor for jack how could a man who had shared helen s perfect lo 10 loe e who had received her peerless devotion her exquisite dauntless tenderness how could he replace her with another 9 his had not been a common marriage tie to be forgotten like common ties I 1 made no breach with them but I 1 at least would not see Ethel ethelda das s handsome full blooded vivacious presence in the places where helen had been I 1 had actually written my refusal of Ethel ethelda das s annual invitation some accident delayed posting and it lay on my table the night I 1 dreamed the only dream which ever influenced my action I 1 dreamed that I 1 stood with helen in the blackberry thicket near the head of the lane between the locust trees behind maple lodge I 1 knew that she was dead and yet it seemed not strange that she should be there talking to me on some subject of great import then it seemed she left me and went rapidly down the lane her dress fluttering about her tall light figure between the locust trees I 1 tried to run after her to call her back my heart beating hard with longing and regret and so I 1 woke in my dream I 1 had understood everything she said waking my ut most effort could recall but three dis connected sentences do everything you can to help me there Is trouble brewing in the affair of arthur you know I 1 have to look out for jack I 1 turned them over and over in an unquiet mind who was arthur oil vant As far as I 1 knew I 1 had never heard the name what could I 1 think but ethelda was handsome and vivacious and full blooded perhaps maple lodge and jack were dull and yet ethelda was a self respect ing woman and she had a child it was none of my business but in the end I 1 went to anaple lodge they gave gaie me so hearty and anaf a welcome that I 1 was ashamed of my long delay they lived very simply and very quietly but in ous content and happiness both jack and ethelda were wrapped up in their ta oar old daughter I 1 blushed for my suspicions maple lodge seemed like a different 1 place lace the blackberry tangle was gone one and half the locust trees had been cut away ethelda s lighter taste had metamorphosed the rooms besides the presence of the child a drobut ventur venturesome csome little elf altered everything after all it Is natural and right to forget yet I 1 had a pang when jack condemned the white rose bush by the dining room window we must have it dug out ethelda the roses blight every year the dav helen set it there was like yes berday to me but men forget those things one afternoon as ethelda and I 1 sat together with our sewing a halt half tor for gotten quest question ques tiou loil recurred to me by the way I 1 asked with assumed carelessness who is arthur oil vant ethelda laughed but she looked at 1 I 1 who is arthur olivant me queerly what do you know about arthur 9 she laughed again I 1 declare I 1 must teli tell jack id almost forgotten arthur Oll olivant vant at that minute an med ley of barks and screams rose on the lawn agnes is teasing the dog cried ethelda and rushed to the rescue of the bold baby who delighted in slap ping the big and not too patient new found land when agnes fright had been pacified ethelda had forgotten arthur olivant and I 1 did not resume the subject the next day ah that day dayl I 1 had a start jack had been out that morn ing shooting squirrels I 1 heard him come in and move about in the library afterwards the door of bis bli den slammed Remember remembering in g some thing I 1 wanted to say to him I 1 went towards the den some obscure fin pulse made me pause at the open library door for an instant I 1 could have sworn that I 1 saw the figure of a woman with its back towards me bending over the library table in an attitude of muscular strain trying to lift or mova move some gome object on the table and that delicate straining figure was helens helen at the illusion passed as abruptly as it came the white window curtain blown inward half over the table in the darkened room had lent itself to the momentary hallucination at dinner we jested with jack on his mornings sport where s your revolver jack asked ethelda I 1 believe I 1 left it on the library table he returned carelessly jack cried ethelda how could you and the baby about all the att aft ernson she looked so ruffled and reproach you hav have killed heri herl screamed ethelda ful that I 1 turned the conversation to the subject that oddly rose in my mind oh do you know I 1 said you have never yet told me about arthur olivant jack and ethelda looked at each other and ethelda blushed slightly they both laughed tell her herl said jack nodding at his wife i well it if you must know said eth ida arthur olivant was the name we had positively decided or tor for the baby if t she hadn it been so perverse as to be a girl the words were barely spoken when from the library came the al most simultaneous sounds of a shot and a fall I 1 sat nearest the door but the three of us reached it together you have killed her hel I 1 screamed ethelda but jack sprang past her and p eked up the tiny night gowned fig ure with mith the red stain spreading above the heart the fatal fata revolver lay on the floor where it tell fill ho hours urs later when we had made the little body fair and composed I 1 left ethelea bt helca with her passionate ing grief and stole away to comfort jack the study door opened noise lessly he sat with his head buried la his arms on the desk beside him bim one tender hand on his shou d der with a bending face of exquisite intense compassion leaned the shadowy form of helen As I 1 turned silently away my hair pricked lightly at the roots |
