| Show 0 HM sf AR K 0 lv 0 by ANNA KATHARINE GREEN 1014 by dodd mead company 4 SYNOPSIS A 4 curious crowd ot of neighbors inva de tile tie mysterious lou homo home of judge ostrander county judge and cecen eccentric tele recluse following a veil veiled d woman who has hag gained entrance through lie ho gates of tho the high double barriers barr lera surrounding tile place the woman ban ins disappeared but the jud judco en f Is found in a cataleptic tato state bela lila ills servant appears in a dying condition and prevents entrance to lo a secret loor door hela bela the judge awakes miss weeks lalli ins to hint him what lien liaa oc occurred e burred during hi he HB secretly B discovers the whereabouts of tile tha veiled woman sh bhe E croves roves to bo be the widow of 0 a man tried tried eforo the he judge and electrocuted t for murder N er rears I 1 ears before iler her daughter is li engaged to the judges son eon from whom he be la iff estranged but the kuniai burdei t the levers she plans plana to clea husbands husband s inenio ry rand and asks tile tie id alone in he hep room corn deborah reads the newspaper clippings telling tho the story of tile murder or of algernon by john geovil e in park dark Il hollow ollow twelve years before CHAPTER vt VI continued ah judge ostrander she exclaimed in a hasty but not ungraceful greeting you ou are very punctual I 1 was not looking for you yet then as she die noted tho the gloom under which i he was laboring she bhe continued with real feeling indeed I 1 appreciate this sacrifice Bacr lOca you have mado made to my wishes r it was asking ashing a great erent deal u to come here but I 1 saw no othi ot herway rvay i of making my point clear como over hero here peggy and build me a little house out of these stones you dont mind tho the child do you judge she may offer a diversion it our retreat Is invaded the gesture ot of disavowal which lie he made was courteous but ine incero lie he did mind the child but lie he could not explain why besides he roust must overcome such folly now she eho continued as she rejoined hlin him on the place where lie ho bad taken his bis stand 1 I will ask you to go back with me to the hour when john scoville left tho the tavern on that fatal day I 1 am not now on oil oath but I 1 might as as well be for tiny any slip I 1 shall make in the exact truth I 1 was mak ing pies la in the kitchen when game I 1 one came running in fix to say that reu aber had strayed away from the front yard and here I 1 found her sir right s in tho the heart of these ruins she bile was ta playing g with stones just as peggy dear Is doing now greatly relieved f I 1 was taking her away when I 1 thought I 1 heard john calling stepping up to the edge close behind where you are standing air yes there where you get such a broad outlook up lip and down the ravine I 1 glanced in the direction from arom which I 1 had heard his call just wait a moment air I 1 want to know the exact time stopping stepping she pulled out her watch and looked at it while he faltering up to the verge which she had bad pointed out followed her movements with strange intensity as she went on OB to may eay in explanation of her act the time Is important on account of a certain demonstration I 1 am acx tous lous to mako make now it if yuu you will lean a little forward abid look where I 1 am pointing painting you will notice at the turn of the stream a spot of ground more aj open than the rest please keep your eyes on that spot for it was there f I 1 saw at this very hour twelve years ago the shadow of an approaching fig ure lire and it Is fit there you will presently see eee one similar if the boy I 1 have tried to interest in this experiment does not tall fall me now now sir airl we should see eee his bla shadow before we see him oh I 1 liopo hope the underbrush and trees have not grown up too thick I 1 tried to thin them out today are you watching sir air ile he seemed to be but she dared not i turn to took look doth both figures leaned intent and in another moment she arm did you see beet she whispered dont mind the boy its the shadow I 1 wanted you to notice did you observe anything marked about it she had bad drawn him back into the ruins they were standing in that one secluded corner under the he ruinous gable and she was gazing up at him very earnestly tell me judge she entreated as he be made no effort to answer with a hurried moistening of his lips he met her look and responded with a slight emphasis the boy held a stick I 1 should say bay that he bo was waa whittling I 1 it u ahl iler her tone was triumphant that was what I 1 told him to do did yol yoi see anything else no I 1 do not understand this experiment peri ment or what you hope from it 1 I will tell you yom tho the shadow velch I 1 saw at a moment very liko this twelve yeata ago showed allowed a man whittling a stick and wearing a cap with a decided peak in front my aly husband wee such a cap tho only one I 1 know if in town what more did I 1 need as ae proof that it was his chadow I 1 saw 7 and it judge Ost ostrander rancler I 1 never thought differently till titter after the trial ull till after the earth closed over my poor husbands bus bands remains that was why I 1 could say nothing in his bis defense why I 1 did not believe him blin when ho he dee declared Jared that he had bad left hla his stick b behind him when he be ran up the bluff after reuther dut but later aheu it was all over when the disgrace of his death and the necessity of seeking ft home drove drova me into sali B H ing tho the tavern and all its effects I 1 found something which changed my mind in this regard and made me ino confident that I 1 had bad done my hue husband a great injustice you found abat do you mean by that what could you have bavo found foon cl ills peaked cap lying in a corner ot of the garret lie had not worn it that day for when he came back to be hustled on oft again by tile the crowd cro d he was without hat of any kind and lie ho never returned again to hla his home you know that judge I 1 had seen thu tho B shadow badow of some other man approaching dark hollow whose I 1 am in this town now to find out judge ostrander was a man of keen perception quick to grasp an idea quick to form an opinion dut but tile hla mind acted slowly tonight deborah scoville wondered at the blank nees of ills his gaze and tho the slow way in which he seemed to take in this astounding fact at last lie he found voice and with it gave some evidence of life hla usual acumen A madam ladam a shadow Is tin an uncertain foundation on which to build such an all as you plan A dozen men might have come down that path with or without sticks before mr air reached tho the bridge and fell a victim to the assault which laid him low 1 I thought tile tho time was pretty clearly settled by the hour he left your house the sun had not set when lie he turned your corner on hla big way home so several people said who saw him besides yes there Is a besides im suro sure of it it 1 I saw baw the tall figure ot of a man whom I 1 afterwards made sure was mr etheridge Etherl dge coming down factory road on hla his way to the bridge when I 1 turned about to get reuther all of which you suppressed at the trial 1 I was not questioned on this point sir clr A madam ladam iio ho was standing very near to her now hemming liar her as it were into bat decaying corner 1 I should have d a very much higher opinion of your candor it you told me the whole story 11 1 I have sir ills Hs hands bands rose one to the right hand wall the other to tho the left and remained there with their palms reeling heavily against the rotting plaster she was more than ever hemmed in but though she felt a trifle fright ened at his aspect which certainly was waa not usual she faced him without shrinking and in very evident surprise it seems too slight a fact to mention and indeed I 1 had forgotten it till you pressed me but after we had passed the gates and were well out on the highway I 1 found that had left her little pall behind her here and we came back and got it did you mean that clr air 1 I meant nothing but I 1 felt sure you had not told all you could about that fatal ten minutes you came back it Is quite a walk from the road the man whose shadow you saw must have reached tho bridge by this time what did you see then or hear nothing absolutely nothing judge I 1 was intent on finding the babas pall and having found it I 1 hurried back home all the faster and tragedy was going on or was just completed in plain sight eight from this capt 1 I 1 have no doubt sir and it if I 1 had looked possibly john might have been caved the silence allenee following this was a a cry peggye peggys house hail had tumbled down the small incident was a relief both assumed more natural postures u res so the shadow to la your great and only point remarked the judge 1 I 1 shall not desist judge ostrander you are going to pursue this lacko lantern Ian tern 1 I 1 am determined to it you deny roo me aid and advice I 1 shall beek another counselor johns name must bo be vin dica dilated ted lie ho rave gave her a look turned anti and glanced down at the child piling filling stone on oil stone and whimpering just a italo when they fell watch that baby for a while he remarked and you will learn the les lea son of most human endeavor madam I 1 have a proposition to make you you cannot wish to remain at the inn nor can you bo be long happy separated from your our daughter I 1 havo have lost dela bela I 1 do not know how nor would I 1 be willing to replace him by another servant I 1 need a housekeeper some one devoted to my m interests and who he will vw rot ask me to change my habits too materially will you accept the position if I 1 add as an inducement my desire to have reuther also as an inmate of my home this does not mean that I 1 countenance counte nanco or in any an way anticipate her union with my son I 1 do not but any other advantages she may desire she bile shall have I 1 will not be strict with her deborah scoville was never more taken aback in her life the recluse opening his doors to two women I 1 the man of mystery flinging aside the bences of 0 years to harbor nu an inno cence which he refused to let weigh against the claims of a son he had seen lit fit to banish from hla his heart and homol homo you may take time to think of 0 it he continued as lie watched the confused emotions emo tlona change from moment to moment tile tho character of her mobile features 1 I shall not have my affairs adjusted for such a change before a week it f you accept I 1 shall be very grateful if you decline I 1 shall close up my two rear gates and go into solitary seclusion I 1 can cook a meal it I 1 have to and she saw that he wall would do it 11 saw and wondered still morn 1 I shall have to write to reuther euther ll she murmured how flow soon boon do you want ft ant my decision in four days 1 I am too disturbed to thank you judge should should we we have to keep the gates locked no but you would have to keep out unwelcome intruders and tile the rights of my library will have to be respected in all other regards I 1 should wish under tinder these now new circum san can cesto live as other people live I 1 have been very lonely these past twelve years 1 I will think about it and you may make note of these two conditions olivers name Is not to be mentioned in my hearing and you and reuther are to be known by your real names you would yes yea madam no secrecy Is to bo be maintained in future as to your identity or my reasons tor for desiring you in my house I 1 need a housekeeper and a d you please me that you have a past to forget and reuther a disappointment to overcome gives additional point to the arrangement her answer was 1 I cannot take back what I 1 have said about my determined purpose in repeating this she looked up at him askance lie ho smiled she remembered that smile long lone after the interview was over and only its memory remained dearest Alot mother ber where 8 could we go BO that disgrace would n not ot follow bow us let us then accept the judges offer I 1 am tile the more inclined to do this because of tho the possible hope that some lay day lie he may come to cure care for me an and allow me to make lire a little for him the fact that for or some mysterious reason he feels himself cut oft adm oil all intercourse with ills son may inay prove a bond of sympathy between us ui 1 I too am cut oft off from all companionship alth oliver between us also a mail fall is raised rained do not mind that teardrop tear drop roam mam ina it Is the lost last mases kisses for my comforter come I 1 soon eoon n li UT 11 r n over this letter deborah scoville sat for two hours then she rang tor for mrs airs yardley Yard loy the maid who answer answered od her summons surveyed her in amazement it it if you deny me I 1 shall seek another counsellor was the ho irel time that she had seen liar her uncovered face mrs yardley was not cot long in coming up tip mrs mra averill she beran began ir in a kind of nf fluster as aa she met her strai ce guests q quiet act eye hut she got no further that gunst hail had a correction to mako make my name naino la Is not averill Averl ll she pro tested you roust must cajuso tie the temporary deception it Is scoville I 1 once occupied your present position in this house mrs yardley had heard nil all about aboud the th villes and while a flush roso rose to her cheeks her eyes snapped with sudden interest ali ah camo came lot ID quick exclamation followed however by an apologetic cough and the somewhat forced and conventional remark you find the place changed no doubt very much so and for the better mrs yardley then with a straightforward meeting of the others eye she added 1 I am aln going to live with judge ostrander airs afro yardley keep house for him and daugh ter ills man is dead arnd he feels very helpless I 1 hope that I 1 shall be able to make him comfortable mrs 51 rs Yard leys face was a study lo in all her life she had nover heard beard news that surprised liar hor more in another moment she ahe had accepted the situation like the very sensible woman was and mrs scoville had tho the satisfaction of seeing the promise of real friendly support in fit the smile with I 1 which mra airs yardley remarked its ita a good thing for you and a very good thing for the judge it may shake him film out of ills his habit of becu slon if it 11 does you will be the cilyo benefactor good luck to you madam and you have a daughter you say bay after mrs airs Yard leyB leys departure depar tUM mrs airs scoville as she now expected herself to be called sat for a long time brooding there one thing more to bo be accomplished she set about it that evening veiled but in black now she went into town getting d down own at t the h a c cor a kner kliar of colburn avenue and perry street she sha walked it a short distance on perry then rang the bell of an at looking house bouse of moderate dl di mansions men along belag admitted she asked to see mr black and for an hour sat in close conversation with him then slie she took a trolley car which carried her into tile the suburbs when she alighted it v v i unusually late for a woman to be it alone but she had very little physical fear and walked on steadily enoich for a bloc block k or tac till she canio to a corner where a hibb fence loomed forbiddingly between hei hat and a house so dark that it was lm possible to distinguish between itt its chimneys aud the encompassing trees was site she quite alone in the seem angly quiet street she could hear nc DC one see eee no one A lamp burned to lc front of miss weeks small house but bul the road it illumined the one running down to the ravine showed only dark ened houses sho she had left the corner and wat wag passing the tha gate of the ostrander dei det acim estead when site she hoard heard coming from some distant point within a low and |
