Show THE MISSING MAN by MARY R P HATCH author of the dank tragedy 1 ss by if and shepard CHAPTER XIII no indictment as grand jurors for the body ot thia county do solemnly swear that you will diligently inquire and a true presentment make of all such matters and things as shall be sen you in charge the states counsel your tel lows and your own you shall beep secret you shall present no man for hatred or malice neither shall you have any tor love tear favor affection or hope ot re waid but you shall present things truly as they come to your knowledge according to the best of your i ader dt anding so help iou god TI e above oath taken verbatim which is to the grand juro Is a bar to any questioning or real knowledge ot the proceedings in bidet t to the case of vane hamilton which was presented before them the result only was known and it would have awakened great excite meat to have known that an indict ment had been found against vane han iton it occasioned equal stir to learn that none had been brought I 1 am glad very glad said mr hamilton to the bank president the ma ter vas beginning to wear upon me les you do look thinner than when you returned you must not work too hard io I 1 aadi try to keep from that I 1 handle money nor notes though he baad smiling gravely I 1 would not risk it it is a terrible thing mr hartwell to feel hanging over you alwag the sword of impending in fantt or something as bad it Is it Is mr hamilton said the president seriously but for that some of the bank directors and he paused in an embarrassed manner I 1 know mr hartwell I 1 was told 0 it and it did me good to learn bat they would have liked me in my olden capacity some of them but the others were wiser I 1 could not have accepted bad the wish been anani as it was not still do you yes my heart cla med from the arst and now 0 god know mr hartwell I 1 doubt that I 1 ever presented that note to low for the reasons stated at the examina alon you think it was some other mana I 1 do and so must have thought the grand jury could it have been ashley do u think the man Is dead and nothing can ever be proved but wonder that low and hull are retained without an examination why dont lowa no but I 1 do not aenk hp is care ul enough tor a bank officer still I 1 not ilabe the statement in pub lie no I 1 think low Is bonest but how he could have been deceived so easily Is a wonder why he says you appeared nat ural an 1 so does tony you know tony could not judge in a moment of time even if it were myself which I 1 do not believe we I 1 it Is a dark matter I 1 only hope time will explain it detective swan at one time fancy thought primus eles might be abhi y brimus edes doean doesn t he worl in our milla yes oh le ye the idea ion ago grounds nt all for ing so edes isn t a tool but he isn t up to the average n excellent machinist though they tell me haven t you noticed hima only at a distance well he is a strange man said the bank president walking away and wondering whether hamilton would ever hear what had bean said about edos devotion to his wife that he had not yet was evident by hie total lack of interest in him edes himself looked very despondent since the cash bere iere return or so it was said mi hartwell was superior to gossip when passing through the or linar clan nela but told to him by I 1 is sace loicel wife it was a different matter her information was usually gainel through mrs tailor mrs baloi s from her hired girl whose sister live I 1 bear the frys but no doubt it was correct enough mrs hamilton Is more pr ident since her husband s return she does oot go to the frs ars now so mrs lor says I 1 am glad of that perhaps that is the reason edes looks so doleful if he does oh he does there Is no about that mrs taylor s hired girl s sister mrs green who lives next door to mrs fry bivs she told mrs t r herself about mr hamilton s re turn when edes was combing his hair by the little glass in the kitchen the were so excited at first that they did not until he started to go up to his room his face was as white as i sheet mrs green said and he looked more like a corpse than a alv ing man he berer came down that night she found out by asking mrs fry and the next morning when he went to his work he looked glummer and stiller than ever mrs fry wor ships mrs hamilton and she laid it to a bilious attack said he was sub eject to them serious indeed was the state of affairs to constance the relations with her husband were of the most constrained order and her interest in edes unabated augmented indeed for she knew he was miserable on her account and pity was so ingrained in her nature that she could feel tor his woes as though they were her own one day she chanced to meet him face to face as she was going down the street and he was returning from the mill when he saw her he put out his hand with an eloquent gesture to stop her constance mrs hamilton has he come backa yes I 1 suppose so he did not notice the strangeness of he reply but turned away bis head with a groan seemingly wrung from his very heart I 1 thought it seemed as it you belonged to me belonged to soua yes my heart claimed you from and howo god his form shook with emotion and his face was hush ou must sot such words it Is wicked you forget where you are we have talked too long already good day and she walked hastily away hoping no one had kieen them edes walked slowly homeward but the effect of this interview did not end it it was destined to grow and expand and fructify that evening constance chanced to be standing at dusk b her sitting room window looking out into the dim street up which mr hamilton was walking toward the house be hind him not far distant she saw another man stealthily it appeared to her following him what was his ob act was tt edesa why should he follow her husband on a public thor ough fare even though deserted as it a now edes did not follow him inside the gate her husband did not see him at all but as he came slowly up the walk to the house constance saw the man stop an instant and shake his fist the air that threatening uncouth gesture frighten ed her it was so instinct with onrea boning fury with a dull heavy dread at her heart she turned to meet her husband whose face seemed paler than usual and his manner somewhat shaken what constance alone and with no light he spoke tenderly though his words were matter of fact enough but her purpose seemed to be to ignore everything like tenderness it is not late and the children are finishing their tennis game in the yard behind the house he said but sank down in i chair as IS is deep thought constance he said at length bow long must this go ona go ona I 1 do not understand you this wearing anxiety on my part this seeming indifference on 5 ours Seeming 7 she repeated haughtily yes seeming no woman could be really indifferent to the fact ot her husband s presence as you seem to be why are you so changed to mea what have I 1 done you know best you distrust mea have I 1 ever told ou soa to but I 1 feel it no one else dis trusts me constance all treat me kindly but ou what Is the reasons has an file come between us VI could between usa I 1 don t kloft constance he sail cohring to her side and clasp ing hei cold hand in ris I 1 think I 1 it ferstand ler stand ou I 1 ent away and did lot when expected me ou t omu thing had happened lo 10 me that I 1 BBS dead perhaps you TOO arned for me trula tl en I 1 came tack it was ike 01 e coming from the dead to claim ou acu icu tl ought ou could rot resurrect 50 r dead loe and cause it to blossom afresh do not arv constance do not try an moie she looked at him wonderingly let us begin afresh let ua be married again put the past behind i s and be happ why put the past beald usa because it will be best ou can never love me again if cu try to recall your oil let a be gin anew be aga a secretly it ou will but throw off the old bond and begin a new life with all the shadow of past distrust and suffering left behind us will you constance will youa his voice was lo 10 and pleading his hand still clasping hers but she drew it away you talk absurdly she sald As it old married people could sot do better than cover themselves with ridicule by a second say no more I 1 distrust you I 1 feel that there is something false about you I 1 have from the first do you doubt my love tor yoji not that perhaps she said falter ing for she could not doubt it look ing into his face so full of love s emotion but I 1 do not feel at ease in our presence what oi lenora she asked suddenly wheeling about and facing him again lenora he feebly repeated yes lenora there is no lenora Is she deada she may be tor aught I 1 know con stance as heaven is my witness she is nothing to me your husband has been true to you always in word thought and deed 1001 at yourself pointing to the mirror set between two panels and reaching from floor to ceiling do you think I 1 could ever forget you for any other Is there any other half so beautiful or good in the wide it there is I 1 never SAW her it this passionate assertion moved constance in the least she did not evince any emotion she put up her hand merely as if to stay further words and said calmly I 1 hear the children they have finished their game and it is time for uncle carter too clare and perle entered flushed and rosy from their game such tun said perley as an echo to the late game unwilling to let the sport drop oh yes why you come out papa I 1 was talking with mamma my little clare said mr hamilton fond ly stroking her curls she clasped his hand and held it I 1 love you papa almost better than I 1 used to lou are the only one who does my darling Is it really truly for my selfa he asked her as it yearning for some acknowledgment of course it Is but she con linued thoughtfully you never hear me say my prayers now would you like to have mea I 1 thought it was to god you prayed yes but I 1 want ou to pray too in your heart as ou used to to be continued |