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THE NORTH PLATTE 8EMI-WEEKLY TRIBUNE.
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Vj; ANNA KATHARINE GREEN
Author op "the leavenwohth case"
THE FILIGREE BADltE HOUSE OF TiiE WHISPERING PWEtf'
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COPYHJUIIT 1911
SYNOPSIS.
aporuo Anderson ntitl wife see a re
NinrUnlile looking man rome out of tho
Clermont liulcl. look around furtively,
wi'sli Mb hands In tho snow ntnl pass on
Commotion nt tracts Minn to tho Clermont,
where II I found that the beautiful MIsk
Kdltli Cliallonor Iiiih fulloii dead 'Ander
non describes tho -man ho aw wash hl
hands In the snow, Tho hotel manager
delate him to be Orlando Urotlierson.
J'hjslHnnM find that Miss Chnlloncr was
Ntahhrd rtnd not shut, which Dooms to
olenr llrnthertion of mitrptclon. Oryco, an
nKi'd riclcctlw and Sweetwater, Ilia an
HixtMnt. take tip tho cuo. They believe,
Miss fhalloncr stabbed hersolf A paper
utter found near tho nccno of tragedy la
bcllevid to ! tho weapon used Mr. Chal
loner (oil? of a batch of letters found In
liln daughter's drsk, elgned "O II." All
nre lovo letlcra except ono which shows
that tho writer wan displeased This let
ter wan HiKtied by Orlando Itrolhcraon,
Andcruon kocn with Sweetwater to Iden
tify Ilrothoraon, who In to address a meet
Injf cf anarchists 'J'ho place Is raided tiy
the police and llrothorson escapes with
out being Identified. Ilrothoraon Is found
living In a tenement tindor tho name of
Dunn. IIo la an Inventor Urotlierson
1 c 1 l.i tho coronor of Ida acquaintance with
MImh ChHlloner and how rIia repulsed him
with scorn when ho offered Iter Ida lovo.
Hwcttwator recalls Iho mystery of tho
murder of n wnHherwoinau In which soma
tlntnllH were similar to tho C'hallonor af
fair Challoner admltfl his daughter wag
Ucply Interested. If not In love with
liotheron Ilroitierion Rives tho police
t plauslhlo explanation of his conduct.
Bweotwaler plaint to disguise hlmsolf an
a carpenter and neck IoJkIukh In the namo
Aitilldlni; with Drothcrnou IIo watches
ho Inventor at work at night and Is tic
ittnled by the laller. Tho dMoative moves
(to u loom -Adjoining Ilrotherson's. He
filiori.H',1 hole In th wull'to :y on Ilrotli-
i (Kin Ho visits him and uHlst tho In
vtutor In hid work.
CHAPTER XVIII.
music was tho samo grand flnnlo from
William Tell wlilch hnd Boomed to
work Bttch magic In tho night. Ab
Sweetwntor caught tho mellow but In
different notcu sounding from thoso
lips of brnsB, ho dragged forth tho
music-box Jio hold hidden In his coat
pocltot, nnd flinging It on tho floor
stamped upon It,
"Tho mnn Is too strong for mo," ho
crlod. "His heart Is grnulta; ho
mcotfl my evory move. What am 1 to
do now?"
CHAPTER XIX.
For
edged
What Am I to Do Now?
Burly morning saw Swootwator
peering Into tho depths of his closet.
Tho liolo WftH hardly vlslblo. This
mount that tho book ho had pushed
ncniMi It front tho othor sldo.had not
been rontoved.
Mr IJrolltorHon'H bod was In a re
anolo corner from tho loop-holo mado
by Sweotwnlor; but In tho stillness
now pervading tho wholo building, tho
Inltur ootiltl hoar his ovon breathing
very distinctly IIo waB In a deop
Hleop.
Tho young dotcctlvo'n moment had
r.oniu.
Taking from bis broust a small box,
liu pi it cod It on a sholt close ugaluut
iho partition, An lnstnnt of qulot
) Intoning,' Utcn ho touched n sprffig
In tho sldo of tho box and laid his oar,
in haste, (o his loop-holo.
A Hlraln of woll-ktioyai music brok'o
aioftly front tho box and sont Its vi
brations through tho wall.
It was ntiHwored Instantly by n stir
within; itliori, us tho .noblo ntr con
.Untied, nwnkctiiug memorlos of that
fatal Instant whoa It craHhod through
ho corrldorn of tho Hotel Olormont,
drowning JiIUis Chullonar's cry if not
tho sound of nor full, a word burst
from tho sleeping man's Upa which
curried Its own moHsago to the tlston
Ing dctootlvo.
It wits ICdlthl Mlaa Challotlor's
llrst namo, and Iho tono boapoUo a
thaUen soul.
Hwutttwntcr, gasping with excite
ment, cuught iho box front tho uholt
nnd Blltuiced It. It had dono Its work
imrt It vna no part of Sweetwator'u
plan to havo this struln located, or
oven to bo thought, roal. Dt Its ocho
titlll llugorud In IlroUtorBOu's othor
wise unconscious oars; for another
Kill thl" ooonped IiIb lips, followed by
it smothered but forcoful utterance of
theso words, "You know I prom
(bod you"
Promised her what? Ho did not say.
Would ho lmvo dono so hnd tho music
lasted t trlllo longor? Would ho yet
complete his nontonco? Swootwntor
trembled with ogornoss and llstoued
lireihlt'jtfily for tho next sound. Uroth
crson wiih nwHko. Ho was tossing In
Ills Wed. Now ho has leaped to tho
Jloor fiwootwatrtr hoars him gvonn,
then comes nuothof sllouoo, broken
4tt lHt by tho houihI of his body fall
ing back upon tho bed and tltu
Irotilileil.-ojuciilatlon of "Oood Go"dl"
wrung from lips no torturo could lmvo
forced Into complaint ttndor m;y dny-
llino conditions-
4 Bveetwator contluuod to llslon, but
ho had hoard nil, and nttor sotnn few
minutes lougur of fruitless watting, ho
withdrew from hh post, Tho eplsodo
was over. Ho would hoar no wore
Hull night.
i Wits ho satisfied'. Swootwator
Imagined tho ficonoBnw the flguro of,
3lrothorson hesitating at tho top of
tho ?itrs saw hors Advancing from
the writing-room, with etartlod and
v uplifted liunil hoard llto muajc tlio
jtHli of that great ttnnlo and decid
ed, without liesltntlon, that tho words
)lo had Just hoard woro Indoed tho
thoughts or that momont, "Edith,
ytm know I promised you " What
Vund ho promised? What eho received
was dotvthl -Had thin b'Shn In his
mlnd? Would this lmvo boon tho tor
"jiilimtlon of tho scuteuco had ho wuk
oticd Ichh booh to cousclousuoss and
OHtltloll?
flwootwator dared to bollevo It,
Gould It bo? Was It"" ho vho was
lreamlnj; now, or wns tho ovent ot
tho night j utQre furco of his own
imagining? Mr. nrolhorson was
whlsjllin,' in IiIh room, gnlly and with
over Increasing vorvu, and tho tuno
which filled tho wholo floor with
Tho Danger Moment,
n day Swootwator acknowl
himself to be mentally crush
ed, disillusioned and defeated. Then
his spirits regained their poise.
His opinion was not changed In ro
gard to his nolghbor's secret guilt.
Hut ho saw, very plainly by this
time, that ho would have to employ
more subtlo mothods yet cro his hand
would touch tho goal which so tant&l
Izlngly eluded him.
Ills work at tho bench suffored that
week; ho mado two mistakes. Iiut by
Saturday night ho had satisfied hlm
solf that o had reached tho point
whot'o he would bo justlflod in making
ttbo of MIbb Chnlloner's lottors. So
ho telephoned hla wishes to Now
York, and awaited tho promised de
velopments with an anxloty wo can
only understand by realizing how
much greater woro his chancos of fall
uro than of success, To ensure tho
latter, ovory factor in bis scheme must
work to perfection. Tho medium of
communication (a young, untried girl)
mtiat do hor part with all tho skill of
nrtlst nnd nuthor comblnod. Would
she disappoint thcm7 Ho did not think
so. Women possess a marvelous
adaptability for this kind of work,
and this ono was French, which .made
tho cnsA.atIll moro hopeful.
Hut Iirothorson! In what spirit
would ho moot tho proposed ad
vances? Would ho ovon admit tho
girl, and, If ho did, would, tho Inter
view boar any such fruit ns Sweot-
-.vator hoped for? Tho man who could
mock tho terrors nf the ultrlit bv n
cnroldss rope'tltlon of a strain Instinct'
with tho most Bncred memories, was
not to bo dopondotS upon to show
much fooling at sight of a departed
woman's writing.
Hut lo othor hope remained, and
Swootwator facod tho attempt with
horolq d6termlnnt!on.
Tho day was Sunday, which cn
surod Hrotliorfion's being .at homo.
Nothing would havo lurod Sweetwa
ter out for a moment, though ho had
no reason to expect that tho. affair
ho was anticipating would como oft
till oarly oveulni;.
Hut It did, Lato In tho afternoon
ho hoard tho expected steps "go by his
door a womnn'n stops, nut they
woro no .Rip-no. A mnji's accompanied
tiiotn. Wliiir Irani? Swoetwator
hastened to satisfy himself on this
point by lnylng hlB oar to tho partition.
Instantly tho wholo conversation
borsnmn autllblo
"An orrand? Oh, 700s, I havo an
orrand!" explained tho ovldontly tin-
wolcomo lntrudor, In hor broken Eng
lish. "This la my brother 1'lorro, My
niiinu Is Colosto; Colesto Ledru. I
understand English ver' woll. I have
worked much In fundllcs. nut ho tin
dorstands nothing. IIo Is all Fronch.
Ho accompanies .mo for for the
what you call It? '.os convenances.'
He knows nothing ot tho bcoslucss."
Bwoetwator In tho durknoss of his
closot laughed In his gleeful appreciation.
'Qroatl" was his comment. "Junt
everybody else does Oh, tout lo
mondo, monsieur, that- I was Miss
Chnllonor's maid near her when oth
or people woro not near hor the very
day sho died."
A pause; then an angry exclama
tion from eoino one. Sweetwater
thought It from tho brother, who may
havo misinterpreted somo look or
gesture on Urothcrson'B pnrt. Iiroth
orson hlmBolf would not bo npt to
show surprise In any uch noisy way.
"I I saw many thlngB Oh, many
things" the girl proceeded with nn
admirable mixture of suggestion and
reserve '"That day and other days
too. Sho did not talk Oh, no, sho
did not tnlk, but I saw Oh, yes, I
saw that she that you I'll havo to
say It, monsieur, that you werrf tres
bons amis after that week In Lenox."
"Well?" Ills utterance of this word
waB vigorous, but not tender. "What
aro you coming to? What can you
have to show mo in this connection
that 1 will bellovo in for a momont?"
"I havo these Is monsieur cortalne
that no ono can hear? I wouldn't hnvo
anybody hear what I have to t3il you,
for tho world for all vho world."
"No ono can overhear."
For tho first tlmo that day Sweet
water breathed a full, deop breath.
This UBSiiranco had sounded heartfelt,
"Hlosslngs on hor cunning young
head. Sbo thinks of everything."
"You aro unhappy. You havo thought
MIbb Chullonor cold; that sho had no
responso for your ver ardent passion,
Hut" theso words were uttered sotto
voce and with telling pauses "but
I know ver much bettor than that.
She was ver proud 3ho had a right;
sho wob no poor girl llko mo but sho
spend hours hours In writing letters
sho nevnlre send. I saw ono, Just
once, for a leetlo minute; while you
could brenthe so short as that; and
tt began with Chcrl, or Vour English
for that, and it ondod with words
Oh, ver much like theso: You may
nevalro see th6se lines, which was
vor Interesting, vereo so, and made
ono want to "seo what sho did with
letters she wrote and nova:re mall; 30
L watch and look, nnd ono day l Bee
thont. Sho hnd n lootle Ivory box
Ob, ver ulee, ver pretty. I h'ought It
wus jowels she kejit locked up so
light. Hut, non, uon, non. -It was lot
tors theso lotters. I heard thom rat
tle', rattlo, not onco but many times.
You believe mo, monsieur?"
"I beljovo you to havo taken every
advantage poaslblo to spy upon your
mlstroas. I bellevo that, yea."
"From Interest, nonsleur, from
great Intorcst."
"Self-Interest."
"As monsieur pleases. Hut tt was
stranfjo, ver strange , for a grando
dame llko that to wrlto letters
sheets on sheets and then not send
tlnued hor vltuperatlvo attack.
"Heastl beast! That sho should pour
out her Innocont hoart to you, you!
I do not want your money, Monsieur
of tho common street, of tho common
houso. It would bo dirt. Plcrro, It
would bo cjlrt. Ah, baht Jo m'oubllo
tout a fair; Plerro, 11 OBt boto. II ro
fuse do Ics toucher. Mais 11 faut
qu'll los touche, bI Jo lea lalsBO sur
lo plancher. Va-t'on! Jo mo moquo
de lul. Canaille! L'hommo du pou
plo, tout a fait du pouplel"
A loud slam tho Bkurrylng of foot
through tho hall, accompanied by tho
slower and heavier tread of tho bo
called brother, then silence, and such
alienee that Swootwator fancied ho
could catch tho sound of Brothorson'B
heavy breathing. His own was si
lenced to a gasp. What a treasure of
a girl! How natural her Indignation!
What an Instinct sho showed and what
comprehension!
Hut had sho Imposed on Brother-
son? Ab tho sllonco continued; Sweet
water began to doubt. Ho understood
quite well tho importunco - of his
neighbor's first movement. Wore ho
to tear thoao lotters Into shreds! Ho
might bo thus tempted. All depended
on tho Btrongth of his present mood
and tho real nnturo of tho secret
which lay burled In his heart.
There was a sound ns of sottllng
coal. Only at night would ono expect
to hoar so slight a sound as that In a
tenement full of noisy children. But
the momont chanced to bo propitious,
and It not only attracted tho attention
of Swootwater on hla side of tho wall,
but It Btruck tho ear of Brothorson
also. With an ejaculation as blttor
ns It was impatient, ho roused him
self and gathered up tho iotterB.
Sweetwater could hear tho successive
rustlings as he bundled them up In
his hand. Then came another sllenco
thon the lifting of a Btovo Ud.
Sweetwater had not boon wrong in
his secret apprehension. His identi
fication with his unimpressionable
neighbor's mood had shown him, what
to expect. These letters these Inno
cent nnd precious outpourings of a
lare and womanly soul tho only con
ceivable open sesame to tho hard
locked nature ho found himself pitted
against, would soon bo resolved into
a vanishing puff ofe aoko.
But tlio lid was thrust back, and tho
letters remained in hand. Mortal
Btrength has Its llmlta. Even Brothor
son could not shut down that lid on
wtirds which might havo been meant
for him, harshly as ho had ropolled
the Idea.
The pause which followed told lit
tle; but when Sweetwater heard the
man within move with characteristic
energy to tho door, turn tho key nnd
stop back again to his place at tho
table, he knew that tho danger mo-
thoni, nevalro. I. droamofl of those let- ment had passed and that those lot-
nrs I could not help It, no; nnd 1 ters were aDOUi 10 do roau, noi casuai-
whon she died ao quick with no word
for anyvbne, no word "at all, I thought
of those writings ao socrot, bo of tho
heart, and when no one noticed or
thought about this box, or or 4 ltey
sho kept shut tight, oh, always tight
in hor leotlo gold purse, 1 Monsieur,
do you want to'soo thoso lettors?"
ly, but seriously, as Indeed their con
tents merited.
This caused Sweetwater to feel seri
ous himself. Upon what result might
ho calculate?
Impossible to tell. Tho balance of
probability hung even. Sweetwater
recognized this, and clung, breathless,
asked tho girl, with a gulp. tEvldent- to IiIb loop-hole. Fain wquld he havo
ly his appearance frlghtonod hor or seen, as well as uearu
had her noting reached this point of
oxtromo finish? "I had novnlro tho
ohanco to put them back. And and
they belong- to monsieur. They are
his all his and so bcuiJtlful! Ah,
Just llko pootry."
"I .don't consider thom mine. I
haven't a particle of confidence in you
or In your story. You aro a thief
eclf-convlcted; or you'ro an agent of
tho pollco whoso motlvos I neither
understand nor caro to Investigate
Mr. Brotheraon road tho first letter,
standing. As it soon becamo public
property, I will glvo It hero, Just as It
afterwards appeared In tho columns of
the greedy Journals:
"Bolovod:
"Whon I sit, ns I often do, In por
feet gulet under tho stars, and dream
thaOou aro looking at them too, not
for hours as I do, but for ono full mo-
great! Sho haH thpughtof ovorythlng Tnko up your bag and go. I haven't
or Mr. Qryco has."
Moatiwhllo, tho girl was proceed
ing with' Increased volubility.
"Whut Is this beeslncss, monsieur?
1 have something to soil so you
Americans Bpeak. Somotblng you will
want much vor eacred, ver precious.
A souvenir from tU? tomb, monsieur.
Will you glvo ten no, that Is too
leotlo fifteen dollars for ylt? It !h
worth Oil, moro, much moro to tho
true lover Pierre, tu ob boto. Tolns
tu droit Bur tn chalso. M. Brothorson
est un uiQiislour commo II faut"
This adjuration, uttored in sharp
reprimand and with but little ot tho
French grnco, mny or may not 4avo
been understood by tho unsympathetic
mnn thoy woro moant to lmpross. But
the numo which accompnnlcd thorn
his own namo, never heard but onco
buforo In this house, undoubtedly
causod tho sllonco whloh nlmr.st
reached tho point ot embarrassment,
botoro ho broko It with tho huruh re
mark: "Your Fronch may bo good, but It
dooB imt go with mo, Yot Is It moro
Intelllglblo than your English. What
do you wnnt hero? Whut havo you In
that bug you wish to opon; and what
do you menu by tho sontlmonta! trash
with whloh you oHor It?"
"Ah, monBleur hns not memory of
mo," camo In tho sweotest tones of a
really Bcducttvo voice. "You astonish
mo, monsieur, I thought you know
a cent's worth of Intorcst In Its con-J
tents."
Sho started to her feet. Swootwator
heard her chair gruto on tho painted
floor, ob she pushed it back in rising. '
Tho brother roso to but moro calm
ly. Urotlierson did net stir. Sweet-1
wntor folt his hopos rapidly -dying
down down nto ashes, when sud
donly hor yoIco broko forth In pants
"And Mario said-ovorybody said
that you loved our great lady; that
you, of tho people, common, com
mon, working with. tho hands, living
with mon nnd women working with
tho hands, that you had soul, sontt
ment what you will of tho good and
tho great, and that you would glvo
your oyos for hor wordB, si fines, si
Hplrltuelloa, so llko dos vers do pooto.
Falso! falBo! oil fnlsoi Sho was an
angel. You aro read that!" sho ve
hemently broko In, opening hor bag
and whisking n inper down boforo
him. "Ileud and understand my prqyd
and lovely lady. Sho did right to dlo.
You aro hard hard. You would hnvrxf
killod hor If sho had not"
"Sllenco, woman! I will road noth
ing! ,r camo hissing from tho strong
man's tooth, sot In almost ungovorn
nblo ungor. "Take back this letter,
as you call It, nnd lenvo my room."
"Novnlro! You will not read? But
you Bhall, you shall. Bohold another!
Ono, two, thrco, four!" Madly thoy
floV from ber hand. Madly sho con-
1 n
n ilflliSPJOS
3t JBKBB-
i Am
1 . K
I 1 """ ' i
"Take Back This Letter, as You Call
It, and Leave This Room."
ment In which your thoughts aro with
mo as wholly us mlno aro with you, I
feel that tho bond botween us, unaeon
by the world, and poanjb'y not wholly
rocognlzcd by oursolvea, Is instinct
.vlth tho samo power which links to
gether tho eternities.
"It Bocma to have always heon;- to
havo known no beglunliig, only a bud
ding, an efllorctcenco, tho vlslblo prod
uct of n hlddon but always present
reality. A month ago and I was Igno
rant, oven, of your name. Now, you
Beem thobeBt known to me, the best
understood, of God's creatures. One
afternoon of perfect companionship
ono flash of strong emotion, with its
deep, truo Insight Into each other's
soul, and the mlrnclo was wrought.
Wo had mot, and henceforth, parting
would mean separation only, and not
the severing of a mutual bond. Ono
hand, and ono only, could do that now.
I will not namo that hand. For us
there Is nought ahead but life.
''Thus do I "easo my heart in tho sl
lenco which conditions imposo upon
us. Somo day I shall hear your voice
again, and then "
Tho paper dropped from tho read
er's hand. It was several minutes bo
fore ho took up another.
This one, as It happened, antedated
tho other, as will appear on reading
its
"My frlond:
"I said that I could not wrlto to you
that wo must wait You were will
ing; but there is much to bo accom
plished, nnd tho alienee may bo long.
My father Is not an easy man to
please, but ho desires my happiness
and will listen to my plea when tho
right hour comes. When you have
won your place when you havo
shown yourself to bo tho man I feel
you to be, then my fathor will recog
nlzo your worth, and tho way will bo
cleared, despite tho obstacles which
now intervene. - .
"But meantime! Ah, you will not
know It, but words will rlto tho heart
must find utterance. What tho lip
cannot utter, nor tho looks reveal,
these pages shall hold In sacred trust
for you till the day when my father
will place my hand In yours, with
heartfelt approval.
"Is It a folly? A woman's weak
evasion of the strong silence of man?
You may say so somo day; but some
how, I doubt It I doubt It."
Tha creaking of a chair the rimn
within had seated himself. There was
no othert sound; n soul In turmoil
wakens no echoes. Sweetwater envJed
tho walla surrounding tho unsympa
thetic reader. Thoy could see. Ho
could only listen.
A llttlo while; then that slight
rustling again of the unfolding sheet.
Tho following was read, and then thd
fourth and last:
"Dearest:
"Did you think I had never seen you
till that day we met In Lenox? I nm
going to tell you a secret a great,
great secret such a ono as n woman
hardly whispers to her own heart.
"One day, in early summer, I was
sitting in St, Bartholomew's church
on Fifth avenue, waiting for tho serv
ices to begin, It was early and the
congregation was assembling. While
idly watching tho people coming in,
I snw a gentleman pass by mo up tho
aisle, who made me forget all tho oth
ers. Ho had not tho air of a Now
YorTtbr; he was not ovon dressed In
city style, but as I noted his face and
expression, I said way down In my
hoaft, 'That Is the kind of man I could
lovo; tho only man I havn ever .seen
who could mako me forget my own
world and my own people.' It was a
passing thought, soon forgotten. But
when In that hour of embarrassment
and peril on Greylock mountain, I
looked up into the face of my rescuer
and saw again that countenance which
so short a tlmo before had called into
llto impulses till then utterly un
known, I know that my hour was
come. And that was why my confi
dence was so spontaneous and my be
Uof In tho futuro so absolute. ,
"I triiBt your lovo which will work
wonders; and I trust my own, which
sprang nt a ,look but only gathercd
strongth and permanenco when I
found that tho souLaf tho man I loved
bettered his outward attractions, ma
king tho ideal of my foolish girlhood
seem as unsubstantial and evanescent
as n droam in the glowing noontide."
"My Own:
"I can say no now; for you have
written to me, and I havo the dancing
words with which to sllonco any un
sought doubt which might subduo tlio
exubernnoo ot theso secret outpour
ings. "I did not expect this. I thought
that you would remain ns silent as
mysolf. But men's ways nre not our
ways. They cannot exhaust longing
in purpoaeless words on scraps of
Boulless papor, and I am glad that
they cannot. I lovo you for your Im
patience; for your purpose, and for
-tho manliness which will win you yot
all that you 'covet of fame, accom
plishment and lovo. You expect no
reply, but there aro ways In which ono
can keep silent and yet speak. Won't
you bo surprised when your answer
comes in a manner you havo nover
thought of?"
CHAPTER XX.
y " Confusion.
In Ula interest in what wus going on
on tho other sldo of the wall, Sweot-
wuier uuu lorguiiyu uimami. ui)-i
light had declined, but In tho dark
ness of tho closot this chango had
passed unheeded. Night Itself might
come, but that should not force him to
lenvo hlB post bo long as his neigh
bor remained behind his locked door,
brooding ovor tho words of lovo and
devotion which hnd como to him, as It
woro, from the other world.
But wnB he brooding? That sound
of iron clattering upon iron I That
smothered oxclamatlon and tho laugh
which ended ltl Anger nnd dorermln
atlon rang In that laugh. It had a
hideous sound which prepared -Swoet-water
fir the smoll which now reached
hla nostrils. Tho lettors were burn
ing; thia time tho lid had beon'lifted
from tho stove with unrelenting pur
pose. Poor Edith Chnlloner's touch
ing words had met a different fate
from any which she, In her Ignoranco
of this man's nature a naturo to
which sho had ascribed untold perfec
tions could possibly have conceived.
Ab Swootwator thought of this, ho
stirred norvously In the darkness, and
broko Into allont invectivo "against tho
man who could so Insult the memory
of one who had perished under tho
blight of his own coldness and A1b
understanding. Then ho suddenly
started back surprised and apprehen
sive. Brothorson had unlocked bin
door, and waB coming rapidly his way.
Sweetwator heard his step In tho hall
and had hardly tlmo to bound from
his" closet, when ho saw his own door
burst in and found himself faco to
faco with his redoubtable neighbor, In
a state of such rage as few men could
meet without quailing, even wero they
of his own stature, physical vigor nnd
prowess; and Sweetwater was a small
man.
Howovcr, disappointment auch an
ho had Just experienced brlnga with it
a deaperatlon which oftca- outdoes
courage, and the detective, smiling
with an air of gay surprlso, shouted
out:
"Well, what's tho matter now? Has
the machine busted, or tumbled Into
tho fire or sailed away to lands un
known out of your open window!"
"You wero coming out of that
closet," was tho florcd rejo'lnder.
"What havo you got there? Some
thing which, .concerns .mo, or why
should your faco go pale at my pres
ence and your forehead drip with
sweat? Don't think that you'vo de
ceived me ror a moment aa to your
business hero. I recognized you lm
mediately. You've played tho stranger
well, but you've a nose and an eyo
nobody could forgot. I have known
all along that I had a pollco spy for a
neighbor; but It didn't fazs me. I'vo
nothing to conceal, and wouldn't mind
a reglmont of you follows If you'd only
play a straight game. But when it
comes to foisting upon mo a parcel of
letters to which I havo no right, and
then setting n.fpllow like you to count
my groans or whatever elae they ex
pected to hear, I have a right to do
tond mysolf, and defend myself, I will,
by jGod! But first, let me bo euro
that my accusations will stand. Como
into this closet with mo. It abuts on
the wall of my room and has itB own
socrot, I know. What Is. It? I havo
you at an advantage now, and -you
shall tell."
Ho did have Swootwater at an ad
vantage, and the detective knew, It
nnd disdained a struggle which would
havo only called up a crowd, friendly
to the other but lnlmlcu'. to himself.
Allowing Brotherson to dra him Into
tho closet, ho Btood quiescent, while
tho determined man who held him
with ono hand, felt about with the oth
er over the shelves and along 'tho
partitions till he came to tho holo
which had offered such a happy means
of communication betweon the two
rooms. Then, with a laugh almogt ns
bitter In tono bb that which rang from
Brotherson's lips, ho acknowledged
that busineaa had Its necessities and
that apologies from him wero In or
der; adding, as they both stepped out
Into tho rapidly darkening roomt
"Wo'vo played a bout, wo two; and
you've come out ahead Allow mo to
congratulate you, Mr. Brotherson.
You've cleared yourself .so far aB I am
concerned, rieavo this ranch tonight."
Tho frown had como back to tho
forehead of the Indignant man who
confronted him.
"So you llstenod," ho cried; "lis
tened when you weren't sneaking un
der my eye! A fine occupation for a
man who can dovo-ta' a corner fjko
an ndept. I wish I had let you join
the brotherhood you wero good enough
to mention. They would know how to
appreciate your double glftB and how
to reward your excellence In tho one,
If not In tho othor. What did tho po
lice expect to learn about me that
thoy should consider It necessary to
call Into exorclao such extraordinary
.talents?"
"I'm not good at conundrums.! was
given a task to perform, and I per
formed it," was Sweetwater's sturdy
reply. Then slowly, with his eye fixed
directly upon his antagonist, "I guoss
thoy thought you a man. And so did
I until I heard you burn thoao letters,
Fortunately we hnvo copies."
(TO BE CONTINUED.)
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